Nick Turner and Alex ‘Ted’ Matthews are two young(ish) men who share a love for whisky. In particular, whisky made in their home state of Tasmania. Upon the discovery that they became great writers after a dram or two (or three), they decided to share their views with the world. Thus Whisky Waffle was born!

They also run personalised tasting sessions for functions in Tasmania

Read below for each member’s bio:

Nick:

Whisky is not a drink. Not to me. Whisky is a pastime. A way of life. It is another language. And I have spent some of the best times of my life learning to speak it.

My name is Nick and I am a teacher in a little town called Penguin on the North West coast of Tasmania. Not a teacher of whisky, mind (although I am still petitioning to get it onto the curriculum). Instead I teach music, educating students about all the great tunes from days gone by (of which I’m sure many were written under the influence of a good single malt).

I love whisky. Since the revelation I experienced several years ago that it tastes better neat than as a mixer, I have been filling my body with the liquid and my mind with knowledge with fervour and enthusiasm. There have, of course, been several significant steps along the way. The first dram of Lagavulin 16, which opened my eyes to the dazzling world of peated whisky. A gloriously endless afternoon spent with Mark at the Lark Distillery in Hobart. And of course, two weeks cruising up the West Coast of Scotland, visiting the places have been making this amazing spirit for hundreds of years.

Each of these key moments has featured someone to share the experience with. Even more crucial to the quality of the whisky, I believe, is the company it has been drunk in. The fact that so many enjoyable conversations can be had over a few drops of distilled spirit spurs me on to experience it ever more. The fact that I have only begun to scratch the surface of the world of whisky excites me.

As does the opportunity to share my thoughts with you. Please enjoy my ramblings, my ‘Whisky Waffle’. Pour yourself a dram and share this wonderful drink – no, not drink – share this wonderful experience.

 

Ted:

Heya whisky lovers. As one of your rambling guides through the land of the liquid gold, allow me to introduce myself: my name is Alexander ‘Ted’ Matthews. Pleased to make your acquaintance. As for the ‘Ted’, well this one time, we were being chased by a bear…

In my day to day life I’m a Biosecurity Inspector based in Burnie, helping to keep our awesome state bio-secure. In terms of whisky, there are quite a few nasties not currently found in Tassie that could have major impacts on our grain growers. To continue producing award winning whiskies, our distillers rely on the ability of our farmers to grow high quality, healthy grains, and therefore strong bio-security is essential for the future of the industry.

One of the things I find fascinating about whisky is the truly incredible variation that can be found in what is essentially the same drink. I mean when you get down to it, it’s all really just distilled beer that’s been chucked in some barrels for a few years. However, by changing a few variables around such as grain varieties, still shape, barrel type or length of ageing, suddenly you’ve got whiskies that are as distinct from each other as you and I. We’re all human, but it’s the differences and experiences that make us special. Same goes for whisky.

I’m excited to be a young person involved in the whisky scene, especially in a place with a new, dynamic, rapidly evolving industry such as Tasmania. I hope that as part of Whisky Waffle we can explore the experiences of other youth (and oldies!) who are passionate about whisky and provide an insight into the people who are the future of the whisky industry.

Oh, and I’d like to drink some whisky too. Yeah, that’d be good.

 

Find out more about our guest contributors:

Alex ‘Mooresy’ Moores

Richard Stewart

The Cynical Scot

Chris C. aka The Grey Guzzler

William ‘Stretch’ Borthwick