Last Call Whisky Podcast

We had questions about Macaloney’s rebrand. So we invited their CEO to pull up a chair and answer them.

In Episode 12 of Last Call Whisky Podcast, Jeremy, Travis, and Sean sit down with Margaret Rygiel, CEO of Macaloney’s Distillery, for an honest conversation about the changes getting the whisky community talking.

Margaret shares her journey into Canadian whisky, the financial challenges behind the rebrand, and the thinking behind names like Bang Sauce and Buzz Cut. We discuss tradition, transparency, reaching new whisky drinkers, and the questions surrounding honey-seasoned casks and single malt labelling. It’s a chance to hear her perspective, challenge our assumptions, and talk about where Macaloney’s goes next.

Then we get into three very different drams:

🥃 Old Particular Jura 14 — Can an independent bottling change the minds of three guys who’ve given Jura plenty of grief?

🥃 Torabhaig Allt Cnoc Na Moine — Maritime peat, medicinal notes, and a debate about what makes a bottle worth buying.

🥃 Laphroaig Cairdeas 2026 French Oak — A big reputation to live up to after last year’s release. Does this one deliver?

Happy Hour Headlines brings a personal announcement from Travis about PWS Imports, plus distillery news, new releases, and more whisky packaging debates. We also raise a glass to the Three Amigos Whisky Club of Cornwall and Ottawa and catch up on community events.

Thanks to Whisky Drop for supplying our tasting samples and helping you taste along with the podcast.

Pour yourself a dram, settle in, and join the conversation. Has your opinion of Macaloney’s rebrand changed? Which of this episode’s three bottles would you reach for?

Subscribe for more whisky tastings, candid interviews, and questionable pronunciation.

CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
7:20 Cask Me Anything — Margaret Rygiel, CEO of Macaloney’s Distillery
1:46:16 Happy Hour Headlines
2:16:33 Pull the Bung
2:53:41 Whisky Club Shoutout
3:03:53 The Parting Glass

Welcome back to the Last Call Whisky Podcast for Season 2!

After taking the summer off - we are back in action this fall and kicking things off with a BLIND WHISKY EPISODE!

Travis, Sean, and Jeremy each picked a whisky from WhiskyDrop Canada without knowing what the others have picked... and we go through them blind together. 

We are also back to our normal shenanigans with some Happy Hour Headlines to keep you informed, as well as possibly a Grind My Malt section where we chat about something that's been.... bugging us. (And you possibly?)

Welcome to Season 2. We're happy that you're here, and we're excited to be back!

Cheers,
Jeremy, Sean, and Travis

**Please note:
This episode includes discussion of public commentary surrounding Macaloney’s Distillery’s recent rebrand and leadership changes. The conversation contains the hosts’ opinions and interpretations, along with references to industry rumours and online discussion that have not been independently verified and should not be understood as established fact.

Macaloney’s CEO Margaret Rygiel will join us on our next episode to share her perspective, respond to the conversation, and discuss the direction of the distillery.

In this episode we dip into three Canadian whiskies! Yep, that's right. 

Picking whiskies for our Bourbon and Canadian episodes proved to be a bit difficult, but we did end up with three crackers for Canada Day. 

In this episode we also are joined by our friend Gurpreet for our Cask Me Anything segment - Master Distiller at Anohka distillery in Alberta. Whenever we chat with him, his passion shines through. (And he happens to be making some pretty incredible spirit/whisky over at Anohka too...)

So sit back, relax, and we hope you enjoy this episode! Happy Canada Day!

In this episode we dive into a bit of controversial topic here in Canada... Bourbon. We talk with our friend Ray Daniel, a multi-award winning whiskey ambassador that represented Beam's bourbon lineup. 

So buckle up as we try three 'boutique' bourbons, talk about that industry, and have some fun along the way. 

Curious to hear your thoughts on this topic as the episode launches!

Cheers,
Trav, Sean, and Jeremy

In this Episode we try whiskies from 'new' distilleries over in Scotland - The Nc'Nean Quiet Rebels Gordon, Holyrood Ambir, and the Aberargie Inaugural Release!

For the first time ever we actually have two interviews for our 'Cask Me Anything' segment - Niel Hendriksz from Aberargie Distillery, as well as Rob and Connor from Holyrood Distillery. 

Make sure to tune in for which of the three whiskies is our 'must buy' from these new distilleries - and we hope you enjoy the show! 

In this episode we venture into the world of Japanese Whisky... an area not super familiar to any of us, but one that we found ourselves happy to learn about. We try the Suntory Toki, Nikka Miyagikyo, Ichiro's Malt Wine Wood Reserve - so enjoy as we tell you which bottles we would buy or not and enjoy the show! 

This episode features Michael Pang of Dram Alliance in our Cask Me Anything segment

It's March... which means it's Irish Whiskey Month! We're kicking it off with tasting three unique Irish Whiskies and telling you which ones we would buy, chatting with our friend Shane McCarthy from Two Stacks Irish Whiskey, and naming our top 5 core Irish Whiskies each. Hope you guys enjoy the show! 

In this month's episode we are joined by our friend across the pond in London, Claire Vokins, for our Cask Me Anything segment. Claire is a  freelancer in the whisky industry that we have all come to know and love, and we absolutely loved having her on to chat. 

Our whiskeys for this episode are the Signatory North British 15, G&M Glenburgie 2008, and the North Star Caol Ila 18. Take a watch while we discover which of these whiskeys we would buy or not buy!

In this Episode we taste through the GlenDronach 15yr Sherry Cask, the Single Cask Nation GlenAllachie 12yr, and the Ardnamurchan 'The Midgie', and provide some good insight in our "would you buy?" segment. We are also joined by our friend Joshua Hatton (from Single Cask Nation) for our 'Cask Me Anything' segment and have a great talk about some of the bottlings that Single Cask Nation is releasing (We drink one on the Podcast this month!). Hope you guys enjoy! 

On this month's episode we're joined by James Bornn (Authentic Wine and Spirits West) for our 'Cask Me Anything' segment, and for whiskies we are having a Cambeltown episode where we taste through the latest Springbank 10, Victoriana, and Kilkerran 12. We may or may not take a bit of time each designing our own Cambeltown distillery... enjoy the show!