About the 'Whisky Voice' blog

The concept of this blog is all captured within the name. Not only will whiskies be discussed reviewed and generally revered, but the voice aspect covers whisky-voiced vocalists (past and present) and music related to or otherwise inspired by whisky.

I also hope to include what I pretentiously term in my head as 'whisky culture'. Whether that be how whisky has influenced artists, how it plays a part in a traditional Burns night or simply how prevalent (or not) particular labels are in pubs and restaurants. There will also be the occasional sideways glance at the mystique and pretention that gravitates around the average whisky connoisser or whisky-themed event.

After all, there is an awful lot of nonsense to be found on the subject.

What first attracted me to whisky?

So, for my first post on this blog, I started asking myself the question of what first brought me to whisky and, just as importantly, caused me to elevate it above other drinks? I am, for example, a fully paid up member of CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, and one of my great joys is a dark, full-bodied stout or porter.

Looking back, a couple of my best friends in childhood had scots ancestry. So, I came to know quite a bit about Scotland from quite an early age, and I have to admit that part of me back then wished I could uncover some hitherto unknown scottish ancestry of my own.

Then, in my teens, I saw the film Bladerunner. I loved sci-fi and the famous scene of Deckard drinking some Johnnie Walker Black Label might well have left its impression upon me.

Indeed, a couple of Yule season's ago, my wife bought me a whisky tumbler made in the same style and by the same designer as those tumblers that appeared in the film. I had intimated to her that I had always wanted a square-based whisky tumbler, just because of that scene in that film. Clearly she was listening to me.

So, now here I am a middle-aged gentleman of discerning taste, living in the north west of England and I have elected to write this blog to keep you, dear reader, updated with the whisky news that comes my way. I will also review what few whiskies I am lucky enough to sample from here on.

Welcome!