WhiskyCast

There are many whisky competitions, but few give the average whisky lover a vote in deciding the winners. Now, the Drammie Awards have changed that, thanks to Kevin Erskine of The Scotch Blog. Erskine created the Drammies, and joins us to go through the inaugural list of winners. In the news, Jim Murray gives a blended whisky top honors and malt lovers fits, Scotch whisky exports have an economic...

The debate over blended whiskies vs. single malts will never be decided, but both can be appreciated, much as a music lover can enjoy both symphonies and jazz. One of the maestros of blended whiskies is Whyte & Mackay's Richard Paterson, and he shares his lifetime of experience in the whisky business with us. In the news, Ardbeg has hired a new manager to replace Stuart Thomson, Duncan Taylor puts...

Many of us would describe ourselves as "malt maniacs", but the title of "Malt Maniac" belongs to 24 serious whisky experts from around the world. You've heard from several of the Maniacs in previous episodes, and now, Master Maniac Johannes van den Heuvel joins us from Amsterdam with the winners of the 2006 Malt Maniacs Awards! In the news, socialism and whisky apparently don't mix well in Venezue...

The green and white labels may be plain, but the whisky inside the bottles is usually something special. We'll go inside the Scotch Malt Whisky Society with US chapter president Alan Shayne. In the news, one of the oldest bottles of whisky on record fetched thousands at auction, more whisky winners, and was George Washington not only the "father of his country", but the "distiller of his country"?

One of the things I get asked about most often is why WhiskyCast doesn't have more tasting sessions. We'll answer that request in this episode, as Suntory's Lincoln Henderson takes me through a tasting session with Suntory's Yamazaki 12 and 18-year-old Japanese single malts. In the news, the European Union fires another volley in the whisky war with India, Bunnahabhain celebrates 125 years with a...

There are only two living bourbon distillers with whiskies named after them, and you'll hear from one of them in this episode of WhiskyCast. Elmer T. Lee is the Master Distiller Emeritus at Buffalo Trace, and at 87 years of age, is still selecting the casks that make up the bourbon that carries his name. In the news, a really rare Glenfiddich goes on sale in Calgary, John Glaser of Compass Box has...

It's the first anniversary for WhiskyCast, and we had a big party in New York Monday night to celebrate. OK, it wasn't really our party...it was Malt Advocate's WhiskyFest New York. Still, we're celebrating the anniversary with a special episode featuring the winners of the Malt Advocate Awards, including an unprecedented repeat win for Buffalo Trace as the Distillery of the Year. You'll also hear...

It's the weekend before WhiskyFest New York, but there's a lot going on! We'll go back to Toronto to visit a whisky lover's dream...the Summerhill tasting tower, where rare whiskies can be yours to sample. In the news, Inver House has new owners with deep pockets, William Grant and Sons' managing director steps down, four new Glengoyne malts hit the market, along with two new Bowmores and one new...

Jim Cryle "retired" this year as Master Distiller at The Glenlivet, but somehow he seems just as busy as ever after 40 years of making Scotch. My conversation with Jim includes everything from his early days in distilling to what it's like to walk into a warehouse first thing in the morning, as well as his choice for that final dram. In the news, Bruichladdich's bottling Port Charlotte PC5, the Sc...

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...