At The Vaults recently, we welcomed Brendan McCarron, master distiller at Distell’s Bunnahabhain, Deanston and Tobermory distilleries. We recorded Brendan’s tasting, presented in full, with some strong language for good measure alongside strong whisky. Settle down for an illuminating insight into Brendan’s experience, knowledge, and some cracking drams from Deanston, Tobermory and Ledaig.

Karine Polwart is one of Scotland’s most respected singer-songwriters. She sat down at The Vaults with Vic Galloway for our latest episode of Whisky Talk: Malts & Music, to find out about her passion for whisky and what songs our selection of Society drams conjured up in her mind.

SMWS whiskies tasted and Karine Polwart’s tunes were:

You can watch a video of the conversation on the SMWS YouTube channel here

Spotify link can be found here

The name Dr Bill Lumsden doesn’t need much of an introduction in the whisky world – the head of distilling and whisky creation at Glenmorangie and Ardbeg has been a constant force of innovation and flavour development over the past 30 years or so.

The name Dr Bill Lumsden doesn’t need much of an introduction in the whisky world – the head of distilling and whisky creation at Glenmorangie and Ardbeg has been a constant force of innovation and flavour development over the past 30 years or so.

Vic Galloway catches up with the Whisky Sisters – Inka Larissa and Jennifer Rose – in the latest episode of Whisky Talk: Malts & Music, to find out where their passion for whisky came from and what tunes their selection of Scotch Malt Whisky Society drams helped to inspire.

SMWS whiskies tasted and the Whisky Sisters’ tunes were:

You can watch a video of the conversation on the SMWS YouTube channel here

Spotify link can be found here

Writer Doug Johnstone shares four SMWS drams with DJ Vic Galloway in the latest episode of Whisky Talk: Malts & Music, with reflections on how his love of whisky inspired his novel Smokeheads and how these Society drams pair perfectly with music from Little Simz to Biffy Clyro.

Whiskies tasted and Doug’s tunes were:

You can watch a video of the conversation on the SMWS YouTube channel here

Spotify link can be found here

Whisky writer Dave Broom has an endless curiosity and fascination for whisky, and in his latest book he has set out to explore the story of Scotland’s whisky history, the spirit’s importance within the country’s culture and the diverse landscapes that it comes from.

Depending on who you speak to, the cask that you put your whisky into to mature can contribute anything from 50 to more than 70 per cent of its final flavour. Whatever figure you land on, it plays a crucial role. One person who knows more about the impact of various forms of oak on whisky – and especially from sherry influenced casks – is Stuart MacPherson, until very recently Macallan’s Master of Wood. Stuart has now retired from the role, but Whisky Talk caught up with him to find out all about his life’s work in the world of wood – which goes all the way back to his schooldays in the late 1970s.

Musician, writer and whisky fan James Yorkston shares four SMWS drams with DJ Vic Galloway in the latest episode of Whisky Talk: Malts & Music, with an eclectic mix of music inspired by a wide range of Society whiskies. James and Vic reflect on their musical journeys, their passion for whisky and why you can’t beat exploring music with an SMWS single cask dram in your glass.

Whiskies tasted and James's tunes were:

You can watch a video of the conversation on the SMWS YouTube channel here

Spotify link can be found here

Ever wondered about the origin of a whisky's place-name? Jake King, a Gaelic researcher from the Sabhal Mòr Ostaig campus of the University of the Islands and Highlands on the Isle of Skye, certainly has. He is the author of a new book, The A to Z of Whisky Place-Names: Landscape, Language & Invention, which explores the place-names found on whisky bottles, provides both their identity and their origin and explodes a few myths along the way. Mads Schmoll caught up with Jake at The Vaults to find out more.