One Nation Under Whisky

Yet another Whisky Jewbilee festival under our belts! This time around it's our 3rd anniversary event in Seattle. In addition to interviewing key folks from San Diego Distillery and The Glenlivet, Jason and Joshua do a post mortem on the event and reveal some great news items! So, as usual, have a seat, have a pour, and listen in. Unless you're driving. If you're driving, be smart and stay sober b...

Season 2, Episode 2... perhaps our whisky-geekiest episode yet! Joshua and Jason sat down for a little over an hour with David Stirk to talk about (the evils of) caramel coloring, selecting casks, the potential for a whisky bust, and even a few good dick jokes. Stirk also goes into detail as to how casks get into the blending and brokering system. Laughter and geeky conversation was had. We trust...

One last "from the roadside of Scotland" podcast for you which, we feel, is the perfect way to start Season 2 of One Nation Under Whisky. On our Season 2 opener we welcome Graham Coull, Distillery Manager, and Iain Allan, Visitor Centre manager, of the wonderful Glen Moray distillery. Among a good many things discussed, Graham talks about how growing sales can and do affect your warehousing space...

Joshua and Jason put forth a challenge to you, the listener(s). They asked "please send in a question for a future episode and we'll see what we can do about answering said question". You, dear listener(s), rose to the challenge in a most wonderful way. You've peppered the boys with more questions than they ever expected. So many, in fact, that not all could be covered in under 2 hours. Heck, not...

When driving 'round Scotland on your way to Campbeltown what would you do to pass the time? Why, record a podcast that's what! And if that weren't enough fun, you can do what Joshua and Jason did and stop at Glen Scotia distillery to have a chat and cask selection with their wonderful distillery manager, Iain McAlister. Amazing management, fermenting, distilling, and cask maturation skills aside,...

How better to get an insight into Balcones single malt whisky than to talk to one of the distillery's own distillers: Zack Pilgrim? During 2017's Whisky Jewbilee week in Chicago, Joshua spoke with Zack at an American Single Malt Commission event at Warehouse Liquors about Balcones, their processes, and whiskies. Insight was gathered and is now shared. During this episode, you'll also get to hear J...

You know the Joshua and Jason like to "back it up" a little bit, right? What better way to kick off the new year than to look back at the highlights of the previous year? Listen in as the boys discuss their favorite podcasting moments of 2017. Add to this, the boys will take you through the cask selection process for two new whiskies set be to released in early 2018. And if that weren't enough, Jo...

During his time at Maltstock in The Netherlands Joshua had a nice little sit down with world renown whisky writer, the one and only, Mr. Hans Offringa. Aside from a long conversation about Frank Zappa, the two gents discussed whisky, food, writing, whisky writers, beer, and much, much more. Joshua and Jason then tease out that conversation a bit for you. You will not want to miss this episode - th...

Spending 3.5 to 4 hours with Eddie Russell, drinking bourbon, selecting casks, and sitting down for a long format interview? It's not a bad way to spend a Friday afternoon! During their conversation Eddie talks about designing special releases, his love for Wild Turkey "Cheesy Gold Foil," and the passing of the Wild Turkey familial heritage torch from his dad, to him, and down to his son, Bruce. A...

"I love it when a plan comes together" - Hannibal (from A-Team, not the people eater).  Whisky Jewbilee Chicago 2017 is now at a close and the boys discuss its many successes. Aside from talking to one another, featured in this episode are interviews with Chris Riesbeck of Westland, Allison Parc of Brenne, Steven Randals of Hyde Irish WhiskEy, some fine Jewbilee attendees, and we hear from Steph R...

It's not every day that one gets to interview one of their heroes. However, that day did happen and you get to hear the results. Garth Ennis, creator of Preacher (now a smash hit TV show on AMC), The Boys, Crossed, Hitman, and more, and also seasoned writer for The Punisher, Judge Dredd, Hellblazer, and so many others, joins Joshua and Jason today to discuss the aforementioned 30 year career writi...

If you've not heard the name Chris Maybin before, mayhaps it's time get acquainted with the chap. Starting off his whisky career with the launch of Compass Box many moons ago, Chris' latest endeavor is with Elixir Distillers who are the good people behind Elements of Islay, Single Malts of Scotland, Black Tot, and having more to do with this episode, Port Askaig. Listen in as the boys discuss Port...

Nearly everyone in the whisky industry is, as we like to say, worth their weight in whisky. It really is an industry full of mensches. Within this community there are a few people that stand out from the crowd and really make an impact, not just on consumers, but on or in every tier of the whisky-selling world. Robin Robinson is one of these people. A man among men, and a teacher unlike any other...

  As if special/personalized treatment at Caol Ila wasn't cool enough, just a few miles away, Jim McEwan sets aside some time for us to show us the Ardnahoe Distillery site, and gives us an amazing tasting (thanks be to the wonderful Bryony Boyd for the hook up), and provides us with an interesting take on misconceptions. Finally our swimmers successfully complete their 8 day swim around Islay and...

  After a few days on Islay, Joshua and Jason take their tour guests to Campbeltown for an epic, yes you read that correctly, an EPIC time on Campbeltown with Mark Watt (Cadenheads), Ranald Watson (Springbank), and Cameron McGreachy (Cadenheads). So, as usual, have a seat, have a pour, and listen in. Unless you're driving. If you're driving, be smart and stay sober but be sure to listen into the c...

You, dear listener, may remember in last week's episode that we mentioned the 2nd half of episode 15 would be posted in one week? When we make a promise, we keep that aforementioned promise!  Today we take a tour of Bruichladdich distillery with Raymond Tibbs, share the details of a VERY exciting new Single Cask Nation release, and, Joshua and Jason get a little emotional. So, as usual, have a sea...

We're finally on Islay, good people! And guess what? We spent so much time on Islay, and at great distilleries, and with wonderful distillery people, that we have to split the episodes up a bit. On today's episode you'll enjoy hearing, well, mostly from Joshua and Jason, but also from their good friends: The Islay Swimmers, Iain McArthur, aka "Pinky," from Lagavulin distillery, and James Wills of...

Happy to have Jason back from his million day trip to Scotland, Joshua, and the aforementioned Scot, discuss the very start of thier Islay Tour/Great Islay Swim adventure! You see, there are some movies that have a great prequel. It's true! This is our prequel to our Islay trip and the discovery of the inaugural West Coast Whisky Feis in Oban, Scotland. We talk with Chris Hoban of Raasay Distiller...

A slightly irregular episode: Joshua finds himself all alone as Jason remains in Scotland to spend time with his family. What does Joshua do when left to his own devices? Release some audio footage (Hmmm, is there such a thing as audio "footage"? There is now!) from a cask selection session that he and Jason recorded back in April. You, dear lucky listener, get a peek behind the curtain into Joshu...

What do you get when you mix two guys from the world famous Explorer's Club , a love for Scotland, and Islay, and whisky? A crazy idea to swim around the island of Islay, that's what! Too often pronounced as "Iss-lay," or "Eye-Lay," Scotland's wonderful whisky island, Islay (actually pronounced "Eye-Lah"), is about to have two crazy American adventure swimmers give it a big 'ol swimmy hug! Listen...

Twelve years into distilling, maturing, and filling bottles with delicious Islay whisky, Kilchoman has found its groove. Known as Islay's Farm Distillery, Kilchoman is producing whisky much in the way the Scots did more than 100 years ago; all by hand, all without computers, all on a farm. Listen in as Joshua has a conversation with Kilchoman's very own James Wills. The conversation is great, the...

At six years into this "running-a-whisky-festival" thing, you'd think Joshua and Jason have seen all they can see, and done all they could do at one of their Whisky Jewbilee events. The answer, however, is not as easy as that. The boys are always learning, always looking to improve, always hoping to make both the attendee and exhibitor experience better. Listen in as Joshua and Jason do a postmort...

Getting your whisk(e)y geek on can be a ton of fun. Joshua and Jason are not quite sure it gets any more fun or geeky than a good conversation with Matt Hofmann of Westland Distillery. Whisk(e)y geekery to the side, Matt has more passion in him than most and more talent than you can shake a stick at. He's good people. So, as usual, have a seat, have a pour, and listen in. Unless you're driving. If...

And on the eight episode, Joshua and Jason have a delightful and informative conversation with Heaven Hill Distilleries' own VP of Operations, Mr. Denny Potter... Denny Potter is an absolutely fascinating gent who had a lot of knowledge to share with the boys. Joshua and Jason sure learned (or learnt, as Jason would say) a lot from Mr. Potter, and the boys share this knowledge with you, the listen...

Now seven episodes in, Joshua and Jason realize that they've never shared their whisky origin story with you. In speaking with Lukasz Dynowiak of Old Pulteney, Balblair, anCnoc, and Speyburn, the boys are reminded that their whisky origin story is not too far off from Lukasz'. **Spoiler alert** No one is bit by a spider or has crash landed here from their home planet of Krypton, however, all three...