The State of the Collection

With half the team still struggling with colds and flu after the Glasgow shenanigans, they’re able to focus on topics that don’t require much sensory function, but it does place a tax on cerebral processing: what are the flavours of all the Monster Munch variants and what to do with our inevitable over-accumulation of bottles.

After an exercise to establish the tallest and shortest official scotch whisky bottles (they miss two of the shortest - see if you can catch them) we then go on to share how we organise our individual collections. As we do so, we realise they’ve evolved over the years, perhaps directly reflecting our palate evolution.

It’s worth dwelling on my point that - bottles aside - the real ‘collection’ is the people we’ve met along the way. Don’t worry, it doesn’t stay serious for long, we’re soon discussing sausage mastication after a quickly-guessed I Am a Distillery from Roy.

This is (we think) the last time we’ll use StreamYard for the recording. Back to the old-fathful software for cleaner edits next time. Thanks for indulging the long pauses, burps, farts and erms…

Remember we’re LIVE on YouTube, 9pm tomorrow - the 29th January. A first for the Dramface Podcast. Maybe the last. We’ll give it a go.

The Glasgow Wan

We recorded this in summer. But our software lost half of one of the tracks. 

In a huff, we tried another software. It’s proven to be a better-the-devil-you-know scenario. This isn’t as ‘clean’ as usual and we think having all four of us on screen is a little distracting, but it’s recorded and we’re not trashing another - so we go. Hopefully, it’s still worthwhile, certainly should be acceptable as an audio podcast.

Anyway, in this one we decompress after the Glasgow Whisky Festival Weekend. It’s always about the people. But this is a good one for those who are still to attend such an event or perhaps feel they’re yet to master it. Some of us are longer in the tooth and have worked out the best ways to get through an entire weekend of festival events. Spoiler: slow down, be mindful, take it easy. Not rocket science right?

Anyway, the good news - Podcast Thirty Six is already recorded. The bad news - it was recorded the same way as this. Ah well, you’ll have it soon enough. 

We hope you enjoy this one!

The Introspective Crossover

In an effort to let everyone have a wee peek at just how messy things actually are at Dramface Towers, the Colonials request the presence of the messy clown at the helm. He’s eventually asked to explain why it takes six months from recording to release, which he fails to do. 

In the end, however, this introspective pod ends up being a very genial affair, with lots of chat about whisky and even more about Dramface itself; which nicely betrays the general positive vibes around the place. It’s whisky and it’s meant to be fun. Serious fun, but fun. 

TL;DR - everyone is happy and you get to see the Colonial on video for the first time.

Oh, and if you enjoy it let us know. We may release Colonials 11 on video too.

Or 'The Coffee Wan'

It’s inevitable that whisky folk spend their time in more than one rabbit hole; it’s our inquisitive nature, perhaps. In the Dramface team we see a huge overlap, believe it or not, with coffee.

I don’t. I don’t really drink much coffee. But I get it. What really struck me is the synergies and parallels we can draw between coffee and whisky. This episode does actually talk about whisky too, but the coffee chat renders it an excellent Coffee 101 guide for beginners. 

And, to the delight of Rob, Stuart, Chuck, Adam and Cleon, it has an unexpected effect on the whisky too.

I’ll admit to almost spending far too much on a bag of beans and a grinder. A third listen may force it. A particularly revealing and insightful episode. 

Perhaps their most sober too.

The Heels

In this banger of a knowledge bomb, Rob gathers Mike, Stuart, Justin and Gus to discuss collections, managing them and our individual attitudes towards keeping tabs on bottles, levels and inventories.

They’re also happy to take detours to cover flavour, sulphur and the oldest whiskies they’ve tried.

This one’s a cracker, Wally’s favourite to date. Gus is a gem. Our editor-in-chief is just annoyed they never stayed on brand and called the episode “The Dregs’.

This is Part two...

The Colonials Are Blind.

All of them.

As you’re all aware, we’re digging up recordings from the end of last year to catch up. With light at the end of the tunnel, we share what is the longest ever recording session from us. So long, in fact, we cut it into two episodes.

Imagine this a little like a Zoom call that we recorded to share with you all, fly-on-the-wall style.

At the end of 2024, seven Colonials sat down together with different exchanges of blind samples in an attempt to surprise each other. They most definitely succeeded; it build to such a crescendo of surprise that, over the final dram, you can actually hear everyone’s brain tick as they try to work out how to get their hands on a bottle.

On the way there they visit Ardnamurchan, Springbank, Tormore, Loch Lomond, Dickel, Lochlea, Westland, St George and Ardnahoe, amongst a few others.

Watch out for a tricky end to; an Part 2 I Am a Distillery entry from long term reader and supporter Tom O.

Thanks for your patience again and hope you enjoy!

Wally & The Team

PS: as mentioned - this was recorded at the end of 2024

The Colonials Are Blind.

All of them.

As you’re all aware, we’re digging up recordings from the end of last year to catch up. With light at the end of the tunnel, we share what is the longest ever recording session from us. So long, in fact, we cut it into two episodes.

Imagine this a little like a Zoom call that we recorded to share with you all, fly-on-the-wall style.

At the end of 2024, seven Colonials sat down together with different exchanges of blind samples in an attempt to surprise each other. They most definitely succeeded; it build to such a crescendo of surprise that, over the final dram, you can actually hear everyone’s brain tick as they try to work out how to get their hands on a bottle.

On the way there they visit Ardnamurchan, Springbank, Tormore, Loch Lomond, Dickel, Lochlea, Westland, St George and Ardnahoe, amongst a few others.

Watch out for a tricky end to; an Part 2 I Am a Distillery entry from long term reader and supporter Tom O.

Thanks for your patience again and hope you enjoy!

Wally & The Team

PS: as mentioned - this was recorded at the end of 2024

Blend it like Beckham

We’re no longer late with these. We’re now retrieving long lost files…This, like the previous release, was recorded last year.You know where the fault lies. I’ll leave it at that. He’s been berated by us and has promised that things are now moving once more. It won’t hurt for you to berate a little too.This is a session where I tried to envisage a way where we could all blend the same ingredients together remotely - and anyone could potentially join in. We selected Glenmorangie’s 10yo (or the new 12yo) for the 'base' alongside a Ledaig 10 year old for peat and a bottle of Glenallachie’s Cask Strength for might and sherry spice. From these three, we tried to blend the best we could.Should you wish to participate and sip along, the ratios are as follows:Gregor: 10 parts Glenmorangie, 2 parts Glenallachie and 1 part Ledaig.Roy: 6 parts Glenmorangie, 3 parts Glenallachie and 1 part Ledaig.Gordon: Zero(!) parts Glenmorangie, 4 parts Glenallachie and 1 part Ledaig.Rob: 3 parts Glenmorangie, 3 parts Glenallachie and 1 part Ledaig.We had a lot of fun with this, on the build up and during the recording. Even the more seasoned of us were surprised with how much fun it could be. Give it a go.

Collections and selections...

…and bottles on life support.

Rob hosts Mike, Cleon, Chuck and Justin this time around as they discuss the scale and management of their collections/selections.

Some bottles are forgotten while others are nursed, to the point of being on ‘life support’.

After sharing their individual attitudes and the numbers of bottles they’re dealing with, they talk about spreadsheets and happening upon bottles that have been largely forgotten - but undeservedly so.

They then derail somewhat into a discussion about Octomore before Justin makes the faux pas of mentioning rum.

Rob hosts and entirely achievable I Am a Distillery.

Thanks for your patience and hope you enjoy!

Wally & The Team

PS: this was recorded at the end of 2024 - we’re sort of catching up…

What the fudge? Our personal whisky rants.

This was an epic recording session by five of our Colonials: Rob, Stuart, Mike, Chuck and Gus.

In what started out as personal whisky rant catharsis, they meander through so many topics we’re certain this one will go down as a re-listenable classic.

With the canny insights of Gus on hand to keep things informed, the cover TAF (tired as fudge) casks, the current whisky loch, the challenges faced by today’s producers and asking the question: are whisky enthusiasts the problem? 

They then wade into even crunchier topics such as authenticity, homogenisation, the origins of sulfur and what distilleries excite them.

Mike hosts the I Am A Distillery at the end, but clearly needs to read his Malt Whisky Yearbook to get up to speed on our northern distilleries. Forgive him, he’s a lovely man, really.

Thank you for your amazing support! Enjoy!