WhiskyCast

If you're trying to find a rare whisky, the easiest way to track it down may be through one of the many whisky auctions conducted by galleries like Bonhams and McTear's. Bonhams held its pre-Christmas whisky auction in New York City this past week, and we'll have exclusive coverage on this episode. You'll also find out how to put your own whiskies on the block, too. In the news, Johnnie Walker goe...

The arrival of December brings with it the annual announcement of the Malt Maniacs Whisky Awards. 171 whiskies from around the world were entered in this year's competition, and just eight won gold medals. Maniacs Keith Wood and Krishna Nukala join me from Germany and India to discuss this year's results on this week's episode. In the news, Woodford Reserve unveils Double Oaked Bourbon, the first...

The Stitzel-Weller Distillery in Louisville is holy ground for many bourbon lovers, even though it closed 20 years ago. Stitzel-Weller was the home of Pappy Van Winkle's legendary bourbons, and we'll look at the distillery's history and its future on this episode of WhiskyCast with historian Michael Veach and Julian Van Winkle. Tom Bulleit's Bulleit Bourbon is aged at Stitzel-Weller now, and he'll...

Irish Whiskey has been the fastest-growing segment of the whisky business for the last several years. William Grant & Sons acquired Tullamore Dew last year, and has been investing millions of Euros to build the brand. A new "Irish True" marketing campaign for Tullamore Dew debuted this week in New York City, and we'll hear more from John Quinn and Shane Hoyne about the brand's heritage and its fut...

Whisky Magazine announced its U.S. Icons of Whisky Awards this week in Louisville, and I was on hand for the ceremonies. Four Roses won Distiller of the Year honors for the second year in a row, and Balcones Distillery in Waco, Texas was named Craft Distiller of the Year. We'll hear from winners Jim Rutledge and Chip Tate. In the news, a French family-owned wine company has bought Tullibardine, gh...

Ichiro Akuto is a maverick among Japanese whisky distillers, creating traditional whiskies with a style that's anything but traditional. When his family sold their Hanyu Distillery, he not only bought the remaining stocks of Hanyu, but built his own Chichibu Distillery next to the family's sake brewery. Ichiro shares his family history and his philosophy with us this week as we mark the end of Whi...

Each autumn, Woodford Reserve releases its Masters Collection whiskey, a variation on one of the five elements of Bourbon defined by Oscar Pepper and James Christopher Crow 160 years ago. This year's edition is actually two 100% rye whiskies, with one aged in new oak barrels and the other in refill Woodford barrels. Master Distiller Chris Morris unveiled them this week, and explains them in this e...

Chuck Miller describes himself as "America's First Craft Distiller". He's been making moonshine legally at his Stillhouse Distillery in Culpeper, Virginia for 25 years, using the recipe and techniques he learned from his grandfather. Grandpa helped keep Washington wet during Prohibition and made moonshine illegally for decades, and despite frequent raids, never once got caught. Chuck shares his "s...

Adelphi's history dates back to 1826 and the old Adelphi Distillery in Glasgow. Descendants of the distillery's owners revived the name as an independent bottler, and we'll hear more about their unique whiskies and even more unique tasting notes in this week's episode. In the news, a vintage bottle of The Glenlivet sold for nearly $30,000 at the latest Bonhams auction in Edinburgh and Suntory's Mi...

Jim Beveridge is the master blender for Diageo's Johnnie Walker whiskies, which means he's responsible for some of the world's best-selling Scotch whiskies. It also means he doesn't have time to do interviews very often, and I've wanted to talk with him for several years...so when we had the chance to connect for a few minutes, I jumped at the chance. We'll discuss his latest creation, Johnnie Wal...

Back at home, but with Paris still on my mind, and plenty of news to catch up on! We'll catch up with more news on new releases from Whisky Live Paris, along with the latest headlines. Is United Spirits hot for Teacher's, Beam's Red Stag gets two more members in the herd, and Tim Forbes of The Whisky Exchange gives us a preview of this week's Whisky Show in London.

In our final episode from Whisky Live Paris, we'll get updates on the process of exporting Nikka's Japanese whiskies to the U.S. for the first time, along with the latest on new releases from Kilchoman, Compass Box, Glen Grant, Aberlour, and a host of other distillers. In the news, a 19th century bottle of The Glenlivet will go on the auction block at Bonham's next month, Vijay Mallya sets his sig...

This is the first of two episodes from Whisky Live Paris, and we'll hear from some of the distillers who have traveled from around the world for one of the world's top whisky festivals, including Japan's Ichiro Akuto and Mark Littler of Australia's Hellyers Road. In the news, the final bottle of The Dalmore 64 sells for a new record retail price, Redbreast 12 goes cask-strength, and WhiskyCast wel...

Glasgow has been the heart of Scotland's whisky industry for decades, and while it retains much of its gritty character, there's plenty to make whisky lovers feel welcome. This time around, we'll look at some of Glasgow's best places for whisky lovers to visit, including a special focus on McTear's, one of the world's top whisky auction houses. In the news, the Bourbon Hall of Fame welcomes the Cl...

Bruichladdich celebrates the 10th anniversary of its revival this weekend, and this week's episode comes from the distillery on the shores of Loch Indall on Islay! We'll look at how the distillery came back to life and brought a new spirit to the people of Islay, in the words of Head Distiller Jim McEwan, Managing Director Mark Reynier, and some of the people who have had their lives touched by th...

Every September, whiskey lovers start prowling their favorite liquor stores for the arrival of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection whiskies. This year's lineup of three Bourbons and two Ryes was unveiled this week, and Kris Comstock of Buffalo Trace joins me to discuss them. I'll also have tasting notes for all five, and compare this year's George T. Stagg Bourbon to previous years. In the news,...

The Kentucky Bourbon Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary three weeks from now, and we'll discuss this year's Festival and its history with Executive Director Linda Harrison. In the news, Four Roses unveils its 2011 Limited Edition Small Batch bourbon to be released at the Festival, the final remaining bottle of Dalmore Trinitas finds a home, and new single cask bottlings from BenRiach, GlenDr...

One of the world's most unusual whisky festivals is coming up in a few weeks. Maltstock doesn't take place in a hotel or convention center, but at a former Scout camp in the Dutch woods. Maltstock co-founder Bob Wenting joins us on this week's episode to discuss what makes Maltstock unique. In the news, Abhainn Dearg releases its first official single malt, Catto's celebrates 150 years, and Buffal...

It's the second weekend of the month, and they're raising dust on the dirt road leading to Atlantic City. Not the one in New Jersey, but the one in Wyoming. For the last 3 years, Bob and Barbara Townsend have been holding single malt tastings on the second Saturday of each month at their Miner's Delight Inn...and they've had guests from as far away as California! In the news, Japan's Karuizawa whi...

40 years ago, Dublin's Bow Street Distillery closed down after nearly 200 years of producing Jameson Irish Whiskey. In 1997, what survived of the old distillery reopened as the Old Jameson Distillery, a visitors center devoted to preserving the heritage of John Jameson's original distillery. Nearly 250,000 people visit the old distillery each year, and guide Christopher Goggins gives us a private...

As the U.S. faces another debt crisis, this week marks the anniversary of a key event in another U.S. debt crisis...the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794. On August 1, 1794, 7,000 Americans gathered at Braddock's Field in Western Pennsylvania to protest President Washington's tax on whiskey production. The protest led to a declaration of insurrection, and Washington led an army into the area to quash the...

New Orleans certainly has a cocktail culture, and this weekend, it's the Mecca for cocktail enthusiasts and bartenders from all over the world. Tales of the Cocktail is in its 9th year, and co-founder Paul Tuennerman joins us to talk about the history of Tales and how it's survived along with New Orleans in the post-Katrina era. In the news, a Canadian distillery starts producing single malt spiri...

The Scottish town of Oban celebrated its 200th anniversary this week, and the folks at Oban Distillery fired up a Time Machine to celebrate. They went back to 1823 and found a cousin of the distillery's founders to explain life as Oban was being settled. "Alan Stevenson" explains some of the history, along with Joanne McCutcher of the Diageo Archives and Oban visitors center manager Carol Bennett....

As distilleries replace old equipment with new, the old stuff winds up on the scrap heap most of the time. Not so at Knockdhu Distillery in Scotland. Whether by coincidence, planning, or sheer luck, many of the distillery's artifacts have been preserved for decades after they were replaced by modern equipment. Knockdhu manager Gordon Bruce gives us a tour of his "museum" in this week's episode. In...

It's been a little over four months since a massive earthquake destroyed much of Christchurch, New Zealand and claimed 181 lives. Today, the city is trying to rebuild, despite occasional large aftershocks. One of those people trying to rebuild is Michael Fraser Milne of Whisky Galore, Christchurch's largest whisky shop. His store was destroyed in the earthquake, which came just three days before W...