Effective 1 October (that’s today!), Whisky Scholar shifts from “three free posts a week” to a paid publication with a clear weekly rhythm…and a nerdery-rich members’ tier for the truly obsessed.
If you’ve been reading along since the early days: thank you!
Your comments, emails, and glass-clinking emojis have turned this little lab into a living classroom.
Now it’s time to level up: deeper lessons, better research, more tasting experiments, and a community to match.
What’s changing
The weekly cadence stays, but the posts move behind the paywall for paid subscribers:
Tasting Lab (Tuesdays): deep dive into a dram with the full grid. We’ve got flavour profile, chemistry call-outs, origins of notes, food pairings, cultural context, and a score out of 100.
Scholar Post (Thursdays): an in-depth article on whisky science and/or history. It’s graduate-seminar energy, minus the tuition.
Spotlight Article (Sundays): interviews and conversations from the wider whisky world. Hear from distillers, coopers, maltsters, historians, chefs, and characters you’ll love.
(BONUS) Quarterly Study Packs arrive at the end of each quarter: printable tables, flashcards, and cram-session glossaries (compounds → notes, distillation temps, useful lingo).
For the extra thirsty…
The Sigma Theta Malt society opens its doors for the extra-nerdy:
Exclusive posts and experiments
Private Slack community (daily chat + bottle swaps + homework help)
Monthly live chats/tastings
A very official society pin badge and certificate of membership
What stays free
Primers: monthly beginner overviews remain free, and the entire Primer archive is open.
Occasional free posts: tasters to whet the palate and welcome new readers.
Why the paywall?
Depth takes time.
Paid subscribers allow us to spend more hours in the archives, on the phone with maltsters and coopers, in the lab with flavour chemistry…
…and at the tasting table doing extremely important sipping research.
(btw, if we haven’t met yet, or if you’re not familiar with our mission and ethos, snoop our About Page.)
If the free posts have helped you read a label more critically, choose a bottle more confidently, or taste with sharper language, upgrading is how you keep that going (and growing).
(Psst…we have a dream of turning this into a dynamic online magazine, and your support will help to make that happen!)
What you can look forward to this month
In October, we’re getting a bit more narrative with some posts as we explore the smoky side of things and take a peak into how whisky was enjoyed in the Gilded Age (very topical right now!). Among the thrice-weekly posts, you’ll find:
Tasting Lab: A very old and very rare Laphroaig, so that we can explore peat palette mapping + compound breakdown
Scholar Post: “Sea, Salt, and Story in Scotch Whisky”, coastal myth vs mechanism
Spotlight: Interview with a Master Blender, who gives us the scoop on some incredible new findings in tasting research
How to join us
Tap Upgrade to become a Paid Subscriber for the full weekly line-up + quarterly Study Packs. (Study Packs will be delivered in PDF formats at the end of each quarter, and they cover key info that we’ve explored in the previous quarter, so that you can become a bonafide whisky scholar.)
Choose Sigma Theta Malt if you want the community, lives, and extras on top.
Still whetting your palate? Stay on the free list for Primers and occasional tasters. No hard feelings here!
FAQs
I’ve been getting three free posts a week. Will I still see those?
You’ll still see Primers, the occasional free taster, and you’ll have access to everything that’s been published until now. The weekly Tasting Lab, Scholar Post, and Spotlight will now be for paid subscribers.
Can I gift a subscription?
Absolutely! Hit “Gift” and make a whisky nerd very happy.
Will past posts remain accessible?
Yep. Your current access remains as it is. New posts from 1 October follow the new plan.
Is Sigma Theta Malt worth it if I’m new?
We all start somewhere! This is a learning environment, and we welcome those who are curious, just starting out, or who already know their drams and want to share their knowledge. If you love structure, community, and live tastings, jump on board. You’ll learn faster surrounded by fellow obsessives.
With SO much gratitude
Thank you for reading, sharing, and generally being the best kind of whisky people: curious, generous, and game for an experiment.
By being here, you’re helping a dream come true. To research, write about, enjoy whisky, and share it is a privilege.
Here’s to the next chapter: more scholarship, more stories, more flavour.
→ Upgrade to Paid for the full weekly experience
→ Join Sigma Theta Malt for community, lives, and swag
With gratitude and a raised glass,
Dr. Shelly Sayer Lorts
The Whisky Scholar 🥃✨
P.S. If a paid subscription isn’t possible right now, you can still support the work by sharing Whisky Scholar with a friend. The more the merrier at the tasting table.