About Two Whiskey Guys

Welcome to Two Whiskey Guys, where passion for whiskey meets practical guidance. We're Mike and Paul, two friends who share a love for discovering and exploring the world of whiskey.

We're based in Melbourne, Australia, so the prices and availability we mention are from an Australian buyer's point of view. That's also why you'll find a good number of Australian whiskies here.

We've been enjoying whisky together since around 2011. Along the way we've had our share of disappointments, with a few expensive bottles significantly underdelivering. So from around 2018 we started writing up our tastings, to help others choose and buy with confidence. So far we have added 61 reviews with a full flavour profile and food pairings.

Mike

Hi there! I'm Mike, one half of Two Whiskey Guys. My journey into the world of whiskey began when my brother returned from living in Scotland and introduced me to the rich flavours and traditions of Scotch whisky. I wasn't instantly hooked (who tries a Laphroaig as their first whiskey ever and likes it?), but the more I explored, the more fascinated I became.

Since then, I've been on a mission with Paul to explore as many Speyside, Highland, and Islay whiskies as we can get our hands on—without blowing my budget. We've tried some great and some not-so-great whiskies along the way, and we're excited to share our experiences so you can enjoy more winners and eliminate the duds.

While every palate and preference is different, we hope our reviews can help guide you to some new favourites.

Paul

Hello! I'm Paul, the other half of Two Whiskey Guys. My whiskey journey began alongside Mike during our regular catchups where we journeyed beyond beer into whiskey. One of our earliest tastings was an Ardbeg, which was very peaty and took some time for me to warm to. But as we kept exploring, my palate evolved and I started to appreciate not just the flavours, but the history and character behind each bottle.

Over time, I've become increasingly drawn to the complexity and craftsmanship of whiskey. Together, Mike and I have set out to sample a broad range of styles all while staying mindful of our budgets. We also have a few Australian and Japanese whiskies in there for variety and contrast.

By sharing both the standouts and the disappointments, we aim to offer honest, approachable reviews that help you explore the world of whiskey with confidence.

Our Mission

Our goal is simple: help whiskey lovers make confident choices when buying their next bottle. Whether you're expanding your own collection or looking for the perfect gift, we provide detailed tasting notes and flavour profiles to guide your decision.

Our Approach

Every whiskey in our database has been personally tasted and reviewed by us. We focus on whiskies that are readily available at most liquor stores, with a few special selections thrown in for those seeking something extraordinary.

We both taste every bottle together, usually over a long afternoon and occasionally by a fire, going back to it a few times to make sure we get it right. Often one of us picks up a flavour the other doesn't, so we talk about how strong it is and check we have the flavours as accurate as we can. It's a good reminder that we don't all taste or enjoy the same things. We often have fruit, cheese, smoked salmon and the like on hand while we taste, so we can check that the food pairings we suggest actually work.

We buy our own bottles. The only gifts are the occasional birthday present from friends who know we like to try something new. No one sponsors us, and we've never been given a bottle in exchange for a review. We wouldn't say no to the odd bottle coming our way, but our reviews will always be our own honest opinion.

We rate each whiskey on 9 key flavour characteristics, giving you a complete picture of what to expect before you make your purchase.

We also give each whisky a score out of 100. You can see what our scores mean on our home page.