Hello and a very warm welcome to Whisky Rocks…
…a shiny new guide to discovering the magic of the world’s most exciting and enticing spirit, edited by the team behind Barley magazine.
Whisky Rocks is for anyone who loves whisky, but it’s chiefly aimed at the whisky curious crowd - the huge number of people across the world who are thirsty to learn more about this extraordinary drink but don’t know quite where to start.
Maybe cocktails have been your gateway into whisky or else you got a taste for it by stealing the odd sip from a bottle pulled out at Christmas or New Year. Perhaps you’re keen to impress your friends with your ability to discern a peaty Islay from a Sherry cask Speyside. You could be a complete novice. It doesn’t matter. This is a liquid journey we can all celebrate and share together.
Here’s the plan. Twice a week we’ll post a great piece on a different whisky theme. One will be free and the other will require a paid subscription to read.
Some of the topics we’ll be getting into….
What’s the difference between Single Malt and Blended Scotch? How does water or ice change the way whisky tastes? What are the best whiskies to try from each region of Scotland? We’ll take deep dives into newer whisky territories like Japan and England as well as exploring the thrilling whiskey landscapes and traditions of America and Ireland. Where did whisky come from? How is it made? And how on earth do you pronounce Bruichladdich and Bunnahabhain? Watch this space for the answers!
Think of it as a great masterclass mini-series to sip and savour, carefully distilled and delivered to your inbox every week.
My name is Gordon Thomson. I grew up in the heart of whisky country in Speyside, Scotland, and was an editor at Time Out, the Observer, The Sunday Times as well as lots of other places. I’ll be writing and editing a fair bit of what you’re going to read, but I’ll be bringing along with me a whole host of experts from Barley to furnish you with entertaining and educational expertise.
We want to make the experience fun so we’ll endeavour not to get too technical and to make the guides enlivening and a pleasure to read.
At the end of every story we’ll post a few top tips to summarise the key things we’ve covered.
So, if you want to learn to walk the whisky walk and talk the whisky talk, join us!
We’ll see you at the bar….
Gordon & the Barley team
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Subscription details
Please consider subscribing, there are three types of subscriptions available:
Become a free subscriber
We will always make sure to have at least one fantastic story for you to read for free every week, direct to your inbox.
Become a paid subscriber
For £5 a month or an annual fee of £50 you will receive two weekly posts, have full community access, be able to read all our archive and get access to features and events written and hosted on our Barley website. As well as our deep gratitude and thanks.
Become a founding member
We are offering a limited amount of founding memberships for the truly generous who want to support our journalism from the off. For £100 you’ll get all the great perks of being a paid subscriber, plus we’ll give you a bespoke Whisky Rocks T-shirt, and a special invite every few months to exclusive virtual drinks with the Barley team and our VIP pals.
Special Introductory offers
Join us before the end of June 2024 and get a monthly subscription for £3.50, an annual subscription for £30 and a founding membership for just £75.
How ever you support us - thank you! We really appreciate it.
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