After a short sabbatical, Whisky Scholar is back…and the pause was (a bit) intentional.
Over the past couple of months, I stepped away from publishing to build what comes next: deeper research, a clearer direction for the Scotch book, formal exam preparation, and a more ambitious content plan across writing, video, tastings, and interviews.
So, let’s talk about where we’re going, and why.
The (kind-of intended) sabbatical
I’ve refocused a bit.
Behind the scenes, I’ve been shaping the structure and scope of the Scotch whisky book project. For about a year I’ve been researching, outlining, interviewing, and testing ideas.
Recently, the concept finally clicked into place, and that shifted the work from exploratory to committed
(And today, I’m headed up to Speyside to spend a few days at Vic’s kitchen table working specifically on restructuring and writing…as well as plotting out our research trips for the year ahead. (Get ready to come along!)
At the same time, I began formal preparation for a major professional milestone in whisky education, which required assembling materials, tasting stock, and study resources at a serious level of depth.
Rather than publish lightly while building heavily, I chose to build first.
Now we begin the next phase, and you’re coming with me.
2026: the year of whisky
This year is structured around two parallel tracks:
Writing and researching the Scotch whisky book
Preparing for Master-level whisky certification
Both will shape what appears here on Whisky Scholar.
Expect more fieldwork, more interviews, more process transparency, and more structured tasting and study content.
You’ll see see conclusions, but I’m adding in more method: how research is done, how tastings are evaluated, how knowledge is built over time.
It will be whisky scholarship in motion, and you all will become my study buddies (hopefully in the comments, the DMs, email, and during livestreams).
The book: from research to manuscript
The book is moving from research mode into writing mode.
There is still much field research ahead—distillery visits, regional study trips, peatland exploration, and long table conversations with people in the industry—but the emphasis now shifts toward drafting the manuscript itself.
You’ll see all parts of that journey here:
research trips across Scotland
interviews and conversations over drams
thematic deep dives (peat, wood, fermentation, regional character, production decisions)
behind-the-scenes structure and chapter development
tasting comparisons tied directly to book themes
Community matters in whisky culture, and the book reflects that. The people, the conversations, and the shared table are way more than side notes; they are central.
The Master of Scotch track
I am now officially a candidate on the Master of Scotch track with the Council of Whisk(e)y Masters, with the longer-term aim of progressing to Master of Whisky.
This is a demanding certification path with multiple exam components, including:
blind tastings
oral theory
written theory
essays
practical identification work
The exam period takes place in Scotland and it is intense.
Preparation requires not only reading and theory, but repeated structured tasting across a wide range of styles and distilleries.
That preparation becomes content here.
You’ll see:
study frameworks
tasting drills
classification exercises
blind tasting practice
comparative flights
exam-style reasoning walkthroughs
I’ll share my study materials as well, so that you can work on your own expertise.
Teaching what I’m learning is part of how I learn it more deeply, so you benefit from the same structured approach.
The tasting journey ahead
One immediate reality of serious whisky study: you need a wide and deliberate tasting library.
I’ve been building out a substantial set of bottles specifically for exam preparation and comparative analysis, and there is more still to acquire. Blind tasting at this level is not casual sampling; it is disciplined sensory training.
Early focus areas include:
peat style comparisons
sherry cask variation
regional markers
production signatures
texture and structure recognition
distillery character profiling
You’ll see guided tastings, category drills, and blind tasting sessions, including failures, recalibrations, and improvements. Skill development is rarely linear, and that’s part of the value.
So come along…it’ll be fun
If you want to follow serious whisky learning from the inside, you’re in the right place.
I’m making this post free so that you can all get a taste of what’s to come, but—going forward—the paywall will go back up…except for the cheeky all-access post every so often. I’d love for you to join; upgrade by following the button below:
And, even if upgrading isn’t right for you right now, leave me a comment! Tell me where you’re reading from, what you love about whisky, and what you’d love to learn.
So here it is!
We’re back. The notebooks are open. The glasses are poured. The study begins. 🥃
