I’m Davin de Kergommeaux. For over a quarter of a century, I have been researching and writing about whisky, presenting whisky seminars and leading tasting workshops on six continents, as well as judging international whisky competitions such as the World Whisky Awards and the Malt Maniacs Awards.

In 2009 I founded the Canadian Whisky Awards, which are presented each January at the Victoria Whisky Festival.  In 2019, as part of our 10-year anniversary, we launched a new website dedicated to the awards.


 

Books & Writing

As a writer, my focus for the past quarter century has been on whisky. My latest book, entitled Canadian Whisky The Essential Portable Expert offers new, in-depth insights into Canada’s national spirit.

You can also read my writings in a dozen other popular books about whisky, spirits and cocktails.  My articles appear regularly in popular drinks and lifestyle magazines such as Whisky Magazine and Whisky Advocate.  In 2018 the International Wine and Spirits Competition (UK) included me on the short list for Spirits Communicator of the Year.

A book about Canadian whisky published in 2024

Previous Books

Canadian Whisky, the Portable Expert, 2012 is out of print but available on Amazon and used.

 

 

I’m Independent

As I am an independent reviewer and not affiliated with any of the whisky makers, my comments are my own.  Having said that, I have been involved in the launch of several new Canadian whiskies over the years, simply because my endorsement, like my reviews and tasting notes, helps to raise the profile of the whisky. 

In university I studied grains including corn, wheat, rye, triticale and barley for 6 years.  I am also a certified sommelier, though I now specialize exclusively in whisky.  My interest and love of whisky has taken me all over Scotland and the British Isles, Europe, Japan, India, Taiwan, the U.S., Caribbean and South America as well as coast to coast across Canada. 

I Support Canadian Whisky

It’s a sad fact that Canadian whisky doesn’t get its due. I am committed to changing that by correcting misconceptions with facts.  I work hard to help serious whisky fans, wherever they may live, to discover one of Canada’s best-kept secrets: the hidden riches of Canadian whisky. No one else has taken on this important task.  I am the only whisky writer who is focussed on writing seriously and credibly about Canadian whisky and fine spirits.  As a result, in 2018, the New York Times said my importance in raising the profile of Canadian whisky could not be overstated. Two years before that, Canada’s national newspaper, the Globe and Mail named me as one of the most influential Canadians in food and drink.


 

This website is the result of years of research, travel, and analytical tasting, much of it done at my own expense. Please respect my labours by giving me credit if you use any of my material. Please don’t add my website materiel to Wikipedia or similar free-for-all on-line sources without clearly crediting the source. Unless otherwise stated, all the material here is original and subject to copyright protection © 1998 – 2023.  I hope you enjoy cruising around the site and learning about the various whiskies through my stories and tasting notes.