Decades Distilled // A History of Whisky

• The Influence of Michael Jackson // The Whiskey Writer of the 1990's

  Send us a textBefore Michael Jackson (yes, that Michael Jackson—but a different one), whiskey was described with words like smooth, strong, or fine. Then he came along and changed everything. Thanks to him, we now talk about whiskey the way we do wine, using terms like honeyed, leathery, coastal, peaty, and Sherry-rich, and debating whether something leans more Islay than Speyside.This week, Sarah and Kurt dive into how Jackson created the shared vocabulary, tasting structure, and 0–100 rating system that shaped whiskey culture as we know it. They explore how he turned distilleries into characters, helped elevate single malts globally, and even put Japanese whisky on the map long before it became a collector’s craze.Pour a dram and tune in as Sarah and Kurt reveal how one writer’s words rewired the whiskey world.

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• Whiskey Media Awakens in the 1990's // Building Culture, Community, and Conversation

  Send us a textIn this week's episode, Sarah and Kurt crack open the decade when whiskey stopped being just a drink...and became a culture. The 1990s introduced tasting magazines, global whiskey festivals, independent bottlers, rare malts, and the rise of an entirely new species: the whiskey nerd.From the groundbreaking launch of Malt Advocate in 1990 to the glossy international flair of Whisky Magazine, we trace how whiskey finally got its own media ecosystem. We dig into the birth of WhiskeyFest, the rise of shared tasting language, the early days of collecting, and the massive influence of legendary writer Michael Jackson—whose books and tasting style shaped an entire generation.If you love whiskey, this is the story of how your fandom was born.

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• Single Malt Moves the Needle // Scotch in the 1990's

  Send us a textSarah and Kurt keep the ’90s momentum rolling in this second episode of the season. After opening the decade’s story last week, they turn their attention to the moment single malts truly hit their stride. This time, they dig into how Scotch stepped beyond blends, with Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, Macallan, and Glenmorangie leading the charge. From smarter storytelling to bottles that finally demanded space on the shelf, Sarah and Kurt explore how these brands shaped a new era of whisky marketing—and set the tone for the decade to come.

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• Setting the Stage for Whiskey for the 1990s // Season Four is Here

  Send us a textTune in as Kurt and Sarah kick off season four of Decades Distilled and dive into what’s happening in the world outside of whiskey. From the end of the Cold War and the rise of globalization to pop-culture shifts and new consumer habits, they’ll walk you through how it all made the 1990s such a pivotal decade for whiskey.

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• The Decade That Shaped Modern Whiskey: Closing the 1970s and Pouring Into What’s Next

  Send us a textWe are wrapping up season three of Decades Distilled! Tune in as Kurt and Sarah raise one last glass to the 1970s, a decade that quietly but powerfully transformed the whiskey world. From distillery closures and market crashes to the rise of single malts and the seeds of today’s global whiskey boom, the ‘70s proved that change isn’t optional, it’s inevitable. The duo reflect on the stories, trends, and turning points that defined this transformative time, and also look ahead to what’s coming next: Season 4, exploring the 1990s, when whiskey’s revival truly took flight. Cheers to the past that shaped our pour—and the future that’s still aging in the cask.

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