WhiskyCast

The Port Ellen Maltings supplies malt for many of Islay's distilleries, and I'll wrap up the special series of Feis Ile episodes from Islay with a rare tour inside the Maltings led by native Ileach manager Graham Logie. There's music from Robin Laing and some final thoughts as I wind up coverage of the 25th Islay Festival of Malt & Music.

Ardbeg has the final distillery day of the annual Islay Festival of Malt & Music, and even though there wasn't a full-size roller coaster on hand for the carnival Ardbeg threw, there was a full-proof Rollercoaster -- the special bottling marking the 10th anniversary of the Ardbeg Committee. Today was also the official debut of the 2010 version of Supernova, and you'll get tasting notes in this epi...

The road to Bunnahabhain Distillery is four miles long, and full of twists and turns. The views are stunning, though...and the whisky's pretty good, too. This is Bunnahabhain's day during the Islay Festival of Malt and Music, and we'll hear from the new distillery manager, Andrew Brown, along with stillman Robin Morton. There's music from the Scottish band Skerryvore, and much more on this episode...

This is the second of Thursday's two episodes from the Islay Festival of Malt & Music, recorded on location at Isle of Jura Distillery on the island of Jura. It's easy to find the distillery...just get off the ferry, drive down the island's one road, and stop at the end. There's a treat waiting for you, as you'll find in this episode of WhiskyCast!

This is the first of two episodes today from the Islay Festival of Malt & Music. Kilchoman is Islay's first new distillery in more than 120 years, and even though it just released its first single malt a few months ago, it's receiving rave reviews from whisky critics. We'll hear from Kilchoman founder Anthony Wills, Dr. Jim Swan, and some of the dozens of people who lined up for Kilchoman's first...

Bowmore is Islay's oldest distillery, and the second oldest in all of Scotland. It's at the heart of Islay's largest town, and plays a major role on the island. It's also the only distillery with two Feis Ile special bottlings, and distillery manager Eddie McAffer is making one available to a WhiskyCast listener! Details in this episode, along with a visit to Islay's best whisky bar and music from...

Laphroaig is one of those whiskies that you're either going to love or loathe...with no middle ground. Today is Laphroaig's day at the Islay Festival of Malt and Music, and this episode was recorded at the distillery on a windy, but sunny and warm day. We'll hear from distillery manager John Campbell, master blender Robert Hicks, get a cooking lesson from Gordon Harvey, one of the authors of  "The...

Caol Ila Distillery may have the most beautiful setting of any of Islay's distilleries. It sits on the Sound of Islay directly across from the Paps of Jura, and when the skies are clear, you can see the Isle of Mull on the horizon. This is Caol Ila'sfestival day during the Islay Festival of Malt and Music, and we'll hear from distillery manager Billy Stitchell, taste some Caol Ilas, and talk to a...

Day two of the Islay Festival of Malt and Music is Bruichladdich's turn to shine, and the sun was shining once again as Ileachs and whisky lovers from all over the world gathered at the distillery. Distillery manager Duncan McGillivray joins me in this episode, along with highlights from Jim McEwan's master class, Islay beers, and a song from Robin Laing.

Here we go...with the first of many episodes from the Islay Festival of Malt and Music. It's opening day, and Lagavulin traditionally is the first distillery to have its festival day. We'll hear from distillery manager Peter Campbell, a native Ileach, along with many of the people who make Feis Ile special, and I'll have tasting notes on several Lagavulin expressions, including this year's sold-ou...

Annabel Meikle does double duty...serving as a sensory whisky expert and educator for Glenmorangie and also serving as a member of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society's tasting panel. We'll discuss everything from training one's nose to the role of women in the whisky industry in this week's episode. In the news, Supernova comes around faster than Halley's Comet, Forty Creek will release a rarity...a C...

Dennis Hendry is one of the true characters of the whisky business. He manages the visitors center and leads tours at Aberlour, and is regarded as one of the top distillery tour guides in Scotland. You'll hear why in this week's episode, along with some of the behind-the-scenes stories that usually never see the light of day. In the news, a new lawsuit reveals the reason for Sazerac's split from t...

There's a locked door at the Glenrothes Distillery, which normally is not open to visitors. The sign above the door reads "I.S." -- and stands for "Inner Sanctum." Ronnie Cox has the key to that door, and his inner sanctum has samples of every Glenrothes single malt expression ever released. We'll go through a couple of very rare Glenrothes whiskies during a chat with Ronnie on this episode. In th...

Back from Scotland, and plenty to talk about. This episode features highlights from the World Whiskies Conference in Glasgow, as well as a rare interview with retired Suntory master blender Dr. Koichi Inatomi. In the news, Springbank's distillery manager heads north to take over Duncan Taylor's new distillery project in Huntly, along with a new 40-year-old single malt from Glenfarclas, Highland Pa...

I had a great experience today, and decided it warranted a special mid-week episode recorded on board a First ScotRail train from Aberdeen to Glasgow. Michael Urquhart gave me a private tour of the Gordon & MacPhail warehouses and sample room in Elgin, along with a tasting of several G&M bottlings, including the new 70-year-old Mortlach! Along the way, we talked about the family's history in the w...

This episode comes from the Highlander Inn in Craigellachie, Scotland...the heart of Speyside! We'll hear from Highlander co-owner Duncan Elphick and the manager of the Highlander's world-class whisky bar, Tatsu Minagawa, about the Highlander's history and its whisky selection. In the news, Scotch whisky exports hit a new high despite the economy, a mothballed Speyside distillery will be sold and...

The whisky business is in good shape despite the global recession. That's the view of Sir Gavin Hewitt, CEO of the Scotch Whisky Association. I sat down with Sir Gavin during his visit to New York for Whisky Live and a seminar for trade professionals to discuss whisky exports and the impact of the new Scotch Whisky Law. I'll also have highlights from Whisky Live New York, and word on new whiskies...

It's the start of the festival season in Scotland, which saw gains in tourism last year despite the global recession. Scottish Minister of Culture and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop joins me to discuss whisky's impact on Scotland's tourism and economy, and will help me announce a competition to win a trip for two to Glasgow for Whisky Week in September! In the news, the winners of the San Francisco...

We know it by many names...White Lightning and Corn Liquor to name a couple. Moonshine whiskey has been a part of American culture for generations, and is still being produced today. Max Watman embraced the moonshine culture for his new book, "Chasing the White Dog," and shares some of that culture in this week's episode. We'll also hear from Kevin Smith of Maker's Mark about the official name for...

For some reason, I always wind up doing a show on Irish whiskies around St. Patrick's Day. Irish whiskies have the fastest-growing sales in many markets, and we'll get some ideas why from Abigeal Hendron of Michael Collins Irish Whiskey. Bushmills Master Distiller Colum Egan explains what he's looking for as Bushmills starts a competition to find someone to spend 30 days working at the distillery...

Michael Jackson passed away in 2007, leaving behind a legacy of excellence in whisky writing that includes his classic "Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch." Now, an updated edition of his guide is being released, and fittingly, it took three men to do the job. Editors Dominic Roskrow, Gavin Smith, and William Meyers discuss the controversy over their work and how they worked to...

This week's episode includes highlights from the Whisky Guild's annual Whisky Classic event in Morristown, New Jersey. Ardbeg's Rollercoaster made its U.S. debut at the Whisky Classic, and we'll get some of the details from Dr. Bill Lumsden. We'll also hear about plans for the first U.S. Ardbeg Committee gathering this April in Chicago, and Rick Wassmund of Copper Fox will tell us about his latest...

France is known more for wine and cognac than whisky, but Jean Donnay hopes to change that perception. Jean's Glann ar Mor Distillery on the Brittany Coast is already receiving high marks for its whisky, and was a runner-up for Distiller of the Year in Whisky Magazine's 2010 Icons of Whisky Awards. We'll hear from Jean in this week's episode, along with tasting notes for two Glann ar Mor expressio...

We've seen an explosion in the number of whisky bloggers over the past year, and one of the most popular is Ralfy Mitchell of Ralfy.com. His whisky rating videos have become a hit on YouTube, and we sat down to talk at the recent Victoria Whisky Festival. In the news, Compass Box has something special planned for the upcoming Whisky Live London, another new whisky from The Dalmore, Buffalo Trace g...

English farmers send barley north to Scotland, and sooner or later, the Scots send it back as whisky. The Nelstrop family has been growing barley for decades, and decided to change that formula. The first English single malt whisky in more than a century is now available from the family's St. George's Distillery in Norfolk. In the news, the finalists have been selected in the Spirit of Speyside Fe...