I’m Shelly, a researcher, writer, and cultural historian.
Over the next few years, I’m studying to become a Master of Whisky™.
Whisky is one of the few things in the world that you can study for a lifetime and never finish.
In one glass: a barley field, a yeast strain, a copper still, an oak cask, ten coastal winters, the farmer who grew it, the cooper who built the cask, the stillman who pulled the heart cut, the blender who chose its company, the marketing department that named the label.
You’ll also get 8,000 years of human distillation, a geography lesson, an organic chemistry textbook, a piece of folklore.
The chemistry alone could keep you reading for a decade…
…and the drink is the smallest part of it.
The first step on my journey to Master of Whisky™ is the Master of Scotch™ level.
I’ll go through a week of exams held in a Scottish castle in October 2026, which includes tastings, oral theory, and essays. I’ll have to identify 8 whiskies in front of a panel of people who literally wrote my textbooks. The Master of Whisky™ exam comes a year or so after that (hopefully).
And the book about the whole adventure is currently in the works.
Come along.
Whisky Scholar® is where I put my learning into practice. As a former teacher and academic, I learn best by teaching.
Whiskyscholar.com is the home base for static info like glossaries, dictionaries, and guides.
Here on Substack, the Whisky Scholar Journal is where I dive into the experience, nuance, and evolving research. It’s learning by practice, and it’s whisky in motion as I race through the track to earn the title Master of Whisky™.
Subscribers can look forward to
(as of 11 May 2026)
Free Subscribers get…
Masters Diary (Fridays): a weekly video diary from inside the journey to Master of Whisky™, including the countdown, the stats, the blind tastings, what I learned, what I biffed, and the questions I'm grappling with. (Video and written)
Tasting Labs (Saturdays): a deep dive into a dram and its distillery, complete with scoring table, flavour profile, chemical compound breakdown, explanation of flavour origin, historical and cultural overview, food pairs, score out of 100.
Primers (occassionaly): overviews and basic whisky information for the beginner (plus the archive of all primers!).
Paid Subscribers get…
All of the above, and:
Essays (Mondays): a long-form piece on one of the foundational topics in Scotch: chemistry, history, regulation, regions, distillation, maturation. (Informative, but not full of footnotes and citations.)
Scholarly Articles (Wednesdays): an in-depth article about the science and/or history of whisky—like a grad school education to help you to become an expert.
Over a Dram (Sundays): narrative articles about whisky and the wider universe. A bit philosophical and designed to make you think a bit.
Subscribe to get full access to articles and publication archives.
About the author
Dr. Shelly Sayer Lorts: I’m a professional writer and researcher, who also happens to be the Chairman of the King George V Malt Whisky Society. I am the first and only woman to be made a full member of the long-running, invitation-only society, where my nose is lauded as particularly precise. (The society is super secretive, so I can’t tell you much more about it.)
I’m a firm believer that whisky is as much an art as it is a science, and I’m fascinated by the alchemical transformation of raw ingredients into a cultural artefact that is rich with history, meaning, and a unique power to create connection.
I hold a PhD from the University of Kent with research that focused on cultural and story history. I earned a nationally accredited diploma in single malt whisky from the Edinburgh Whisky Academy, where Vic Cameron was my instructor.
Originally from Portland, Oregon (USA), I now live in and writes from a historic house in Kent, England.
Find out more about me: shellysayerlorts.com.
Publication Advisor
The accuracy and scientific depth of this publication is guided by the expertise of my mentor, Vic Cameron. Having worked in key roles at renowned distilleries and as a consultant for more than 30 years, Vic ensures that all content is rooted in the science, tradition, and craftsmanship of Scotch whisky.
Vic currently teaches the diploma course in Single Malt Whisky for Edinburgh Whisky Academy and is celebrated in the industry for his incredible hands-on and research-driven knowledge. This self-proclaimed ‘Old Scottish White Guy’ lives in Speyside.
Find more about him on his business site: vcconsultant.co.uk
A note on AI
Whisky Scholar® stays far away from AI.
All research and written content on this site is 100% human generated, not just because we believe in the craft of writing and the rigorous pursuit of knowledge, but also because AI just gets it wrong a lot.
Much whisky information you’ll find online is incorrect or incomplete…as such, a lot of what AI will pull and then compile into written content is also incorrect or incomplete.
Here at Whisky Scholar®, we combine thorough, doctoral-level research (Shelly) with 30+ years of industry experience (Vic).
AI can’t do that.
