Today is a new beginning for Malt.
Malt has been successful beyond our most extravagant hopes when measured on the metrics of readership and engagement. At the same time, there are several less conspicuous areas in which we have failed to reach our own expectations. The purpose of this post is to chart a path forward for this site, building on our successes and redressing our shortcomings.
Mission Statement
Malt provides independent, transparent, and honest whisky reviews augmented by in-depth research and analysis, presented in a long format.
What We Do
- Provide free content, daily if possible, and more frequently if necessary
- Feature long-form reviews, interviews, and content that is differentiated by primary research
- Score using the full 10-point scale, with value for money taken into consideration
- Engage with the whisky and spirits industry in the spirit of constructive criticism, balanced by a sense of fairness and proportionality
- Operate without support from paid advertising, with revenue coming from partner links and our Patreon program
- Maintain maximum transparency about the source of the whiskies we review and the industry connections – if any – of our contributors
- Include diverse voices, with an emphasis on increased representation in areas where the world of whisky writing is not representative of our community more generally
To a casual observer, the “new” Malt may appear a lot like the “old” Malt. I suspect some of our readership will not be aware that it’s ever been anything but business as usual. That’s fine. These changes are evolutionary rather than revolutionary, and everything we do will be in keeping with our foundational principles.
To all who have supported us to this point: thank you. Your time, attention, engagement, and financial commitments are not at all taken for granted. We’re going to do everything in our power to make sure the future of Malt does honor to all that has come before.
As mentioned above, we’re looking to include new voices. If you’re interested in joining us as a contributor, please reach out directly and let us know!
Once again, our kind thanks and sincere gratitude to each of you.
Onward!
Taylor Cope and Kat Aagesen
Custodians of Malt
Congratulations, Taylor and Kat! The baton has been passed to good hands.
Will we need to make any edits to our Patron pledges or will that carry over seamlessly?
Thank you, Tony. Great question: Patreon and everything else (social media) has been handed over, so there is no need to make any changes on your end. Cheers!
Hi Taylor,
You mention at the start that there are areas where you feel Malt has not reached expectations. As a daily reader and advocate for the last 2 years I’d be interested to know what you guys feel you have failed at.
If it’s something you can share, it appears fascinating to me.
Many thanks
Toby
Toby, thanks for your continued interest. If you are a Patreon supporter, I’d encourage you to listen to this past Sunday’s podcast. I discuss some of the areas for improvement in there. Mostly, it deals with trying to be constructively critical, balanced by a sense of fairness and proportionality. Malt has grown to be a huge platform and being able to showcase work here is a privilege for writers, not a right. Also, as mentioned in this piece, we intend for Malt to showcase a more diverse range of voices going forward. Hope this helps?