As December hurtles towards Christmas, far too quickly, how about a vPub celebrating one of the biggest incidental things that whisky can gift?
As I use up all my middle-age faster than I care to take note of, I realise it’s so much more than just a ‘product’ or a drink. In recent years, I’ve found so much friendship, connection and community at a point in my life where I really wasn't expecting it.
You may dismiss this as 'hobby pals' or 'distant' relationships enabled by virtual platforms and always-on modern technology. If so, and as wonderful as that actually is, you could be wrong. It can be more.
One of the curious things about our whisky community is that it seems to welcome good people, or at least encourage people to be good. Whisky environments are a fantastically welcoming place filled with willing, generous and open minds. That, especially today, is a precious thing.
From this, great friendships and connections are made. For those that read this as sappy, sickly, insincere or just another dose of Aqvavitae whimsy, fine. But give it a chance. Do me a favour; consider how many folk you count as friends today that have been brought about by your enjoyment of whisky. Even if you're yet to make such a connection, remain open. If you like. Because even when there are barriers such as distance, remoteness, politics, personality or mood, whisky has a way of overcoming them. This week, I'll be joined live by four amazing examples; my pals The Bottlechasers. None of them were known to me before I clicked 'go' on the whisky button. In recent years we've come to rely on each other more than anyone might reasonably expect. They've become not just whisky pals, but real pals. As Scotty has said many times, “whisky did this”.
So join me, Scotty, Seve and Gregor as we get together to mark the season, the whiskies and the fortune of friendship.
Of course, it is the vPub, so there will be a fiercely competitive dish of blind whiskies served up too. If we see you there, bring your tales of whisky friendship and how it's more than a drink.

0:00 - Opening
1:50 - Grateful for whisky's connections & friendships
4:50 - No Kilted Moose 🤧
6:44 - Welcoming in the lounge
13:30 - Need help finding whisky folk near you?
19:49 - Meeting the first Bottlechaser in 2017
23:05 - Welcoming in Seve, the second Bottlechaser
38:34 - The 3rd Bottlechaser, Gregor
52:05 - Revealing the Blind Challenges
55:28 - Friendships everywhere
56:56 - Jenny speaking for The BEN (link below)
1:15:00 - Committing to the challenges
1:21:50 - Revealing the bottles(!)
1:36:29 - Committing to the semi-blind match up
1:39:44 - The results
1:53:50 - The Bottlechaser's cask sample (!)
2:00:00 - Quiz at the End - Ultimate Asshat Edition ⚠️
2:19:00 - Seve brings the Thompson Bros. 1st release

Key to the Blind Challenge: [ Ссылка ]

Link to the BEN fundraiser: [ Ссылка ]
More to follow on the 22nd.

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