WhiskyCast

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 bottler. Barry Stein and Barry Bernstein are doing just that, and they're the first independent bottlers in Canada. They'll tell us about negotiating the bureaucratic maze, getting their first bottles into liquor stores in Alberta, and just how much fun...

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 Millar about a new Grant's blend that combines the best of beer and the best of whisky in one...along with the competition for Toronto's best whisky chef/bartender, and a peek into a special Crown Royal whisky that will only be around for a short whi...

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 handful of Australian distilleries, and we'll hear from Patrick Maguire, who manages the Tasmania Distillery and makes Sullivan's Cove Single Malt. In the news, the saga of Whyte and MacKay continues, and there are a bunch of new whiskies from Buffa...

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 whisky lovers. We'll hear from Ingvar Ronde, the editor of the 2007 Malt Whisky Yearbook, which is being published this week. We'll also talk with Ulf Buxrud, Keeper of the Quaich, Malt Maniac, and author of the upcoming book "Rare Malts" on the 36 dist...

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 collectors. Earlier this year, Ian Buxton produced a new edition of the 1930 Aeneas MacDonald classic, "Whisky". Now, he and fellow whisky book lover Neil Wilson have teamed up to launch Classic Expressions, a new series of historical whisky books rarel...

There are distillery bottlings, independent bottlings...and then, there are bottlings that you'll only find at one retailer. Whisky specialist retailers are buying casks and having their own exclusive single-cask bottlings produced. In this episode, we'll hear from two spirits specialists on why these bottlings are in so much in demand. In the news, a Dutchman wins the Cadenhead's Malt Whisky Nosi...

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 Craig. Craig's had the bottle and label redesigned, changed the marketing and branding, but is going by one philosophy: "Thou shalt not touch the whisky...the whisky is good." In the news, will whisky lovers pay $150 for a very special American rye wh...

Five years ago, the stills at Islay's Bruichladdich Distillery roared back to life. The spirit produced on May 29, 2001 is now making its way into the market, and Bruichladdich's Mark Reynier will give us the story behind the new Port Charlotte single malt. In the news, Ardbeg's husband-and-wife team of Stuart and Jackie Thomson are leaving the distillery after bringing it back from the brink of o...

It's not often that The Glenlivet introduces a new single malt, but that's what's happening this week! We'll get an update from The Glenlivet's Andy Nash on the new 16-year-old Nadurra, the first cask-strength bottling available to most whisky drinkers. In the news, Robbo lands at Whyte and MacKay, Diageo releases another entry-level single malt for the duty-free market, and on the festival front....

More from the WhiskyCast Book Club in this episode...Misako Udo's passion for whisky has landed her a publishing deal for "The Scottish Whisky Distilleries." Back in February, we talked with Misako, and we'll get an update in this episode. In the news...is Whyte & MacKay up for sale, or is it? Also, a whisky festival planned for this fall in Louisiana has been cancelled, and writer Ian Buxton has...

Every whisky lover has a special preference...water or no water...ice or no ice...and then there's the glass. We'll look at the choices whisky lovers face in selecting a glass for that special dram. In the news, the trade war between India and the Europeans over whisky tariffs is heating up, this past week's terrorist scare means we'll have to leave our flasks at home, and Whisky Magazine editor D...

Last year, 250,000 people visited the Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre on Edinburgh's Royal Mile. The tour includes a free dram of Scotch, and that's a lot of drams to pour! We'll hear more about the Centre from its founder and managing director, Alastair McIntosh. In the news, Dave "Robbo" Robertson leaves Jon, Mark, and Robbo's -- and perhaps Edrington Group -- for parts unknown (perhaps Whyte & Ma...

In part two of our series on whisky tasting for beginners, award-winning whisky writer Dave Broom offers his advice for beginners, as well as some criticism of the whisky industry for failing to better educate newcomers. In the news, Russian red tape is holding thousands of bottles of whisky hostage, Pernod Ricard sales worldwide are on the rise, phase one of the Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre's re...

It's a milestone for WhiskyCast, and we'll mark the occasion by going back to basics with a lesson on whisky tasting and nosing for beginners. Our guide: whisky writer and Keeper of the Quaich Martine Nouet. In the news...an update on Ardbeg's rare -- and expensive -- 1965 single malt release, the Scotch Whisky Review gets new ownership, and while distilleries have been adding hotel rooms to attra...

I'll admit to skipping a few classes now and then in college, but then, none of my classes were held in a distillery! Jeff Topping of Wild Scotsman has two classes this fall no whisky lover would want to skip...and we'll get the details on this episode of WhiskyCast. In the news, the winners of this year's International Spirits Challenge have been announced, Old Forester bourbon gets a new look wi...

There's no arguing that John Glaser of Compass Box is one of the whisky industry's leading innovators, but John's latest creation has been pulled off the market after a conflict with the Scotch Whisky Association over traditional practices. We'll hear from both sides, and there's a lot of news as well in this episode. Ardbeg's turning out a 40-year-old, the Famous Grouse has a new nest online, the...

WhiskyCast hits the road again, this time to the luxurious New York Yacht Club. Glasgow is sponsoring one of the ships sailing in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, which reached New York City on Friday, and the Glasgow City Marketing Bureau sponsored a reception to celebate. Glengoyne Distillery's table was the highlight, with a whisky blending competition for guests to try their hand at nos...

Time for a chapter from the WhiskyCast Book Club...back in 1930, a Scotsman going by the name of Aeneas MacDonald wrote the first book on whisky aimed at whisky drinkers. "Whisky" was a groundbreaking book for its time, and many of MacDonald's comments are still true today. Now, Ian Buxton has solved the mystery of Aeneas MacDonald, and Canongate Books has released a new edition of "Whisky" for a...

It's the first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, and many whisky lovers are thinking of their summer vacations. More Scotch distilleries are taking the tourism business seriously, with at least half a dozen distilleries upgrading or opening new visitors centers this year. We'll hear from Sarah Bottomley at Glengoyne and Ian Millar of Glenfiddich about their new centers and tours, including...

Whisky and charity often go hand in hand, as whisky lovers raise thousands of dollars for those in need every year. In this episode, we'll hear from Inver House's Nial Mackinlay, who led a team of his colleagues on the UK's Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for Children First, the Royal Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. What is the Three Peaks Challenge? Climb the high...

It's easy to stick to the official distillery bottlings of whiskies, but a visit to specialty shops may pique your curiosity with independent bottlings. Many come from very familiar distilleries, but some bottlings are so rare that they may be the only way to find out what a distillery's single malt whisky tastes like. We'll hear from Euan Shand of Duncan Taylor & Company, Lorne Mackillop of Macki...

It's time for the annual Islay Festival of Malt and Music, and that also means a bit of madness on the island...everything from sheepdog trials to a visit from the Mayor of Islay...the Islay in Peru. We'll get a preview from Festival Chairperson Angus Rice on the festivities, while Laphroaig's John Campbell, Ardbeg's Stuart Thomson, and Bruichladdich's Mark Reynier tell us about some of the distil...

New York's a city full of whisky drinkers, but most of them only think of Scotch Whisky. LeNell Smothers is on a one-woman mission to change all that...from a tiny storefront in Brooklyn's Red Hook neighborhood. LeNell's stocks more than 100 different types of bourbon and other American whiskies, and many of them are available for tasting at a store that's been honored as the best in New York and...

Japanese whiskies are a mystery to many whisky lovers, and we'll get some insight to these special malts from Suntory consultant Lincoln Henderson, who spent most of his career making bourbons for Brown-Forman. In the news, Whisky Magazine's Dave Broom is honored, Penderyn finally makes it to U.S. stores, and profits flow at Pernod Ricard. Pour yourself a dram, and relax with Episode 40 of WhiskyC...

Whisky is a passion for distillers, but it's also a science...and good scientists experiment to see what might make a good whisky and what won't. Harlen Wheatley of Kentucky's Buffalo Trace Distillery is a chemical engineer by trade and a distiller by choice, and a new collection of his experiments are being released for whisky lovers to sample. We'll hear from Harlen about his experiments, along...