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This account was created in December 2010, initially with an interest in editing pages related to whisky – although my interests drift broadly. I am here to build an encyclopedia.
I am not especially expert on the subject of whisky, but I am interested in learning more about it, and I have had the impression that some of the Wikipedia material on this subject has contained errors and misconceptions. I have a fondness for trying to find objective truth and avoid incorrect impressions and marketing spin. I like to find and understand the actual rules that govern the making and labeling of the products (and where those rules apply and where they do not). I like to try to penetrate through the marketing messages to find the real facts, clearly identify the structure of who is the actual parent company that produces various products, and establish where and how they do it. I may not always get it right, but I'm trying.
Some particular whisky-related topics that I have taken a special interest in include:
- Whisky, Bourbon whiskey, American whiskey, Canadian whisky, Scotch whisky, Irish whiskey, List of whisky brands, and various related articles about types and brands of whisky and the companies that produce them.
- Straight whiskey – I created this article after noticing that this important category of whiskey had no article.
- Sazerac Company – I created this article after noticing that this major private beverage-making company did not have a Wikipedia article.
- Willett Distillery, a.k.a. Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (KBD) – I substantially expanded this article after noticing that there was not much information in it. KBD is a private family-operated company in Bardstown, Kentucky that produces several of its own brands of (mostly premium quality) Bourbon and rye whiskey and also works as a contract bottling company. This company tends to stay out of the limelight – their brands don't seem especially well known, and they tend not to put their actual company name on their bottlings. However, they have recently been increasing their profile – e.g., they rebranded themselves back to their previous name (the "Willett Distillery"), resumed distilling operations, began conducting site tours, rejoined the Kentucky Distillers Association (KDA), became an inaugural member of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail craft tour, and got their KDA membership upgraded to become the inaugural "Proof"-level member of the KDA.
- Old Forester – I created this article after noticing that it was just a redirect to the Brown-Forman article, which barely mentioned this major and historically important product (continuously on the market longer than any other brand of bourbon, the first bourbon sold exclusively in sealed bottles, and the first major product of a major (still family-controlled) spirits company now publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange).
- Beam Suntory (formerly Beam Inc.) and Fortune Brands Home & Security – I created these articles when the Fortune Brands holding company split to create two companies (shortly after selling its Acushnet operations), before Beam was bought by Suntory.
- MGP of Indiana – I created this article (as Lawrenceburg Distillers Indiana before the facility was bought out and renamed) after noticing the importance of this low-key producer, which narrowly escaped being shut down at least twice, and now sources key products that bear the labels of various brands – especially including various rye whiskey brands.
- Emperador (brandy) – I created this article just after discovering that this the top-selling brand of brandy in the world (by volume).
- Alliance Global Group – I created this article after noticing that Emperador, Inc. (producer of Emperador brandy) had purchased Whyte and Mackay for £430m, and was surprised to discover not only that the company that made this big purchase had no article on Wikipedia, but that it was a part of an even larger holding company that didn't have one either.
- List of historic whisky distilleries – There tends to be a lot of confusing claims about the history of distilleries – e.g., with several different distilleries appearing to claim to be the oldest one in some region or other category. Collecting such information in one place may be helpful to sort this out.