Whisky Buzz

Wine writer, Mike Di Caro, joins Jamie and Mark to talk about gin. We start in the early days of spirit drinking, and talk about junipers, vodka, whisky, the great lakes, and farming. Follow Mike Di Caro on twitter @mikedicaro

Jamie and Mark are joined by Glenford Jameson to review the chaos of Mark’s “Low Proof vs High Proof” whisky tasting. The podcast kicks off celebrating episode 25, highs and lows, as we pick our favourite moments and provide some backstory to previous episodes. Also covered, chocolate and whisky pairing, discussions on proof levels and whisky, and general whisky news.

Bartender and drinks writer, Sarah Parniak (@S_Parns), joins Mark and Jamie to discuss cocktail culture, whisky alternatives, the life of a bartender, and bar etiquette!

Mark and Jamie discuss craft whisky, marketing, gimmicks like shooting whisky into space, the bottled-in-bond act, and lawsuits!

Mark Reynier is the owner of Waterford Distillery, and former managing director and part-owner of Bruichladdich distillery. The discussion focuses on the future of Irish whiskey, trends in the industry, the importance of credibility, whisky terroir, no-age statement whisky, and lessons learned from Bruichladdich that’ll be applied to Waterford Distillery.

Jamie and Mark are joined by Eric Burke of www.bourbonguy.com. The topic of discussion includes the Templeton Rye class-action lawsuit settlement, Eric’s picks of cheap whiskies, (bad) tips on talking to your doctor, and cross-boarder shopping.

Jamie and Mark are joined by Reid Mitenbuler, the author of The Bourbon Empire: The Past and Future of America’s Whisky. We talk about about the link between American’s history and whisky, the craft whisky movement, dirty dancing references, twittersphere, and the importance of editing when writing books.

Mark Bylok recently wrote about how he’s rebooting his whisky review writing process. Jamie and Mark discuss whisky reviews, and finding that reviewer that your tastes sync up with. Also discussed, napping, Annie the musical, throwing sleep-over parties, and Trent’s big head.

This week, Jamie and Mark have Matt Jones on the podcast. Matt is the Canada’s brand ambassador for Beam Suntory specializing in bourbon with over 16 years of bartending experience. Topics include craft whisky, flavoured whisky, cooking with whisky, whisky pairings, and summer cocktails!

Jamie and Mark are joined by Josh Peters of The Whiskey Jug, to discuss whisky reviews, whisky clubs, blind tastings, favourite whiskies, and washroom habits.

This week on The Whisky Topic, Glenford Jameson joins Jamie and Mark to discuss the tricky blind tasting that included variations of Eagle Rare, Weller 12 vs Van Winkle 12, and tasting oxidized whisky. Speculation went rampant on whether or not Eagle Rare is going to go NAS. The podcast takes an eerie turn when Woodford Reserve’s dried banana candy flavour is discussed.

This week Jamie and Mark tackle to the topic of craft whisky and hand made whisky. Do hands touching your whisky make it taste better?

Mark and Jamie make suggestions for bourbon and single malt drinkers to cross over to other types of whiskies, including hot climate whiskies!

Mark and Jamie return back to single malt scotch, with special guest Sam Simmons, known as Dr. Whisky in the scotch community, and more currently, brand ambassador for Balvenie. We talk about his article from last year on Jim Murray, 2015 Whisky Bible, and Why Scotch Whisky Sucks. Other topics include the truth behind sherry casks, single barrel whisky, cask strength whisky, and troubles with reco...

This week, Mark and Jamie discuss the context around enjoying whisky. Do the circumstances we have the whisky under affect the enjoyment of the whisky? Also discussed, hangover cures, tips for managing your drinking, Mad Men, land-lines, and cutting the cable cord!

Bottled in Bond is an early example of a consumer protection laws passed to the benefit of the whisky buyer. That law was more about health and authenticity. Food lawyer, Glenford Jameson, talks about consumer protection laws as it relates to whisky. Plus, what’s whisky supposed to taste like? And we touch on that phrase, craft whisky.

Canadian whisky offers a unique voice in the whisky world. Davin de Kergommeaux, author of Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert, joins Jamie and Mark this week. The discussion goes deep into authenticity of whisky, additives, and comparisons between Canadian whisky and the rest of the world. Plus, Davin and Mark get dramatic about swirling and warming whisky, and Jamie seeks out whisky gossip!

Jamie Johnson and Mark Bylok discuss whisky events—what to do, and what not to do. They review Spirit of Toronto, and highlight rare whiskies they enjoyed at the event including Jim Murray’s 2015 winner. the Yamakazi 2013 Sherry Cask. Finally, Jamie and Mark touch upon rugby, the Apple Watch, and Jamie comes up with (at least) two big ideas that should be kickstarted!

Host a whisky party! Jamie Johnson and Mark Bylok discuss their tips and tricks for throwing your own whisky party. Topics include considerations for glassware, setting up the order of the whisky, and the types of party you might want to throw.

Mark and Jamie discuss the ridiculous articles claiming the health benefits of whisky. We also look at Sinfully Thinn Light Whisky, and Oliver Klimek breaking the story on the definition of a light whisky. Finally, we talk about vintage whisky advertisements targeting women, feminism, Jamie’s wedding, manhattans, and old fashions (somehow all this ties in!).

Mark Bylok and Jamie Johnson review whisky from Scotland. Is scotch on its way down? What makes a good single malt scotch? Mark manages to rant on about no-age statements whisky. Lots of quick-tips on how to start with scotch. Plus, TV make-up. What’s up with that?

Many whisky enthusiasts were surprised Knob Creek won San Francisco’s World Spirit 2015 Award for best bourbon. On the first episode of The Whisky Topic, Jamie and Mark agreed that they liked Knob Creek, but loved Booker’s. So what happened? Fred Minnick likewise [seemed puzzled!]Jamie Johnson and Mark Bylok do a blind tasting between the two in different glassware. Does glassware make a differenc...

The Whisky Topic heads to Kentucky! Mark Bylok and Glenford Jameson visit Buffalo Trace and Barton Distillery (home of 1792). In their visit to Buffalo Trace Distillery, they review the process Buffalo Trace uses to pick those special barrels that make it as Blanton’s single barrel bourbon. Reviewed whiskies included a range of Colonel E.H. Taylor (Cured Oak, Tornado, Cask Strength), the Buffalo T...

This week, Mark and Jamie discuss the infamous Pappy Van Winkle whisky. The history is quite complex! Is it worth the hype? Are whisky drinkers a touch sensitive about Pappy? Is Pappy 15 the perfect Pappy? Plus, Mark went to Panama City. Occasionally, there was whisky.

Mark Bylok, whisky writer, and Jamie Johnson, who runs a private bourbon club, explore the world of Irish Whiskey. Is Irish whiskey going to see the same boom that bourbon has seen? Mark shares his thoughts. Jamie and Mark talk about flavoured whisky, and parallels in the industry with flavoured vodka. Also tackled, with some reluctance, the no-age statement movement and the hosts tell there story...