WhiskyCast
Episodes
WhiskyCast Episode 156: August 3, 2008
03 Aug 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Night and Day, Positive and Negative, Black and White. There are opposites all around us, which means that if there is a Black Bowmore, there must be ...
WhiskyCast Episode 155: July 27, 2008
27 Jul 2008
Contributed by Lukas
It may be seen as a sacrilege in Scotland, but imagine a single malt whisky from India that can compete with the best of Scotland's malts in many ...
WhiskyCast Episode 154: July 20, 2008
20 Jul 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Almost every whisky lover has dreamed of getting the call from a distillery to serve on an exclusive tasting panel to select a special release. Ji...
WhiskyCast Episode 153: July 13, 2008
13 Jul 2008
Contributed by Lukas
It's not too soon to start making travel plans for the fall whisky festival season, and Malt Advocate's WhiskyFest San Francisco on October 10th is ...
WhiskyCast Episode 152: July 6, 2008
06 Jul 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Last fall, I mentioned The Balvenie's search for a brand ambassador to represent the single malt in the US. Now, the lucky person has been chosen, and...
WhiskyCast Episode 151: June 29, 2008
29 Jun 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Compass Box produces some of the more unusual whiskies on the market, and John Glaser gives us the details on two new limited releases coming ou...
WhiskyCast Episode 150: June 22, 2008
22 Jun 2008
Contributed by Lukas
If you're looking for buddy trip ideas, a distillery school might be just the thing. Fellow Malt Maniac Lawrence Graham just finished up a buddy trip ...
WhiskyCast Episode 149: June 16, 2008
16 Jun 2008
Contributed by Lukas
What distillery produces so many different expressions of whisky that one could probably drink a different one each day for a month with no repeats...
WhiskyCast Episode 148: June 8, 2008
08 Jun 2008
Contributed by Lukas
The best single malts in the world come from Scotland, right? Not any more, and the winner of Whisky Magazine's World Whiskies Award as the world's be...
WhiskyCast Episode 147: June 1, 2008
01 Jun 2008
Contributed by Lukas
While it's the start of summer in Scotland, it's the start of a winter of whisky in Australia. Later this month, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society's Aust...
WhiskyCast Episode 146: May 25, 2008
25 May 2008
Contributed by Lukas
It's festival week on Islay, and we'll hear about the plans for this week's Islay Festival of Malt and Music from Laphroaig's John Campbell, Ardbeg's ...
WhiskyCast Episode 145: May 18, 2008
18 May 2008
Contributed by Lukas
One of the world's great whisky bars sits in between a stationery store and a restaurant in Toronto's Beaches neighborhood. Ian Innes has owned The Fe...
WhiskyCast Episode 144: May 10, 2008
11 May 2008
Contributed by Lukas
On the road again, and back in one of my favorite cities...Toronto. This time around, it's for the Spirit of Toronto Festival. We'll have some o...
WhiskyCast Episode 143: May 4, 2007
04 May 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Good things take time, and after 109 years, Ardmore is finally being released as a single malt. Until now, all of the Aberdeenshire distillery's outpu...
WhiskyCast Episode 142: April 27, 2008
27 Apr 2008
Contributed by Lukas
This is Kentucky Derby week in Louisville, and that makes it a perfectly good time to focus on bourbon. We'll hear from Ron Givens, author of the new ...
WhiskyCast Episode 141: April 20, 2008
20 Apr 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Running a distillery is a tough job...but Ian MacMillan runs three. Oh, he serves as the master blender, too. Ian's in charge of Burn Stewart's three ...
WhiskyCast Episode 140: April 12, 2008
13 Apr 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Time for a road trip...this time to the spiritual home of Bourbon...Kentucky. This week's episode comes from DeSha's Restaurant and Bar in Lexington, ...
WhiskyCast Episode 139: April 6, 2008
06 Apr 2008
Contributed by Lukas
It's been a busy week for whisky festivals from coast to coast in the US, with events in San Francisco, New York, and Chicago. In this episode, we'll ...
WhiskyCast Episode 138: March 30, 2008
30 Mar 2008
Contributed by Lukas
In the last episode, I mentioned the growing controversy over proposed UK legislation that would set specific labeling standards for Scotch Whisky, in...
WhiskyCast Episode 137: March 23, 2008
23 Mar 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Inver House was recently named Distiller of the Year in Whisky Magazine's annual Icons of Whisky Awards for its work in re-launching the Balblair sing...
WhiskyCast Episode 136: March 16, 2008
16 Mar 2008
Contributed by Lukas
In Part 2 of our series on Irish Whiskeys, we'll hear from Bushmills master distiller Colum Egan. Colum was under pressure to come up with a speci...
WhiskyCast Episode 135: March 9, 2008
09 Mar 2008
Contributed by Lukas
With St. Patrick's Day just around the horizon, it's time for Part 1 of a 2-part series on Irish whiskies, In this episode, we'll hear from the Master...
WhiskyCast Episode 134: March 2, 2008
02 Mar 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Dominic Roskrow is the former editor of Whisky Magazine, and he's written a new book on whiskies from around the world. "From Confused to Connoisseur"...
WhiskyCast Episode 133: February 24, 2008
24 Feb 2008
Contributed by Lukas
There's a new generation of whisky makers coming into their own, and we'll hear from one of them in this episode. Iain McCallum told us about the Blac...
WhiskyCast Episode 132: February 17, 2008
17 Feb 2008
Contributed by Lukas
The new issue of Malt Advocate magazine is out, and the cover story focuses on cask ownership programs. We'll talk with writer Jonny McCormick, who ha...
WhiskyCast Episode 131: February 10, 2008
10 Feb 2008
Contributed by Lukas
The Black Bowmore is one of Islay's legendary whiskies, and sells for thousands of dollars...when you can find it. Now, Bowmore is releasing a new Bla...
WhiskyCast Episode 130: February 3, 2008
03 Feb 2008
Contributed by Lukas
With Valentine's Day almost here, thoughts of chocolate will certainly be on the minds of some whisky lovers...whether it's for themselves or for th...
WhiskyCast Episode 129: January 27, 2008
27 Jan 2008
Contributed by Lukas
There's always at least two sides to a story, and in the case of the "Mutter Bowmore" controversy, there are many more. This time around, we'll get th...
WhiskyCast Episode 128: January 20, 2008
20 Jan 2008
Contributed by Lukas
It's time to celebrate Burns Night this week! Whisky lovers around the world will honor the bard of Scotland, the legendary Robert Burns, on the 249...
WhiskyCast Episode 127: January 13, 2008
13 Jan 2008
Contributed by Lukas
This time around, we'll get the other side of the debate over the rare Bowmore that sold for more than $50,000 at McTear's in Glasgow last month, de...
WhiskyCast Episode 126: January 6, 2008
06 Jan 2008
Contributed by Lukas
The debate over whisky auctions and the provenance of some of the whiskies sold at those auctions continues with the saga of a Bowmore said to have ...
WhiskyCast Episode 125: December 29, 2007
30 Dec 2007
Contributed by Lukas
We'll close out the year with a look at a man fulfilling almost every guy's dream. Keith Wood is a transplanted Englishman in the heart of Munich, G...
WhiskyCast Episode 124: December 23, 2007
23 Dec 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Jim McEwan and the guys at Bruichladdich don't really care what the rest of the whisky industry thinks of them. They do care greatly what whisky dri...
WhiskyCast Episode 123: December 16, 2007
16 Dec 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Single malt scotches and Japan's single malts are a world apart in geography, and some might say the same applies to taste as well. This time around,...
WhiskyCast Episode 122: December 9, 2007
09 Dec 2007
Contributed by Lukas
You may want to introduce your non-whisky drinking friends to the water of life during the holidays, but sometimes it takes a little something extra ...
WhiskyCast Episode 121: December 2, 2007
02 Dec 2007
Contributed by Lukas
The results are in from this year's Malt Maniacs Whisky Awards, and we'll get a rundown on the top award-winners from Malt Maniac Davin de Kergommea...
WhiskyCast Episode 120: November 25, 2007
25 Nov 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Last month, Malt Advocate Magazine honored David Stewart of William Grant & Sons with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his 45 years in the whisky bu...
WhiskyCast Episode 119: November 18, 2007
18 Nov 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Only one distillery can claim to have the world's best selling whiskey, and it's not in Scotland or Kentucky. Jack Daniels in Lynchburg, Tennessee s...
WhiskyCast Episode 118: November 11, 2007
11 Nov 2007
Contributed by Lukas
John Hall of Canada's Kittling Ridge Distillery makes his whiskies the hard way, distilling and maturing his grains separately, then blending them y...
WhiskyCast Episode 117: November 3, 2007
03 Nov 2007
Contributed by Lukas
On the road again...this time at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas for the Maker's Mark "When in Rome Weekend". Nearly 1500 Maker's Mark Ambassadors desce...
WhiskyCast Episode 116: October 31, 2007
31 Oct 2007
Contributed by Lukas
This is a special episode of WhiskyCast with highlights from Tuesday night's Malt Advocate WhiskyFest in New York City. It's the 10th anniversary of...
WhiskyCast Episode 115: October 29, 2007
30 Oct 2007
Contributed by Lukas
What's a $700 whisky like? When it's a special edition of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, expect it to be something unique (and have a pretty good story ...
WhiskyCast Episode 114: October 21, 2007
23 Oct 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Willie Nelson made "On the Road Again" famous, and it's time to hit the road for a series of special episodes. Thie time around, it's Whisky Live in...
WhiskyCast Episode 113: October 14, 2007
14 Oct 2007
Contributed by Lukas
It's a good time to be in the whisky business. Scotch whisky exports are growing by 4 percent a year, and added up to $5 billion last year worldwide...
WhiskyCast Episode 112: October 7, 2007
07 Oct 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Jim Murray's Whisky Bible is almost required reading for serious whisky lovers, and the 2008 edition of the Bible is on its way to booksellers now. ...
WhiskyCast Episode 111: September 30, 2007
30 Sep 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Ever wondered whether the CEO's of whisky companies get any special perks? In this week's episode, we'll get the answer from Tom Flocco, CEO of Beam...
WhiskyCast Episode 110: September 23, 2007
23 Sep 2007
Contributed by Lukas
For the first time, we'll talk about something other than whiskies on WhiskyCast! There's a new trend toward single-estate Cognacs and Armagnacs fro...
WhiskyCast Episode 109: September 16, 2007
16 Sep 2007
Contributed by Lukas
The Beams are the First Family of Bourbon, and the torch has officially been passed at Jim Beam. Each bottle has pictures of the six generations of ...
WhiskyCast Episode 108: September 9, 2007
09 Sep 2007
Contributed by Lukas
George Washington...founding father of the United States, and a man who knew how to capitalize on an opportunity. When he heard that merchants near ...
WhiskyCast Episode 107: September 2, 2007
02 Sep 2007
Contributed by Lukas
The world of whisky lost its greatest ambassador this week. Through his books, Michael Jackson gave us a vocabulary, and set words to our passion fo...
WhiskyCast Episode 106: August 26, 2007
26 Aug 2007
Contributed by Lukas
The Famous Grouse is Scotland's #1 blended Scotch, but the newest version of the Grouse won't be available there. The Black Grouse is a new blend th...
WhiskyCast Episode 105: August 19, 2007
19 Aug 2007
Contributed by Lukas
The rumors of change at Glenmorangie are true, and we'll get the details on the new Extra Matured range from Glenmorangie whisky maker and blender R...
WhiskyCast Episode 104: August 12, 2007
11 Aug 2007
Contributed by Lukas
It's time for the first question and answer episode of WhiskyCast, as we'll get answers to your e-mailed questions from John Glaser of Compass Box, ...
WhiskyCast Episode 103: August 5, 2007
05 Aug 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Nick Morgan of Diageo has the job most of us would love...next to running a distillery of our own. As Global Marketing Director for Diageo's premium m...
WhiskyCast Episode 102: July 29, 2007
28 Jul 2007
Contributed by Lukas
The Grant family bought Speyside's Glenfarclas distillery in 1865, and six generations of Grants have worked at the distillery since then. George Gr...
WhiskyCast Episode 101: July 22, 2007
22 Jul 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Iain Henderson's CV includes everything from sailing the seas as an engineer on oil tankers to managing the stills at Laphroaig, Bladnoch, and Edrad...
WhiskyCast Episode 100: July 15, 2007
15 Jul 2007
Contributed by Lukas
It's a milestone episode for WhiskyCast, and to mark the occasion, I've selected a few of my favorite moments from the first 99 episodes. You'll hea...
WhiskyCast Episode 99: July 8, 2007
08 Jul 2007
Contributed by Lukas
There's no shortage of Scotch whiskies with wine finishes, but until now, finished Bourbons have been just an academic idea. Chris Morris of Woodford ...
WhiskyCast Episode 98: July 1, 2007
01 Jul 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Last September, Ian Buxton gave us a preview of his "Classic Expressions" series of vintage whisky books, lovingly re-printed under the guidance of ...
WhiskyCast Episode 97: June 24, 2007
24 Jun 2007
Contributed by Lukas
John Glaser of Compass Box is one of the whisky industry's leading innovators, and in this episode of WhiskyCast, we'll find out what he's working ...
WhiskyCast Episode 96: June 17, 2007
17 Jun 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Time to travel down under to Australia, where fall has turned into winter, and it's whisky season. 15 years ago, Bill and Lyn Lark started Australia...
WhiskyCast Episode 95: June 10, 2007
10 Jun 2007
Contributed by Lukas
It's a rare road trip for WhiskyCast, with a special episode taped on location at the Brandy Library in New York City. We'll get an update on the ne...
WhiskyCast Episode 94: June 3, 2007
04 Jun 2007
Contributed by Lukas
There's been a lot of talk about India and whisky over the past few months, and in this episode, we'll get the local perspective on India's whisky t...
WhiskyCast Episode 93: May 27, 2007
27 May 2007
Contributed by Lukas
There probably isn't a serious whisky lover who hasn't dreamed of having his or her own distillery. Euan Shand of Duncan Taylor is making his dream c...
WhiskyCast Episode 92: May 20, 2007
20 May 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Evan Cattanach has seen a world of changes since he got his first distillery job in 1961. Over the years, he worked at Linlithgow, Glentauchers, Cao...
WhiskyCast Episode 91: May 13, 2007
13 May 2007
Contributed by Lukas
It's rare that a whisky is more well-known overseas than in its home country, but that's the case with Four Roses Bourbon. It was once America's bes...
WhiskyCast Episode 90: May 6, 2007
06 May 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Distillers get all the glory, but there's more to making great whisky than just running the still. The whisky industry's unsung heroes are the coope...
WhiskyCast Episode 89: April 29, 2007
30 Apr 2007
Contributed by Lukas
It's festival week in Speyside, as whisky lovers descend on the banks of the River Spey for the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival. We'll find out w...
WhiskyCast Episode 88: April 22, 2007
23 Apr 2007
Contributed by Lukas
The World Whiskies Conference has ended, with some unusual ideas that may spark some controversy...OK, a lot of controversy. But getting back to whisk...
WhiskyCast Episode 87: April 15, 2007
15 Apr 2007
Contributed by Lukas
It's whisky festival season, and that always means new bottlings, along with unusual whiskies that come out of the woodwork to make their debut. In ...
WhiskyCast Episode 86: April 8, 2007
08 Apr 2007
Contributed by Lukas
This is one of the biggest weeks for whisky lovers in the United States, with three major whisky festivals in three different cities over a 10-day p...
WhiskyCast Episode 85: April 1, 2007
01 Apr 2007
Contributed by Lukas
This is an abbreviated episode of WhiskyCast, as a family emergency kept me from making it to Mount Vernon for this week's opening of George Washing...
WhiskyCast Episode 84: March 25, 2007
26 Mar 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Jackson gets credit for inspiring the current generation of whisky writers and journalists with his work, including the "Complete Guide to ...
WhiskyCast Episode 83: March 17, 2007
18 Mar 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Irish whiskeys really deserve more than just a taste at St. Patrick's Day. They're the fastest growing segment of the whisky business, and we'll hea...
WhiskyCast Episode 82: March 11, 2007
11 Mar 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Jim Swan has been working with distilleries around the world for years as a consultant, helping to make the whiskies we drink even better. Jim ...
WhiskyCast Episode 81: March 4, 2007
04 Mar 2007
Contributed by Lukas
If you're planning a summer vacation to Scotland, there are plenty of new places to visit. Many distilleries are sprucing up their visitor centers a...
WhiskyCast Episode 80: February 25, 2007
25 Feb 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Wonder just how differently casks from the same distillery, produced and stored under identical conditions, can turn out after years of maturation? ...
WhiskyCast Episode 79: February 18, 2007
18 Feb 2007
Contributed by Lukas
The whisky business is growing by leaps and bounds worldwide, and distillers are responding with millions of dollars in new investments. This past wee...
WhiskyCast Episode 78: February 11, 2007
12 Feb 2007
Contributed by Lukas
The guys at Bruichladdich have never shied away from a challenge, and their latest goal is to bring whisky distilling back to the nearby town of Port ...
WhiskyCast Episode 77: January 28, 2007
29 Jan 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Plenty of news in this episode: A Nova Scotia distillery wins its battle with the Scotch Whisky Association...for now, India may give in to demands to...
WhiskyCast Episode 76: January 21, 2007
22 Jan 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Scotland celebrates the 248th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns this week...and the world celebrates with Scotland. Burns Suppers are held all ...
WhiskyCast Episode 75: January 14, 2007
14 Jan 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Jim McEwan is one of whisky's most outspoken ambassadors. As production manager at Bruichladdich, he's been responsible for bringing a silent distille...
WhiskyCast Episode 74: January 7, 2007
07 Jan 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to 2007, and if you're in New York, your assignment is to go to the library. Not the big building with a bunch of books, but the Brandy Librar...
WhiskyCast Episode 73: December 31, 2006
31 Dec 2006
Contributed by Lukas
It's the final episode of 2006, and we'll end the year with a profile of one of the newest distillers in the business, and one who's already making he...
WhiskyCast Episode 72: December 23, 2006
23 Dec 2006
Contributed by Lukas
There are many whisky competitions, but few give the average whisky lover a vote in deciding the winners. Now, the Drammie Awards have changed that, t...
WhiskyCast Episode 71: December 16, 2006
16 Dec 2006
Contributed by Lukas
The debate over blended whiskies vs. single malts will never be decided, but both can be appreciated, much as a music lover can enjoy both symphonie...
WhiskyCast Episode 70: December 10, 2006
10 Dec 2006
Contributed by Lukas
Many of us would describe ourselves as "malt maniacs", but the title of "Malt Maniac" belongs to 24 serious whisky experts from around the world. You'...
WhiskyCast Episode 69: December 3, 2006
03 Dec 2006
Contributed by Lukas
The green and white labels may be plain, but the whisky inside the bottles is usually something special. We'll go inside the Scotch Malt Whisky Societ...
WhiskyCast Episode 68: November 25, 2006
25 Nov 2006
Contributed by Lukas
One of the things I get asked about most often is why WhiskyCast doesn't have more tasting sessions. We'll answer that request in this episode, as Sun...
WhiskyCast Episode 67: November 19, 2006
19 Nov 2006
Contributed by Lukas
There are only two living bourbon distillers with whiskies named after them, and you'll hear from one of them in this episode of WhiskyCast. Elmer T. ...
WhiskyCast Episode 66: November 12, 2006
13 Nov 2006
Contributed by Lukas
It's the first anniversary for WhiskyCast, and we had a big party in New York Monday night to celebrate. OK, it wasn't really our party...it was Malt ...
WhiskyCast Episode 65: November 5, 2006
05 Nov 2006
Contributed by Lukas
It's the weekend before WhiskyFest New York, but there's a lot going on! We'll go back to Toronto to visit a whisky lover's dream...the Summerhill tas...
WhiskyCast Episode 64: October 30, 2006
30 Oct 2006
Contributed by Lukas
Jim Cryle "retired" this year as Master Distiller at The Glenlivet, but somehow he seems just as busy as ever after 40 years of making Scotch. My conv...
WhiskyCast Episode 63: October 22, 2006
22 Oct 2006
Contributed by Lukas
Most of us will never be able to produce our own whisky, but admit it, you'd probably love to be able to bottle your own whisky as an independent bott...
WhiskyCast Episode 62: October 14, 2006
15 Oct 2006
Contributed by Lukas
WhiskyCast hits the road again...this time around, to Toronto for the first Whisky Live Toronto festival! We'll hear from William Grant and Sons' Ian ...
WhiskyCast Episode 61: October 8, 2006
08 Oct 2006
Contributed by Lukas
Last time, Sweden...this time, Australia. They're about as far apart as you can get physically, but both countries share a love of whisky. There are a...
WhiskyCast Episode 60: October 1, 2006
01 Oct 2006
Contributed by Lukas
Sweden is a nation of whisky lovers, with more than 200 whisky clubs. In fact, three of the year's best whisky books have been produced by Swedish whi...
WhiskyCast Episode 59: September 24, 2006
24 Sep 2006
Contributed by Lukas
Whisky lovers generally love to collect more than just bottles of their favorite drams, and those who collect whisky books are among the most avid col...
WhiskyCast Episode 58: September 18, 2006
18 Sep 2006
Contributed by Lukas
There are distillery bottlings, independent bottlings...and then, there are bottlings that you'll only find at one retailer. Whisky specialist retaile...
WhiskyCast Episode 57: September 11, 2006
11 Sep 2006
Contributed by Lukas
In the last episode, I had hints about changes at Highland Park. Now, we get the complete details, courtesy of Highland Park global controller Jason C...