Category: Wisdom & Opinions

The whisky lover’s skiing guide to Whistler (Aussie version)

Like whisky?  Like skiing or snowboarding?  Travelling to Whistler anytime soon?   Here’s your helpful and comprehensive Whistler travel guide for combining whisky and Whistler, as well as a whisky guide book for skiers heading through Vancouver…

(This version of the article is adapted specifically for Australian readers.  If you’re from elsewhere around the planet, read the international version here).

If you’re a keen Australian skier or snowboarder, it won’t be too long until the constraints and limitations of the Australian snow fields catch up with you and the lure of the overseas skiing resorts beckons. Some head to New Zealand; an increasing number are heading to Japan, but it seems the vast majority of Aussie skiers head to Whistler, Canada.  Indeed, so many Aussies work the ski resort over the winter, the place is affectionately known as Whistralia.

At the same time, any whisky lover who heads overseas always has the same questions: Where are the best whisky bars? Is there a distillery I can visit? What are the best local whiskies?

So, with all that to set the scene, this article is specifically aimed at that small niche of people who (i) love skiing; (ii) love whisky, and (iii) are heading to Whistler!

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Some flak for whisky flipping

Whisky flipping.  It’s the ultimate physical response to that vexatious question, “How much is this whisky worth?”  Nevertheless, the answer to the question is pretty simple: A whisky is worth whatever someone is prepared to pay for it.

One of the most contentious and ire-inducing phenomena to appear in whisky circles in the last 15 years has been the rise of the whisky flipper.   Not familiar with the term? It’s applied to someone who obtains a whisky at retail price (typically when the product is first launched or made available) and then, within a short timeframe, re-sells it on the secondary market at a significantly higher price. More often than not, the re-selling occurs once the original retailer’s or supplier’s stock is sold out, thus cashing in on a product that is no longer available through the original channels.

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Glenfarclas 105 versus Aberlour a’Bunadh

Glenfarclas 105 versus Aberlour a’Bunadh. Do you have a favourite? Have you already decided on a winner? Did you actually taste the two back-to-back to arrive at your conclusion? Does any comparison of the two simply come down to brand loyalty, or is there something objective we can measure?

If there’s a rivalry amongst the whisky producers, it would best be described as “friendly”. While the likes of William Grant & Sons and Pernod Ricard duke it out for the biggest selling single malt in the world (i.e. Glenfiddich and Glenlivet respectively), both companies know that, firstly, sales need to be considered across their full portfolios, and that their blends (e.g. Grants, Chivas, and Ballantines) are where the real volume is. Secondly, that what’s good for the category is good for everyone in the category. In other words, as long as the rising tide is floating all boats, then things are pretty rosy.

If there are rivalries amongst the brands, they’re being driven by consumers and punters, and they have their origins in the chatter on social media and in whisky forums. And so, in the Speyside stakes, we have Glenfiddich 12 versus Glenlivet 12. Over on Islay, we have Lagavulin versus Laphroaig. And for those who love their cask-strength sherry monsters, we have Glenfarclas 105 versus Aberlour a’Bunadh.

Both whiskies are cask-strength; both are natural colour; both are heavily sherried; and – in Australia, at least – both carry the same price tag of $140. (Equates to US$96 / 87 Euros / £75).  That’s what they have in common, so let’s look in detail at how and where they differ….

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Islay – Its distilleries and its whiskies

[Updated April, 2026] With Islay’s smoky, pungent, peaty whiskies gaining increasing popularity and traction around the globe, and with whisky tourism to Islay growing, now is a great time to come to terms with the island and its whiskies. Here’s a unique and new way of presenting Islay’s critical information….

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Too much information?

Is there too much whisky information flying around these days?  Are we becoming overwhelmed – or distracted – by excessive information about each release that ultimately obscures our appreciation and enjoyment of the whisky?  Has whisky trivia become too trivial?

Earlier this week, I was re-writing the Whisky & Wisdom “Whisky Quiz” which I refresh and update semi-regularly.  Designed and intended as a fun way for whisky drinkers to test their knowledge, the questions certainly separate the novices from the hardcore enthusiasts.  (If you’d like to try Whisky & Wisdom’s latest Whisky Quiz and put your whisky knowledge to the test, you can try our quiz here).  My rule is that the questions have to come off the top of my head – that is, I rely on my own knowledge, and I don’t research or go looking for impossible questions.  I figure that if I know the answers, then other people must know them, too.  However, whilst conceiving the questions and answers this time around, it became very apparent to me just how much information is out there and available to today’s whisky drinker.   And I pondered:  Is there too much information? 

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Bakery Hill – the view from the top

There’s a lot of noise and activity in the Australian whisky scene at the moment – most of it to do with new distilleries being established or newer distilleries releasing their first matured spirit. Or, frequently, you’ll hear about some Aussie whisky collecting an award at an international spirits competition.  Meanwhile, some distilleries are simply getting on with making good whisky.  Bakery Hill is one such distillery. Not the most vocal brand on social media, Bakery Hill is happy to let its whiskies do the talking. And talk, they do. Continue reading “Bakery Hill – the view from the top”

Craigellachie – the whisky and the distillery

Craigellachie is – or perhaps was – one of Speyside’s great little secrets. A wonderful distillery that sits unabashedly beside the main road running through the Craigellachie village, its whiskies have been well known and admired by whisky connoisseurs for many years. However, it seems it’s time for Craigellachie’s malt to be appreciated by a bigger and wider fan club.

Craigellachie is making a bit of noise right now with the global release of its 51yo – a whisky that will be far more accessible than you might at first think, but more about that in a moment. In the meantime, let’s set the scene… Continue reading “Craigellachie – the whisky and the distillery”

Is diversity bringing down the quality of whisky?

Whisky consumers right now are spoiled for choice. Most of the distilleries that bottle their own malt now offer a vast selection of different bottlings at a range of prices so that there’s something for everyone. Most brands now offer one or more No Age Statement expressions in their portfolio, together with, say, a 10yo or 12yo, a 15yo, 18yo, 21yo, and so on. Other brands just come out with a myriad of different bottlings under different names to pad out a broad – and, it must be said, complicated – portfolio….Highland Park and Macallan being two good examples.  But is all this diversity actually good for the consumer? More critically, what does it mean for quality? Is the quality of whisky suffering as a result? Continue reading “Is diversity bringing down the quality of whisky?”

Whisky and music – the final frontier?

Whisky and music.  Can it work?  Whisky – as I’m sure you’ve discovered by now – is a very versatile drink.  It can be enjoyed any number of ways (neat, over ice, with a mixer, etc); it’s a key ingredient in many cocktails; and it can be paired beautifully with a large number of foods and other beverages.  Such culinary matchings are now the norm, and whisky dinners – featuring malts that are specifically matched to the food courses – are almost passe.

But it wasn’t always this way.  Attitudes to and experiences with whisky were once fairly narrow in their vision.  In fact, it was only as recently as 20 years ago that matching whisky to food became a “thing”.   Internationally, it was probably the work by Martine Nouet through Whisky Magazine that brought attention to the craft and skill of matching whisky to food.

Over time, whisky came to be paired with many different things.  I’ve hosted my fair share of Whisky & Cheese events over the years, and this also grew to incorporate many events that showcased Whisky & Chocolate, Whisky & Beer, Whisky & Coffee, and Whisky & Ice Cream.  And, whilst it’s a practice I don’t personally endorse, Whisky & Cigars is also a popular pursuit.

About the only pairing I’ve struggled with is the concept of Whisky & Music.  It’s admittedly a far less tangible concept than pairing whisky to food and beverages, not to mention a more subjective pursuit.  After all, people’s tastes and preferences in music cover a far more diverse (and sensitive) spectrum, and it’s difficult to assign objectivity to the applicability or success of any match.   For example, who’s to say a 10 year old Talisker is lifted or enhanced by drinking it to Beethoven’s Third Symphony any better than it would if paired with ‘Uprising’ by Muse?  Does a malt with a long finish work well with a song that has a long ending?

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