Flavor Camp™ Spirits School | Reece Sims | Substack

Scotch Lesson 04: How to Taste & Describe Scotch

Using the Flavor Camp Tasting System

Oct 16, 2025 • Reece Sims

Most Popular

Tequila Lesson 01: History & Styles

May 12, 2025 • Reece Sims

Irish Whiskey 01: History & Styles

Mar 4, 2025 • Reece Sims

Tequila Lesson 03: The Architecture of Agave Flavor

May 26, 2025 • Reece Sims

Rum 01: What is R(h)um & Why is it Confusing?

Aug 13, 2025 • Reece Sims

Recent posts

Scotch Lesson 03: The Barrel Effect

The Science Behind Scotch Maturation: Seven Factors That Change Everything

Oct 14, 2025 • Reece Sims

Scotch Lesson 02: Breaking the Scotch Regions

Regions tell a story, but process tells the truth. Here we explore how production choices turn grain, water, and yeast into flavor.

Sep 28, 2025 • Reece Sims

Scotch Lesson 01: What Makes Scotch… Scotch?

Not all Scotch tastes smoky, and not all Scotches are Single Malts.

Sep 14, 2025 • Reece Sims

🍹 Think You Know Rum? Prove It.

Test your knowledge of history, production, flavor camps, and trends.

Sep 8, 2025 • Reece Sims

Cocktail Recipe: Torch & Tide

A signature cocktail crafted in honor of one of our Founding Members, Hank Barnes.

Sep 3, 2025 • Reece Sims

Rum

Rum 03: The Flavor Camps of Rum

Organizing Rum by Flavor, Not Borders

Aug 31, 2025 • Reece Sims

Rum 02: How Rum is Made & Key Areas of Flavor Impact

From sugarcane to spirit, every choice leaves a fingerprint on flavor.

Aug 22, 2025 • Reece Sims

Rum 01: What is R(h)um & Why is it Confusing?

Your passport to the world’s most free-spirited spirit.

Aug 13, 2025 • Reece Sims

vodka

54 Vodka Cocktails That Prove “Neutral” Doesn’t Mean Boring

The New Vodka Playbook: Classic, Easy, and Community-Created Cocktails

Aug 4, 2025 • Reece Sims

Take the Vodka Foundations Exam HERE! (For a limited time only)

Get 75% or higher for your custom Certificate of Achievement...

Aug 3, 2025 • Reece Sims

Vodka 03: Mapping the Vodka Flavour Camps

A guided breakdown of vodka’s flavour potential by ingredient, texture, and camp.

Jul 26, 2025 • Reece Sims

Vodka 02: Without Distinctive Character ≠ Tasteless

The 5% That Matters: Vodka’s Base Ingredients and Why You Can Actually Taste Them

Jul 13, 2025 • Reece Sims

Vodka 01: How Vodka Is Made (and Why It Matters)

Why “neutral” doesn’t mean flavorless and how production choices matter.

Jul 8, 2025 • Reece Sims

peated whisky

Smoky Spirits 04: Smoke Without Peat

No Peat? No Problem. Five Ways Smoke Still Finds Its Way Into Whisky

Jun 30, 2025 • Reece Sims

Smoky Spirits 03: Location, Location, Location

The Chemistry of Terroir: What Peat Type Tells Us About Smoke

Jun 26, 2025 • Reece Sims

Smoky Spirits 02: Flavors Beyond Phenols in Peat

Why your smoky whisky might taste like ham, incense, or brown sugar

Jun 17, 2025 • Reece Sims

Smoky Spirits 01: Peat, Phenols & the Truth About PPM

How smoky whisky gets its character and why numbers don’t tell the whole story.

Jun 11, 2025 • Reece Sims

tequila

The Tequila Flavor Foundations Exam - LIMITED TIME ONLY

Get 75% or higher on the 25-question, multiple-choice exam and you'll get a custom Certificate of Achievement...

May 31, 2025 • Reece Sims

Tequila Lesson 04: Tasting the Process — How Flavor Is Built, One Element at a Time

And why Flavor Camp’s Agave Tasting System helps you make sense of it all

May 31, 2025 • Reece Sims

Tequila Lesson 03: The Architecture of Agave Flavor

How Every Step Shapes the Final Sip

May 26, 2025 • Reece Sims

Tequila Lesson 02: So… How Is Tequila Made?

Breaking Down the Key Stages of Production—From Piñas to Proofing

May 22, 2025 • Reece Sims

Tequila Lesson 01: History & Styles

From Aztec rituals to premium sipping culture, tequila’s journey is as layered as its flavor.

May 12, 2025 • Reece Sims

japanese whisky

Japanese Whisky 04: Common Flavor Camps & Taste Profiles

These are the seven flavor camps that make-up most Japanese whiskies and why...

Apr 25, 2025 • Reece Sims

Japanese Whisky 03: Rules, Rumors & Real Japanese Whisky

Let's talk about the JSLMA's impact on the Japanese Whisky industry.

Apr 23, 2025 • Reece Sims

Japanese Whisky 02: Flavors of Japan

An exploration of the sensory building blocks behind Japan’s most distinctive whiskies.

Apr 13, 2025

Japanese Whisky 01: History, Styles & Rise in Popularity

Also Why That Whisky Made in Japan Might Not Be Japanese at All

Apr 5, 2025 • Reece Sims

irish whiskey

Irish Whiskey 04: Common Flavor Camps & Taste Profiles

Why “pot still” doesn’t tell you what you’re drinking — but “Baked” might.

Mar 27, 2025 • Reece Sims

Irish Whiskey 03: Cask Impacts on Flavor

Unlocking Flavor by Understanding How Casks Shape the Character of Irish Whiskey

Mar 18, 2025 • Reece Sims

Irish Whiskey 02: Triple Distillation & The Role of Cuts

How Distillation Choices Shape Flavor, Texture, and the Signature Smoothness of Irish Whiskey

Mar 11, 2025 • Reece Sims

Irish Whiskey 01: History & Styles

A Beginner’s Guide to the Categories, Rules, and Secrets of the Emerald Isle's Iconic Spirit

Mar 4, 2025 • Reece Sims

gin

Gin 06: 24 Simple Cocktails for Any Occasion [Part Two]

Plus, download our 17-page Guide to Gin Cocktails

Feb 27, 2025 • Reece Sims

Gin 05: 24 Simple Cocktails for Any Occasion [Part One]

The first 6 deliciously simple drinks to shake (or stir) up your gin routine.

Feb 25, 2025 • Reece Sims

Gin 04: Gin Gone Wild - New International Styles by Flavor Camp

Dive into the world of New International Style gins through the Flavor Camp tasting system—breaking down bold botanicals, unexpected flavors, and…

Feb 18, 2025 • Reece Sims

Gin 03: The Basics of Classic Gin Styles & A Foundation for Flavor

Before diving into the bold new world of modern gin, let’s break down the traditional styles—London Dry, Old Tom, Genever, and beyond—that set the stage…

Feb 18, 2025 • Reece Sims

Gin 02: The Science of Gin’s Flavor

Botanicals, Booze, and a Bit of Magic - How Distillation & Infusion Methods Shape Flavor in Gin

Feb 12, 2025 • Reece Sims

Gin 01: The Classic Botanicals That Built a Spirit

Unpacking the Spirit That Launched a Thousand Cocktails

Feb 4, 2025 • Reece Sims

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