Monday, May 15, 2017

All Good Things...


All good things must come to an end. Well, mediocre things must come to an end too, and bad things for that matter. And whatever category you put this blog into, this is the end.

It's been a blast of a decade, but after ten years, I've said pretty much all I have to say about food and drink. I'll continue to Tweet my spirituous thoughts, talk brandy on the Serious Brandy Facebook page, score whiskeys at the LA Whisk(e)y Society and post my silly food pictures on Instagram, but this will be my last blog post.

I had fun. I hope you did too. Thank you for reading!


71 comments:

kpiz said...

It has been a pleasure reading your blog. Thank you for all the great info and tips over the years, and for inspiring a good many of us to look beyond whiskey for other spirits we enjoy. I'm sure I'll continue to reference your posts in the future even if new ones won't be added. Catch you over at Serious Brandy. -Kyle

Anonymous said...

Sad to see you go. Thank you for all of your content over the years!

Lew Bryson said...

Well, damn. So long, and thanks for all the fish!

My Annoying Opinions said...

This is your best April Fool's post yet. Isn't it? I mean, what the hell?

Jason Thomas Cammarata said...

Bummer, Steve. I understand being tired of writing about Food and Spirits but I'm sure we would read anything you chose to write about. This feels like my favorite band broke up. All the best, SKU. See you on Facebook.

Funky Tape said...

Nooooooooo!

Anonymous said...

To state the obvious; the shutting down of great blogs like Sku's and Oliver's to just name a few, are certainly bellwethers the industry best be paying attention to. However if Nick Morgan is any indication to the general mindset, I'm sure they'll be pleased as punch.

Many thanks Sku for all the time and effort you put into this blog. It was great reading while it lasted.

Chuck Cowdery said...

Miss you. Mean it.

Vik said...

Sigh. This was one of my favorite blogs to catch up on. Thanks for everything you have done to inform, educate, and entertain. Cheers!

Kevin said...

Well, drat. It has indeed been a pleasure reading your posts. I wish you the best in "retirement!"

Mark Bystrom said...

Damn SKU, that was sudden.
Sad day on the internet.
Thank you. I have learned a lot in the 5 years I've been reading.
I wish you well.
Thanks,
Mark

Davin de Kergommeaux said...

Wow! We lose an ace. Thanks for everything, SKU. I do hope our paths cross some day.
Davin

chazjaz said...

We'll miss a steady and reliable voice on all thing SKU.
Your decades of insight have been appreciated. Thank you for all your time and valued opinions.
Regards, Charlie

Unknown said...

I'll be sad to see you go. Your lists of whiskey distillers and brands have been invaluable resources.

c bass said...

I started reading when I moved to LA five years ago. Will definitely miss checking in on a weekly basis.

WTK said...

SKU, Dismayed to read your announcement this morning. We will so miss your independent, informative, and entertaining writings. Thanks for all your humor and insights, and all the best to you!. Best regards, Terry

Anonymous said...

Thanks for doing what you did, always enjoyed checking out your blog and learning a thing or two. These are interesting times we live in

Unknown said...

A sad day indeed. Many thanks for all of the wisdom, laughs, and intelligent discourse. It's always better to retire one day too soon than one day too late. And always leave them wanting more. Cheers, Steve!

G-LO said...

Oh wow! Sorry to see you go, but like Krouse (and Costanza) said, always better to leave on a high note than to wear out your welcome (not that you'd ever let that happen!). Cheers, Sir SKU!

Unknown said...

Had to do a double take to the date to make sure I wasn't seeing a belated April Fools.

Really sorry your blog is going away and even more sad that you have lost the desire and passion to keep writing it.

I'll still be seeing you around. Till then...Slainte my friend!

Anonymous said...

On behalf of all the anonymous commenters, we are sorry to see you shut it down. Thanks for ten years of thoughtful and interesting posts. You, Tim Read, Jason Pyle,Whiskey Obsessive.......some very valuable (and formative) outlets for whiskey reviews and news consigned to the bandwidth scrap heap (but still searchable). Thanks Steve!

Unknown said...

Very sorry to hear it! A relatively new reader, but I've enjoyed the information, your opinions and humor.

Clay Risen said...

Oh man. You'll keep the blog up, though, right? I continue to go back and learn from your old posts.

Anonymous said...

Well, doggone it. Your blog has been a regular weekly read for me over the last number of years. Thanks for all the effort you put into it. It will all be missed.

Ol' Jas said...

Thanks for saying something about it—instead of just letting this blog slide into dusty, un-updated obscurity, like so many other whisky blogs whose authors lost interest.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for a decade worth of effort! I know it's not always easy to keep writing stuff for years on end.

Daniel said...

Sku,

Thanks for so many excellent posts that I enjoyed reading for a number of years. Yours is the best whiskey/whisky blog and you sir are an excellent writer/blogger.

Best of luck in whatever project you take up next.

You've done an excellent job with this blog. Your writing is fine, your thoughts insightful, and your tone spot on.

Well done.

Best Regards,
Dan

sku said...

Wow. I was not at all prepared for this outpouring of good wishes. I am sincerely humbled and touched by everyone's comments, and they really mean a huge amount to me. Thank you so much!

fussychicken said...

Damn Sku! Just like that? I was all geared up for another 10 years!

Can I make a request? If you post a brandy review in Serious Brandy, can you post it here too?

Your blog has become and excellent resource for these reviews. Would be great to keep them all in one place!

Unknown said...

Oh no! How on earth will I know what to buy @fussychicken for his birthday now? Your advice has never led me astray. Thank-you Sku for all that you have researched and everything that you have shared. This format will be missed.

Anonymous said...

Your blog will be greatly missed. Best wishes for your future.

Tyrel Beutler said...

Seriously disappointed with this news. I enjoyed the thoughts, the reviews, the tongue in cheek stories, and refer to the distillery list constantly. I respect the decision to walk away but will still be disappointed by the news.

Unknown said...

Thank you Sku. First post here but I've thoroughly enjoyed reading whatever you had to write. Cheers!

jcg9779 said...

Such a fussychicken.

Malt Impostor said...

Well, that was a fantastic decade worth of work! Sorry to see you go, but thanks for all the great posts.

kallaskander said...

Hi there,

so much to say....

let it suffice to say that this is a sad day for whisky.
For the whisky category as a whole, no less.
Very much for whisky fans geeks and afficinados.
Even more for the whisky powers that be.
If those think they won a battle they still can be on the way to lose their profits.
Which for them is worse than to lose a war.

It has been a pleasure and honour.

Greetings
kallaskander

slandy said...

lator gator

Sam Komlenic said...

And they say nobody reads blogs anymore! This will truly be the end for me, as I don't participate in social media, preferring actual social interaction instead.

You have been one of the most reliable sources for information on distilled spirits and it's obvious that you've had a loyal following. A job well done, and I still hope to cross paths with you at some random point in the future.

Thank you,
Sam

RadRuss said...

Well I can't say anything that hasn't already been said, but Sku, your blog was a great help to me when I was first learning about bourbon, and it remained one of my favorite reading sources after I became a full-on aficionado. You deserve all the thanks you get for the work you put in, and the contributions you made to this community. Best of luck in whatever comes next!

Ingvar Ronde said...

Following you over the years, you have been an inspiration in my work with the Malt Whisky Yearbook. Your way of inspiring, amusing, educating and (not least) annoying people is, in my mind, the right way of doing a blog. Thanks for a job very well done. You will definitely be missed!

Ravensfire said...

Sku, thanks for the honest thoughts, reviews and humor. T'was always an enjoyable read.

Andy Keck said...

Thanks for the fine work all these years; sad to see you go, at least from this venue. I will of course turn a close eye to FB and Instagram. Especially instagram as I compile a loooong list of places to eat in LA to fill the gaps in the Santa Barbara food scene.

Anonymous said...

Sad to see you go Sku. Your witty articles will be missed.

AJW said...

Very sorry to see you go, SKU. I know that for every supportive comment in this thread, there are many others out there who loved this blog. Everyone I know who is interested in whiskey speaks highly of this blog. You will be missed.

Unknown said...

Your blog will be missed, but thankfully there is always Twitter. I appreciate your work and insight over the years. Look forward to more of it in the 140 character variety.

James said...

Sku, thanks for all the great content over the years. You've pointed me in the right direction for spirits in general and some great eats in the LA area.

If this were your yearbook...Wish I would have gotten to know you better. Have a kick ass summer!

Unknown said...

Really enjoyed reading all these years! Thanks again! Cheers!

Anonymous said...

I'll be pouring one for you tonight, Sku. I've enjoyed reading all of your posts for a long time; it's been refreshing to see you remain pretty neutral and tell it like you see it despite the whiskey hype train steaming ahead. The way you've gone about this blog I can tell that you proceeded because this is something you're passionate about, rather than something to keep the lights on.

You will be missed, as I feel that there's way too many "critics" out there who are more than happy to get samples and bottles shipped to them by companies, and in return will post a "review" with an ultimate score of 85-95 points almost every time (looking at you, whiskeyjug!) Those are so common nowadays that they just aren't enjoyable anymore. It isn't about the product anymore, it's about the money. And that was my biggest takeaway from your blog; this was something you did because you liked it (at least that's how it came across to me, the reader - I have no idea if this was truly the case). The posts like your LA donut reviews kept things fresh, and I'm screenshotting some of my favorite posts from you, in case the URL goes dead.

I wish you the best, and hope that you can continue your passion elsewhere, in another avenue. Cheers, Slainte, and all that jazz.

The Amateur Bourbonian said...

Sku ... you have provided many hours of entertainment and much, much information information on bourbon. Thank you!

Richnimrod said...

SKU, I'm sorry to hear of your decision; but completely understand. I will certainly miss your straight-shooting commentaries, and your wry sense of humor. Good Luck in all your future endeavors, sir.

Agent SJ said...

If it isn't fun, stop doing it. That said, thank you for the education.

Cheers, Michael

Anonymous said...

thank you sku! sad to see you go but proud that you knew when to call it. whiskey has become boring.

hope to hearing more from you on cognac and armangac etc. thanks for introducing many of us into some great spirits!

Unknown said...

Steve, thanks so much for your contributions to the world of whiskey (and food, and spirits, and all matter of libations). Truly, your voice was one of the most important in this industry/segment, and your website the best of its kind. Moreover it's nice to see good folks do this type of great work, especially when blogs are filled (today) with a mass of contributors, and all matter "experts". MOSTLY, your blog has been immensely entertaining, which at the end of the day is why it's been so enjoyable to read.

Sincerely - thank you very much for being a great friend in whiskey all these years. I'm certain we'll keep in touch.

All the best,

-Jason Pyle

Pat Corbett said...

Jason, you are missed as well!!

Pat

Anonymous said...

Thank you Steve, for the years of insight, sharing and thoughtful posts around the state of the industry, unknown (and known) treasures and random smatterings.

Jason P - missing Sourmashmanifesto as well

JCR said...

Selfishly very sad to hear this news - but cheers on a job well done!

Anonymous said...

Thamk you I'll miss your insights

tms_508 said...

Every fine bottle has a last drop... no matter how long we try to hang on to it. Thanks for all the whiskey fun and insight, shared with candor and humility (a quality often missing in the blogging world). Sku, I'll will miss your posts, but completely understand! Cheers!

-Tom

Anonymous said...

You will be missed

Todd

Joshua said...

Awe man! I am sad to see you go from the world of bloggers. It has been a great joy reading your blog for the past few years. I wish you all the best.

CBFC said...

A huge thanks for this blog. I will absolutely miss it.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your posts over the years. You are one of the rare bloggers I trust implicitly. Jeffrey Chin.

Anonymous said...

Sorry to see you go, thanks!

Steve said...

From one Steve to another, can't thank you enough for your wisdom, insight, clarity, humor, and lack of compromise. And, needless to say, all the time and effort you've put into this over the years. You've always been one of a kind, and your work here will be sorely missed -- as you can see. Cheers, Steve!

Ol' Jas said...

Ha—I just noticed all the ridiculous tags that SKU put on this post.

"The Whiskey You Take Is Equal To The Whiskey You Make." Indeed.

WTK said...

SKU, I'm back to thank you again for this great blog. Today I referred to one of your 2015 Armagnac reviews after seeing a K&L "back in stock" announcement. I hope your articles will stay up long into the future, its such a great, living resource to the spirits community. Cheers, Terry Kirschner

Harry in Wash DC said...

I'm late to the wake. I'll never forget. Thanks for helping an old dog learn new things.

Harry in Wash DC

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your honest opinions over the years SKU.
Such blogs are increasingly rare. Ones that take stand for what is right morally and ethically are even rarer. To this day your post on Bourbon bigotry remains my favorite whisky writing out there. It sort of feels like when George Carlin died prematurely - he still had a lot to teach us then, and boy, could the ( still wondering what the hell is happening ) people use his commentary today.
Hope to hear from you in the future in some other formats (have time for writing a book maybe?) and that this blog postings remain.
IWK

Anonymous said...

What everyone's saying. Thanks for your informative and entertaining take on all things whisky.

Anonymous said...

Came late but read everything. Thanks for the great writing, your candid / un-sponsored opinions, and the love that showed in every sentence. Much appreciated.

Anonymous said...

I saw your reviews on LAwhiskey society and found your blogger here just a few month ago.
Sad