What a wonderful opportunity to speak to Anya the lady behind Instagram’s @singlemaltlady. Through her experiences and consumption of whisky, we have brought her over to the Darkside of the brown spirit.
Anya, please tell us a little about yourself. How did you find yourself immersed in the world of whisky?
AZ: Hello! My name is Anja (pronounced like Anya), I am 24 years old and I live in the capital city of a small country in Europe, Slovenia. My favorite alcohol drink is whisky, and I never say no to a glass of a good dram. The main thing about being in the world of whisky is definitely the community on Instagram. Being active on Instagram as @singlemaltlady has brought me a lot of knowledge about whisky, new friends and also some great samples of whiskies which I would probably never had a chance to try. I can say at that point community completely took me in and I am sold on whisky.
Everyone has that one story of how they got involved with Whisky. Do you remember yours? Please share with our readers.
AZ: At first whisky was not my ideal drink, if I did drink whisky it was always with Cola. However, my boyfriend is a big whisky lover and a collector. When we were watching movies together before bedtime, he poured himself a glass of whisky many times. He always gave me a sip or two, but at first, for me, it was just not a big deal, nothing special. Through some time I really started to like it and I can say my love for whisky came from my boyfriend.
Lately, we are seeing more and more women like yourself getting immersed in the whiskey/whisky world. What do you think is responsible for this sudden movement?
AZ: I think for a long-time whisky was considered a men’s drink. In my opinion, there was a misconception that whisky doesn’t have a good taste, that is too strong for women. To put it straight whisky can be many things; it can be easy to drink, sweet, smooth and rich in flavours.
Back then it was also hard to get many different bottles and the majority of it was mostly blends. Nowadays it’s easier to buy whisky, knowledge is more accessible – you can pretty much check and buy anything on the internet.
Do you feel that Whisky brands and companies are doing a good job of marketing towards women, or do you feel there is a lack of this currently, and things need to change?
AZ: I think lately marketing towards women has started to increase, which I can see on posts that are being published by some famous distilleries on Instagram. More and more women are shown on pictures, holding a glass of whisky or opening a bottle and I would say that slowly whisky will become as much of a women drink as it is men’s.
I am sure over the years, you’ve tasted some amazing whisky, share your top 3 with us. Also, what is your everyday go-to dram?
AZ: Oh yes, I have tasted many great whiskies by now and if I would have to choose, I would go for Macallan Hand Written 1950, Glenlivet 25 and Macallan 12 Fine Oak. My everyday whisky would be Glenfiddich 12 and I know this one is pretty mainstream, but I love how tasty and drinkable it is.
What is the whisky scene like in Slovenia? Is it highly adopted there or is it frowned upon? What about allocation wise? Easier or harder to get bottles?
AZ: Unfortunately, the whisky scene in Slovenia is not as developed as it could be. We don’t have a lot of whisky enthusiasts, therefore the events related to the water of life are not that common. But I can say I feel like things are moving into the right directions. This year we organized the first whisky fair in Slovenia, we had a couple of tastings and also our distributors occasionally make a whisky themed party, which is still better than nothing. And I also am lucky when it comes to buying the bottles of whisky. My boyfriend is a co-owner of the only whisky shop in Slovenia so I can get bottles pretty easily. The store is located in the centre of Ljubljana, which makes it quite easy to access.
How would you answer – if you could change something in the whisky industry, what would you change?
AZ: First thought was: Macallan should be cheap! 😛 It’s a joke. I was thinking about this question a lot and try to come up with an answer, but I can’t find one. I’ve been present in a whisky world for about a year now and to be honest, I don’t feel like I have enough knowledge to start suggesting changes. I like the current state and I’m hoping for constant improvements.
Are you a single malt lady? Or do you like other versions of the brown spirit? Also, what do you like most about this industry?
AZ: Yes, I am definitely a single malt lady. However, I have been trying many blended whiskies lately and I can say I like them as well. I hadn’t tried a lot of other whiskies like grain, rye, bourbon, that’s why my main pick at this moment would be single malt. Other whiskies: don’t worry! I will try you soon! I like how old this industry is and the feeling when drinking an old whisky takes me back in time when it was made. It’s a special feeling when I taste something that was made a long time ago, even before I was born.
Anything else you want to share with our readers? We appreciate you taking the time.
AZ: I would like to thank you for inviting me to this interview. I didn’t expect to be interviewed so quick – to me, it feels like I just started. This is my first interview and I hope I answered your questions in the right way.
I would also like to thank all of my loyal followers, who are very kind, supportive and all in all good people who happen to like the same spirit. I am just so happy for getting involved with whisky because I get to meet amazing people, try some exceptional whiskies and share it with the world.
