Happy Birthday Michael: beer hunter, whisky chaser and my mentor. Save a seat for me in that great pub in the sky.
I’ll get there eventually. In the meantime, I’ll do my best to continue on where you left off. (But it will take many more people than just me to fill your void.)
Nice sentiments John. So much for no weekend posts
Yes, yesterday was his birthday. It seemed appropriate to take a few minutes out of my day to recognize a man who was very influential in my life, regardless of what day it is.
Greatly missed…maybe not the most “objective” reviewer, but a man who made you understand the experience (and not just of the drink itself), and who almost certainly turned more people on to whisky than the next ten writers combined; and by all accounts, a truly humble guy. I loved the columns he wrote for MA and WM, because they were always about the context, about being in the moment.
Probably every single malt scotch enthusiast has been influenced by Michael Jackson one way or another. It is certainly appropriate that we honor his memory.
I like that you celebrate his entry (birth) day rather than his departure day.
As for me at least in memory he will never be gone. I’m also happy that his old workplace is “still” alive as Sipsmith’s
Just an absolute icon for scotch geeks like me. Happy birthday.
I was fortunate enough to meet Michael Jackson during a beer Fest under the Brooklyn Bridge. There was a long line to meet and speak with him. I had a book of Michael’s and figured I ask him to autograph it for me.
One of the guys on line stepped up to Michael and said: “Your tasting notes on XXXXX Beer said it was very hoppy. That beer is not hoppy at all.” I’m thinking how can this guy confront a world renowned, distinguished expert in this way. Michael, coolly said: “Now, now. The XXXXX beer you had may not have been hoppy. The XXXXX beer I had was hoppy.” To this day, I am still amazed at what a gentlemen he was.
When I finally got up to meet him I shoot hands and asked him to sign my book. He immediately agreed and asked me a few questions before he signed, despite the heat and long line. After that, he signed the book with a personal note based on our quick conversation.
A very special individual who’s writings in various magazines I still miss to this day. I cherish the Beer Hunter tapes, Beer Hunter CD’s for the PC and books I have of his.
A man who shall always have a special place in my own personal history with whisky. One of the greats. And one of the greatly missed.
Obviously a “heavyweight” in the industry and rightly so! He added organization to the journalistic approach used to describe whisky. He made it both exciting and human! Thank you Michael
for being the pioneer and making us the beneficiaries of your hard work! I will raise a glass to toast you
on your birthday, even though you may not be able to reciprocate, cause “in Heaven there ain’t no beer” as the song goes! Cheers!
That must be why the angels come down to suck up all our whisky….
A couple of drams in his honor. He is missed.