WhiskyCast

The World Whiskies Conference has ended, with some unusual ideas that may spark some controversy...OK, a lot of controversy. But getting back to whisky, we'll hear from one of the world's great bourbon makers, Julian Van Winkle, along with plans for the rebirth of the Spirit of Toronto Festival next month and a new 21-year-old single malt from Glengoyne.

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 this episode, we'll look at more of both, with a new Ambassador's Cask bottling from Highland Park, new vintages from The Glenrothes, and details on the new Singleton of Glendullan. In the second category, we'll find out about a rye whiskey that got it...

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 period. Whisky Magazine's Whisky Live New York started off the fun this past Wednesday night, and I'll have the details in this episode, including interviews with experts from Bowmore, Black Bottle, Four Roses, and Old Pulteney. In the news, Scotch whis...

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 Washington's Distillery. Because of that, it's just the headlines this time around, along with a look at the calendar of events. In the headlines, the winners of this year's San Francisco International Spirits Competition have been announced, there's a new ed...

Michael Jackson gets credit for inspiring the current generation of whisky writers and journalists with his work, including the "Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch" and "Whisky." Now, Michael has disclosed that while he's been writing and traveling the world for the last ten years or more, he's also been fighting Parkinson's Disease. He'll update us on his writing plans, as well as his health, i...

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 hear from Bushmills Master Distiller Colum Egan and Cooley Distillery's Jack Teeling. In the news, William Grant & Sons has plans to enter the travel retail business, Shetland's Blackwood Distillers pulls back from plans for a new distillery on Unst, and...

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 was a guest on the very first episode of WhiskyCast, and we'll get his unique perspective on the industry in this episode. In the news, we'll get an update on the upcoming Whiskies of the World Expo in San Francisco, the United States sides with the Eur...

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 as a way to connect with whisky lovers, and we'll get an update from Caroline Dewar of Distillery Destinations. In the news...yet another Distiller of the Year award for Buffalo Trace as Whisky Magazine announces its annual Icons of Whisky winners...a f...

Wonder just how differently casks from the same distillery, produced and stored under identical conditions, can turn out after years of maturation? We'll get some insight as we join the tasting panel at Bayway's World of Liquors as they select a barrel of Eagle Rare Bourbon for a store-exclusive bottling. In the news...still more expansion as Heaven Hill gets the green light to add capacity and jo...

The whisky business is growing by leaps and bounds worldwide, and distillers are responding with millions of dollars in new investments. This past week, Diageo announced plans to pump nearly $200 million into its Scotch production, including an all-new malt distillery in the Moray area. We'll hear from Diago's Peter Smith and Ken Robertson, along with Dave Pickerell of Maker's Mark, where Beam Glo...

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 Charlotte on Islay. The town's distillery was turned into a car park decades ago, but Mark Reynier tells us they have the old warehouses, a still, and big plans for the Port Charlotte Distillery. In the news, the 16 Men of Tain at Glenmorangie is now...

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 reduce its stiff tariffs on imported spirits, whisky accounted for $5 billion in U.S. sales during 2006, Laphroaig adds a lounge at the distillery just for its Friends, and the new issue of Malt Advocate magazine is out! We also pay tribute to John...

Scotland celebrates the 248th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns this week...and the world celebrates with Scotland. Burns Suppers are held all over the world...for just a few people or a few hundred people. We'll get the details on hosting your own Burns Supper, as well as a look at the life and legacy of Robert Burns. In the news, there's word of new distribution deals for William Grant &...

Jim McEwan is one of whisky's most outspoken ambassadors. As production manager at Bruichladdich, he's been responsible for bringing a silent distillery back to life, and creating some of the more unusual single malts around. He'll share some of his stories with us in this episode. In the news...one of Jim's proteges gets a promotion, there's a new production manager at Glenfarclas, and Bunnahabha...

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 Library in Manhattan's Tribeca neighborhood. We'll talk with spirit sommelier Ethan Kelley about one of America's best whisky bars. In the news, researchers have found new photos of Laphroaig legend Bessie Williamson, Burn Stewart brings out a 10-year-old...

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 her mark on single malts. Gillian Howell is the distiller at the Welsh Whisky Company, which produces Penderyn Single Malt. Gillian explains how she went from the University of Cardiff straight to the stillroom at Penderyn, and we'll get a performance...

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, thanks to Kevin Erskine of The Scotch Blog. Erskine created the Drammies, and joins us to go through the inaugural list of winners. In the news, Jim Murray gives a blended whisky top honors and malt lovers fits, Scotch whisky exports have an economic...

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 symphonies and jazz. One of the maestros of blended whiskies is Whyte & Mackay's Richard Paterson, and he shares his lifetime of experience in the whisky business with us. In the news, Ardbeg has hired a new manager to replace Stuart Thomson, Duncan Taylor puts...

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've heard from several of the Maniacs in previous episodes, and now, Master Maniac Johannes van den Heuvel joins us from Amsterdam with the winners of the 2006 Malt Maniacs Awards! In the news, socialism and whisky apparently don't mix well in Venezue...

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 Society with US chapter president Alan Shayne. In the news, one of the oldest bottles of whisky on record fetched thousands at auction, more whisky winners, and was George Washington not only the "father of his country", but the "distiller of his country"?

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 Suntory's Lincoln Henderson takes me through a tasting session with Suntory's Yamazaki 12 and 18-year-old Japanese single malts. In the news, the European Union fires another volley in the whisky war with India, Bunnahabhain celebrates 125 years with a...

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. Lee is the Master Distiller Emeritus at Buffalo Trace, and at 87 years of age, is still selecting the casks that make up the bourbon that carries his name. In the news, a really rare Glenfiddich goes on sale in Calgary, John Glaser of Compass Box has...

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 Advocate's WhiskyFest New York. Still, we're celebrating the anniversary with a special episode featuring the winners of the Malt Advocate Awards, including an unprecedented repeat win for Buffalo Trace as the Distillery of the Year. You'll also hear...

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 tasting tower, where rare whiskies can be yours to sample. In the news, Inver House has new owners with deep pockets, William Grant and Sons' managing director steps down, four new Glengoyne malts hit the market, along with two new Bowmores and one new...

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 conversation with Jim includes everything from his early days in distilling to what it's like to walk into a warehouse first thing in the morning, as well as his choice for that final dram. In the news, Bruichladdich's bottling Port Charlotte PC5, the Sc...