The Rolex Whisky Passion Project

On today's show, we have Denver Kramer, co-founder of the glassware company Denver and Liely. Denver has been in the whiskey industry for quite some time and has a wealth of knowledge and experience to share. In this episode, we will delve into his journey in the whiskey industry and the creation of his glassware company. He shares how his love for whiskey developed during his university years...

Gordon Dundas, global brand ambassador for Ian Macleod Distillers, joins the Rolex Whiskey Passion Project podcast to discuss his love for whiskey and his role in promoting the brand. He shares his personal journey with whiskey, from his first sip of Glenfarclas 105 to his current position as a whiskey ambassador. Gordon emphasizes the importance of understanding the differences between distilleri...

Chris Bittner's journey with Samaroli began with a chance encounter in New York City. He met Antonio Bleve, the CEO of Samaroli, during a tasting event. Little did Chris know that this meeting would change the course of his life. He recalls his first taste of Samaroli whiskey, saying, "I was very immediately blown away by it." This initial encounter sparked his curiosity and set him on...

Daniel Pride, a spirit entrepreneur, joins the Rolex Whiskey Passion Project to discuss his journey in the whiskey business. He saw an opportunity in the spirits e-commerce space and started Via Shared Pour, an online store specializing in single-barrel picks, bourbon, and whiskey. After selling Via Shared Pour, Daniel focused on helping brands set up DTC operations. He highlights the benefits of...

For more than a decade, Trevor Bowles has been changing the way that people drink spirits and cocktails. First in the restaurant industry, later as a Maker’s Mark Bourbon Diplomat in California, and now as the Manager of VIP Experience & Trade Engagement at the Maker’s Mark Distillery in Loretto, KY. He spends much of his time educating the trade and consumers on the hand-crafted nature of Mak...

Joel Wilbur, founder of Life of Luxe, shares his personal journey with whiskey and how he got into the world of spirits. He credits his grandfather for introducing him to whiskey, starting with Johnny Walker and blended scotch. Over time, Joel's palate evolved, and he began exploring different brands and styles of whiskey. He eventually discovered his love for bourbon, starting with Pappy Van...

Ben, Joe, and Kyle from The Bourbon Podcast join the Rolex Whiskey Passion Project podcast to discuss their journey into podcasting and their love for bourbon. They share their memorable whiskey experiences, from a weekend of bourbon tasting to discovering the joy of Pappy Van Winkle and Michter's Ten. They also discuss the changing landscape of the bourbon industry, with high-end bourbons bec...

Koray Özdemir, The Whisky Monster, is a globetrotting, WSET Level 3 spirits certified whisky specialist, judge, and consultant, who has made his home in San Francisco by way of Turkey. Koray explains how years ago, playing the saxophone was the perfect breather from his suffocating master’s studies. One night, Koray's nerves crept up on him as he was getting ready to play “Got a Match,” the ba...

Part 2 of Luxury Spirits Investment Chat with Gavin where he explains how he got started when it stemmed with the idea of a charity to raise for kids college fund by way of whisky. Gavin, being a seasoned investor with a penchant for spotting lucrative opportunities, has found himself drawn to the world of whisky investing for several compelling reasons. First and foremost, Gavin is captivated by...

Since 2015, Mundell, with his unbridled enthusiasm and unmistakable burr, has taken on an unlikely endeavor: pushing Japanese whisky. Living in Southern California and representing much of that region, Mundell recalls a time in the not-so-distant past when casual consumers expressed little interest in the intricacies of scotch malt. Desperate retailers were eager to bring in a Scotsman, as basic b...

Vintage Whiskey, Liquor, & Cocktail Consultant with Vintage Whiskey and liquid assets ltd. He also is a Spirits Specialist & Barrel Broker. Vintage Whiskey relics tell the amazing story of whiskey brands, possibly gone, but not forgotten. liquid assets ltd is a retelling of History through Vintage Liquor Bottles & Bar Collectibles. 

Whisky Sounds Good With Glenfiddich Ambassador, Dave Paradice. Dave has decided to mix Deep House Music with Malt Whisky. We Discuss that, his path, and much more.

Also known as “Whisky A Go Girl”, Jenna is a self-made whisky writer and blogger. After her husband introduced her to single malt whisky at their home in Los Angeles, she dove nose-first into the world of spirits. Now having enjoyed incredible drams all over the world, she continues to make a name for herself, working as a brand ambassador and educating people about whisky. From https://www.whisky...

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) is an international members club that bottles the world’s widest selection of exceptional and rare single cask, single malts for discerning whisky lovers from all corners of the world. They like to think of themselves as unconventional, adventurous – and a lot of fun. The SMWS was founded in Edinburgh in 1983, and now the Society is firmly established as the w...

Ewan Morgan boasts an impressive 28-year career in the spirits industry. A former Master of Whisky, Ewan has served as the National Director of Diageo’s Masters of Whisky program. His career spans from Maltman and chemical analysis in a Speyside Distillery to online marketing and Scotch Ambassador. In 2016, Ewan was named World Whisky Ambassador.  Ewan was also inducted into as a Keeper of the Qua...

Sam Filmus is the passionate and approachable president of ImpEx Beverages (an Importer of fine spirits from around the world) and JVS Imports (a California Distribution company). He has done what many of us aspire to in life, take a passion for something and turn it into a career. While Sam does handle public relations, product selection, sales and marketing, logistics, and social media you will...

Martin Eber is Chief Writer at TimeforWhisky.com, based in Hong Kong. Martin has been running TimeforWhisky.com for 11 years, covering the Australian and Asian whisky scenes, and also acts as a spirits consultant, judge and educator in the spirits industry.

Joseph Hyman, a resident of Boston, has over 15 years of experience as a whisky consultant, including more than two years as head of Whisky & Rare Spirits at Bonhams New York.  A leading authority in the field, he has curated a number of successful auctions featuring a variety of superior offerings, from unusual American bourbons to notable decades-old scotches, to rare Cuban rums, exotic gins...

John Laurie is the managing director of Scotland's oldest working distillery, Glenturret. His journey with whiskey began in his childhood when his grandfather would often smoke his pipe and enjoy some black bottles of whiskey. When John was in his mid-20s, his father-in-law invited him to attend a whiskey show in Edinburgh. There, he fell in love with whiskey, the stories behind the brands, an...

Brown Forman is an American company, best known as the owner of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, and bourbon brands Old Forester and Woodford Reserve. But in 2016, it got into Scotch whisky in a big way, buying The BenRiach Distillery Company, which included three distilleries: Benriach of course, in Speyside; the famous Highlands distillery, Glendronach; and also in the Highlands, but somewhat le...

David Mandell is currently the co-founder and CEO of Whiskey House of Kentucky, which is the largest, most flexible, and sophisticated custom whiskey manufacturing facility in the United States. The project commenced in February 2022 and is scheduled to begin operations in 2024 in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.  Prior to founding Whiskey House, Mandell was the co-founder and former President & CEO o...

Robin Coupar, a native of Edinburgh, Scotland, is a leading whisky expert who has dedicated more than 26 years to the industry. Robin is the Global Whisky Advocate for the Campari Group’s whisky portfolio which includes Glen Grant single malt Scotch whisky, Wild Turkey Kentucky Straight Bourbon and Rye Whiskey, Russell’s Reserve Bourbon and the brand's rye whiskey expression, and Forty Creek C...

Gavin and Allison met at a Scotch and Time tasting event in Brooklyn around five years ago when Gavin already had a significant following on Rolex whiskey. Allison was a professional ballerina for much of her life and only started working in the whiskey business after she finished her career as a ballerina. Gavin asked Allison why she gravitated towards whiskey, and Allison said it was because she...

Nate has developed one of the largest social media followings in the world of whisk(e)y by combining his two great loves, being in nature and drinking excellent whisky. His Whisky With a View channels feature beautiful photos of whiskies in awesome natural settings and surroundings. Nate Woodruff from Whisky With A View treated the Beast Masters to a stellar day of hiking and sipping great drams i...

Single cask bottlings by one of Scotland’s oldest whisky families, Finn Thomson Whisky has been Distilling, blending, trading, and selling for nine generations and doesn't plan on stopping any time soon.  Finn Thomson may have gone the farthest and spent the most in demonstrating that whisky is in his DNA, commissioning specialist research to investigate the family connections with whisky. Fin...