Whisky magazines

Whisky Passion if you're looking for a more Belgium / Netherlands based magazine.

Does anyone subscribe to Malt Advocate magazine?

For Dutch, I would recommend Whisky Passion or Whisky Etc. The latter looks better, the former is more informative, I think. Both are very good publications, though.

Hi LeFrog,

Been a subscriber of Malt Advocate for 6 months or so and really love it. Have also gotten a hold of a few issues of Whisky Magazine, and Malt Advocate is similar in many ways (though, of course, Malt Advocate is published in the U.S.A., while Whisky Magazine is published in the UK).

I subscribe to both Whisky Magazine and Malt Advocate. I like them both but will say MA is the better of the two.

I just ordered MA. If you are considering buying a sub be aware of this offer when ordering.

I ordered a one year sub and chose the option "bill me" rather than the "pay now" with credit card option (I was too lazy to go downstairs to get my cc).

A prompt option popped up offering me 1 additional free issue if I paid now with my credit card. I was immediately motivated to go downstairs for my cc and "paid now".

I have been subscribing to both Whisky Magazine and Malt Advocate for years, but I have now dropped Whisky Magazine. I got tired of multi-page articles about the world-vision of some bartender in the middle of nowhere and covers that looked like a "Guitar Player Magazine" cover. Malt Advocate remains focused on Whisky and has a lot of good technical articles about Whisky making. also has a great section on new products with color photos.

Have to agree with all the positive replies about Malt Advocate. Been a subscriber for a number of years, and the magazine keeps getting better. John Hansell has amassed quite a cadre of terrific writers who are also knowledgeable about their topics (it's one thing to write well, it's quite another to know what the heck you're talking about).

Malt Advocate is very well written, focussed. Whisky Magazin,in comparison, seems as if it were edited only moments before hitting the printers: there are so many typo's, misspellings, grammatical errors, it's embarrassing.

That said, I subscribe to both.

Has anyone subscribed to Whisky Advocate? I am looking for a gift for someone who is already pretty knowledgeable but likes Cigar Afficionado so looking for something along those lines for whisky

@Sugarmags325 , I would not expect anything good from Whisky Advocate since the old editor, John Hansell, left. It appears to be changing to much more of a "lifestyle" magazine.

Though, I think the same is true for Cigar Afficionado, so if your friend likes that one, maybe Whisky Advocate will still be a hit.

Really, if you want to give a whisky gift, the best options are (a) whisky; (b) good glasses if your friend doesn't already have them; (c) whisky; and (d) a whisky book. Or whisky.

@Sugarmags325, sure Whisky Advocate has been around for more than 20 years, previously as Malt Advocate. It has good coverage of industry news, great photography, good articles, and is reasonably priced (in the US) on a subscription basis. I've subscribed for about 5 years now, and every year renew my sister's subscription when they offer their 2-for-1 holiday renewal offer. Whisky Advocate is great for a novice whisky fan, but also has enough to keep it interesting for more experienced aficionados. I subscribe mostly for the industry news and for the photography.

Thanks VIctor!

@MadSingleMalt So what would you suggest in the $50 range? My friend and I bonded over some Basil Hayden followed by George Dickel but I know that both of those are in the collection. I'm not that knowledgeable so suggestions are appreciated!

@Sugarmags325 , it sounds like you're looking for some good-quality American whiskey that won't break the bank. Although you directed your question to me, I think @Victor could give you a much better answer.

If your friend likes (or is interested in) scotch, though, I would suggest Springbank 10 or—if you want to blow some socks off with peat smoke—Laphroaig 10 or Ardbeg 10.

@Sugarmags325, welcome! You must be new here. Context is critical. This is an international club. You do not say in your posting nor in your profile where you are located. We do not know whether you are speaking of US dollars, Canadian dollars, Australian dollars, or New Taiwan dollars.

Second, any knowledge of @MadSingleMalt will tell you that he is not likely to recommend any American whiskey.

My suggestion: get your friend some Wild Turkey Rare Breed, Four Roses Small Batch, or Evan Williams Single Barrel.

@Sugarmags325 The suggestions by @Victor are all solid (I'm especially partial to Four Roses) but another possible options would be Old Grand-Dad, either the Bottled in Bond version or 114. I'm suggesting that because they have the same mash-bill (ingredients) as Basil Hayden, but is a bit higher proof and so has a bit more oompf and flavour.

Just another FYI: the bottled-in-bond version's bottle is a bit of an eye-sore, and while obviously it's the content that's most important I can understand if you'd prefer to give an attractive bottle as a gift instead of the monstrosity that is the BiB. 114 is quite nice looking though.

@Sugarmags325, those are all good Scotch suggestions by @MadSingleMalt, BTW.

@MadSingleMalt, thank you for your polite referral. I was typing while it was being posted.

@Sugarmags325, one more comment, of the three bourbons I mentioned, the last two are closer in profile to the ones you mentioned that you already like. Rare Breed is a step more intense, I would say. 'Follow' me if you wish to discuss other whiskey options via private message. Read my profile. Before the new site renovation longer more useful profiles were much more common than they are now. I love to see women active in whisk(e)y.

@Sugarmags325 , I'm sure we'd all like to hear what you end up choosing and how it goes over. Please report back! :)

Thank you. I am more confused than ever, but I have an inkling of a direction. Fingers crossed!