As always we try to bring you these interviews as a way for you to get to know the people behind the instagram accounts, your favorite accounts, that is. Ben aka Single Malt Alliance was generous enough to speak to us and impart some really great knowledge about being an entrepreneur and an aspiring whisky influencer. Read his interview below, you will not be disappointed.
Ben, how did you get interested in Whisky and what inspired you to start Single Malt Alliance on Instagram? What were you doing before you became an instagramer?
B: My interest in whisky goes back further than I can remember but my love for single malt whisky in particular began roughly 10 years ago. I walked into my local shop with the intention of purchasing a celebratory bottle of Scotch whisky. The store manager allowed me to taste a number of samples from various Scottish distilleries. I had no idea what I was tasting at the time but I loved the broad spectrum of flavors offered by single malt Scotch whisky. That was a good day.
The Single Malt Alliance was originally intended to be a local whisky club launched by myself, my first cousin and our good friend. My contribution to the club was to build a social media presence. The club never took off but I’ve continued to blog under the name ever since. Even though I’ve been the sole contributor since day one, I still think of those guys every time I sign in to the app.
Tell us some ways, if any, how social media has changed your life ?
B: Social media, specifically my Instagram blog, has allowed me to form genuine friendships with other whisky enthusiasts who I would otherwise never know let alone be friends with. Whisky is a connector in and of itself so combining the two into one global, digital whisky community has made it easy to meet genuinely interesting, unique people. Instagram has also taken a lot of time away from other things in life and as you can imagine, finding the right balance can be tricky. But I love it and couldn’t be happier to be part of this community.
“As for Social Media Influencers, I see a lot of whisky bloggers trying to become “Instafamous” these days. They all seem focused on the same task: accumulate a large number of followers in hopes that opportunities will start coming there way. I get it. They probably see people like myself doing some pretty cool things in the whisky world and naturally assume these things just came to fruition because I have an audience.” – Ben
All your photos have a very clean and neutral theme about them. How did you decide on the format and style to use when editing the photos for posting?
B: Why thank you! I don’t use filters or any sort of professional photo editing software. I’ll occasionally make a few adjustments to the contrast, brightness, etc. through the native app but that’s about it. A decent camera, solid natural lighting and a sophomoric eye for photo composition is all I’ve needed to showcase the already pleasing aesthetics of my favorite whisky bottles.
“The truth is, life doesn’t work that way and neither does this. Nothing has ever come to me because I have a large audience, especially without asking for it first. I am constantly hustling behind the scenes, putting myself out there and selling the value that I am creating. And while having a large number of followers can help get you in the door, it’s worth little to nothing if you aren’t creating value and offering something unique”. -Ben
You’ve posted some amazing whisky drams on your instagram. If you go back in time, which dram would you say stands out in your mind and why?
B: I’ve been very fortunate to taste some incredible whisky over the years, both from bottles that I own personally as well as bottles shared by brand ambassadors and friends. The past year in particular has been pretty amazing. I’ll tell you which dram comes to mind first as I think it will give you an idea of what I look for in a whisky. The dram in mind is the 2014 Kilchoman Port Cask Matured. It’s an absolutely explosive spirit with rich, tannic notes of juicy Port wine interlaced with a thick layer of coastal peat smoke. At 3 years young and at 55% ABV, it’s beyond lively; full of naivety and character. It knows very well who’s in charge and rarely is it ever the person drinking it. I look for this sort of experience in a whisky: a challenge, a companion. At the end of the day, what is whisky if it isn’t fun?
Is there a certain theme or message you’re trying to communicate through your photos with your followers?
B: I usually just try to be myself and share what’s on my mind in the moment. I love whisky and I want to share that love with the world. Instagram is more of an off-the-cuff, creative outlet for me than anything. If I put too much thought into what I’m capturing or what I’m writing, I don’t get to enjoy the freedom of creative expression. That’s important to me.
Top 5 drams you’ve tasted from Good to Beyond belief:
B: Ha! I’m not sure I can only pick 5 but I’ll tell you what comes to mind. The first would be the Kilchoman Port Cask Matured I mentioned earlier. Second pick is the Bruichladdich’s Feis Ile 2015 release titled ‘High Noon’. It was technically part of the distillery’s Black Art series and for me, the most thrilling of them all. Third, I’d go with a recent single cask bottling from The Scotch Malt Whisky Society titled 29.208 ‘Bonfire on a rocky island shore’. It’s an 18-year-old Laphroaig that was matured in an ex-Bourbon hogshead before a second and final maturation in a PX sherry hogshead. A real stunner. Fourth would be Glenfiddich Rare Collection Cask No. 7585, a 44-year-old distilled in 1973 that tastes exactly as you would dream it to be. And finally, because it’s still fresh on my mind, a 12-year old single cask bottling from The Macallan bottled as part of their upcoming Exceptional Single Cask range. For a commercial product its undoubtedly the most wild and tantalizing sherry-matured whisky I’ve ever had.
You’ve worked with some amazing whisky brands. When choosing whether or not to work with a brand, how do you decide? Is there a certain criteria you look for?
B: I suppose my criteria is fairly simple: do I love the whisky or not? If I love the whisky then I love to talk about it. People deserve an honest opinion. I’ll just leave it at that.
What advice would you offer aspiring entrepreneurs or social media influencers?
B: A couple years ago I left my job to start a business. I learned a lot from my experience but my one piece of advice would be this: if you’re going to take that route be passionate about what it is you’re doing. Genuine passion will get you through the difficult times and help you win in the end.
As for Social Media Influencers, I see a lot of whisky bloggers trying to become “Instafamous” these days. They all seem focused on the same task: accumulate a large number of followers in hopes that opportunities will start coming there way. I get it. They probably see people like myself doing some pretty cool things in the whisky world and naturally assume these things just came to fruition because I have an audience.
The truth is, life doesn’t work that way and neither does this. Nothing has ever come to me because I have a large audience, especially without asking for it first. I am constantly hustling behind the scenes, putting myself out there and selling the value that I am creating. And while having a large number of followers can help get you in the door, it’s worth little to nothing if you aren’t creating value and offering something unique.
“Influencer Marketing” is still a relatively unknown playing field for the majority of whisky brands, even the big ones. You have to initiate the conversation yourself and really sell the value you are creating for the brand and the community. So to that I say: do what you love, be different, be authentic and never stop selling yourself.
Do you have any long term goals for your instagram account
B: Long-term not so much but I suppose my next “whisky goal” would be to travel to Scotland, get a behind-the-scenes look into some of my favorite distilleries, and share that experience with the world through my own lens. That would be amazing. Oh and I suppose the ultimate goal would be to walk into a warehouse at one of those distilleries, find a unique cask that ‘speaks to me’ and fill a single bottle that I can enjoy over the course of a decade or two. That would be the dream right there.
Do you have anything coming up, that your followers can look forward to, maybe something in the works?
B: Yes! 2018 is going to be an exciting year but I’m afraid you guys will have to wait just a little while longer to find out what’s next. Let’s just say it’s great to see the hard work pay off.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
B: Don’t let others tell you what to enjoy or how to enjoy it. Listen to recommendations from others but just remember that no two palates are identical. Go out and find the whisky that speaks to you, not to others. It doesn’t have to be rare or expensive to be remarkable.
