WhiskyCast

By CaskStrength Media

What's WhiskyCast about?

Each week's episode features the latest whisky news, a calendar of upcoming events, and interviews with whisky experts. For more information, links, and a complete archive of past episodes, visit www.whiskycast.com.

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WhiskyCast episodes:

04.22.2024
A Green Fuel Source for Distillers?
Beam Suntory has successfully tested the use of green hydrogen as a fuel source for directly-firing stills, and is part of a pilot project to create a hydrogen conversion unit that could be deployed at remote distilleries. We’ll learn more...
04.14.2024
A Sleeping Giant Awakens at Port Ellen
For 41 years, the Port Ellen Distillery on Scotland’s Isle of Islay sat silent. Last month, a multi-million dollar restoration of the distillery was completed when the first spirit flowed at Port Ellen since 1983. While it’ll be years before...
04.07.2024
15 Years of Texas Whiskey
Texas is booming as a whiskey region, with distilleries all over the Lone Star State. That history only goes back about 15 years, when pioneers like Balcones Distilling and Garrison Brothers started out. During the recent 15th anniversary celebrations at...
04.01.2024
Making the "World's Most Admired" Whiskies
Louisville’s Michter’s Distillery took top honors in the 2023 Drinks International survey to find the “world’s most admired” whiskey brand. Andrea Wilson is the Master of Maturation for Michter’s, as well as the company’s chief operating officer, and has the...
03.25.2024
Ask the Whisky Maker: Compass Box's James Saxon
James Saxon took on the role as chief whisky maker for Compass Box following founder John Glaser’s sudden departure several weeks ago. It’s a journey that started with a Compass Box tasting Saxon organized as a student at the University...
03.18.2024
A Whisky Dream Come True
Carin Luna-Ostaseski wanted an approachable Scotch whisky for newcomers, so she decided to blend her own. 11 years ago, the first bottles of SIA Scotch Whisky hit the market, becoming one of the first crowd-funded whiskies to successfully go on...
03.11.2024
A Long-Term Commitment to Longmorn
Chivas Brothers recently introduced two new Longmorn single malts. The 18 and 22-year-old malts represent a long-term commitment to the brand, with all future Longmorns to be at least 18 years old. Chivas Brothers blending manager Kevin Balmforth was instrumental...
03.04.2024
Mark Reynier: Whisky's Enfant Terrible
Waterford Distillery founder Mark Reynier has no shortage of opinions about how he feels whisky should be made, and he’s putting those opinions into the bottle. Reynier has butted heads with the whisky establishment many times over the years because...
02.26.2024
A Commitment to Sustainable Whisky
Scotland's Nc'Nean Distillery is one of a handful of whisky distilleries certified as "B Corp" for their sustainability efforts. At Nc'Nean, that goes all the way to the use of renewable energy for the distillery and using recycled glass for...
02.19.2024
Bulleit Enters the American Single Malt Race
Diageo is staking a claim in the growing American Single Malt category with the new Bulleit American Single Malt. This whiskey’s release earlier this month has spawned a lot of questions, and Bulleit master blender Andrew Mackay joins us this...
02.11.2024
In Search of Dusty Whiskies
There’s a unique subset of whisky collectors who spend their spare time scouring obscure liquor stores for vintage bottles. In some cases, the distillers no longer exist or the brands have been sold to their current owners, but in some...
02.05.2024
Another New Distillery for Kentucky
Garrard County Distilling Company is the latest distillery to come on line in Kentucky, and it’s starting out with big ambitions. The producer of All Nations Whiskey has two massive Vendome stills and two rickhouses with plans for 22 more...
01.29.2024
Tennessee Whiskey's Lost History
History changes all the time as we uncover new facts about the past, and historian Drew Hannush’s new book shakes up some of the history of Tennessee Whiskey. For starters, “The Lost History of Tennessee Whiskey” sheds new light on...
01.22.2024
And the Winner Is...
This year’s Canadian Whisky Awards produced another surprise winner for the second year in a row. Ontario’s Paradigm Spirits won Canadian Whisky of the Year honors, and we’ll discuss the state of Canadian Whisky with Davin de Kergommeaux. In the...
01.14.2024
Changing of the Guard at Ireland's Midleton Distillery
Master Blender Billy Leighton’s recent decision to step aside from day to day work at Irish Distillers gave his longtime apprentice the dream job of a lifetime. Dave McCabe is the new Master Blender for Jameson, Redbreast, Powers, and other...
01.08.2024
A New Future for Single Cask Nation
The week’s top story was the sale of the independent bottler Single Cask Nation to the Artisanal Spirits Company, which also owns the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. The two bottlers will co-exist under one corporate umbrella, with SCN founders Joshua...
12.31.2023
2023: The Year in Whisky
A lot happened in the world of whisky during 2023, and with the help of WhiskyCast Community app members, we’ve identified the top ten whisky stories of the year. Join us as we count them down in the news, then...
12.24.2023
A Whiskey Maker's Holiday Treat
Alex Chasko is an Oregon transplant turned Dublin whiskey maker. He’s the master distiller and whiskey maker for Teeling Whiskey Company, and his latest creation is a 33-year-old Irish single malt finished in Pineau des Charentes casks. He’ll join us...
12.18.2023
Never Say Die Bourbon: A Whiskey with a Back Story
The stories behind the whiskies we drink are almost as enjoyable as the whiskies, and the story behind Never Say Die Bourbon is an intriguing one. There’s a near-death experience, followed by success on horse racing’s grandest stage, and a...
12.11.2023
Bespoke Whisky, Bespoke Tweed
Collaborations between whisky makers and design houses are becoming more common, and this week, we’ll look at a partnership where each side brought their own unique skills to form a successful collaboration. The Grant family’s House of Hazelwood has teamed...
12.04.2023
Is the Luxury Whisky Investment Market Softening?
Whisky has become more attractive as an investment asset in recent years, but a new report indicates the value of luxury whiskies has declined over the past year. We’ll talk with the report’s author, Duncan McFadzean of Scotland’s Noble &...
11.27.2023
Northern Ireland's Distilling Resurgence
There was a time when Belfast and the surrounding counties led the world in whisky production. Several factors led to that tradition all but disappearing over the last century, but now, the six counties of Northern Ireland are bringing new...
11.21.2023
The Spirited Chef Takes on Whisky & Food
One of the highlights of this week’s New Brunswick Spirits Festival was the food and whisky pairings created by The Spirited Chef, Taylore Darnell. She and the staff at the Delta Fredericton created spirited breakfasts, lunches, and dinners featuring unique...
11.13.2023
Through the Years with Dewar's Master Blender Stephanie Macleod
WhiskyCast celebrates our 18th anniversary this week, and Stephanie Macleod has been the Master Blender for Dewar’s almost as long. She was named Master Blender in 2006, and has won a shelf full of awards for her work since then....
11.06.2023
Balcones Distilling Celebrates 15 Years of Texas Whiskey
Balcones Distilling in Waco helped put Texas whiskey on the map when it opened in 2008, and this past weekend, the distillery marked it’s 15th anniversary with a rain-soaked party. We spent the weekend in Waco for the celebration, and...
10.30.2023
Making Whiskey in the Music City
Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery was once Tennessee’s largest distillery in pre-Prohibition times. The great-great-great grandsons of Charles Nelson revived the family business in downtown Nashville, and have been making Tennessee whiskey along with sourced Bourbons and now, a Rye Whiskey....
10.23.2023
Signed, Sealed, & Delivered: A Look at Contract Distilling
What do you call a distillery with no brands of its own? A contract (or custom) distiller creates whiskies for its clients, and many of Kentucky's largest distillers have often sold excess capacity by distilling for others. Bardstown Bourbon Company...
10.16.2023
An Exercise in Whisky Blending
Anyone can blend one whisky, but to blend a whisky with long-term consistency between batches takes a true talent. This week, we'll share an informal blending session with Widow Jane head distiller and blender Sierra Jevremov on WhiskyCast In-Depth, along...
10.09.2023
The Outlander and the Distiller
Actor Sam Heughan is best known for his starring role on TV’s “Outlander,” but he’s a whisky lover, too. Sam started his own whisky brand, The Sassenach, and he’ll join us on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth to talk about his...
10.02.2023
Eight Special Single Malts...and a Cowboy Bourbon
We’ll have a double feature on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth, as Diageo’s Dr. Stuart Morrison joins us to detail this year’s Special Releases series - including a Lagavulin finished in tequila casks - and Donnis Todd of Texas’s Garrison Brothers...
09.26.2023
Catching Up with Ardbeg's Colin Gordon
It's been three years since Colin Gordon left Islay's Lagavulin Distillery to move down the road and take over for the retiring Mickey Heads at Ardbeg. Since then, Ardbeg has commissioned a completely new stillhouse and visitor traffic has recovered...
09.18.2023
10 Years In…And a Lot More Left to Learn
Ann Marshall and Scott Blackwell founded High Wire Distilling in Charleston, South Carolina 10 years ago this week. They started out with no distilling experience, but have earned the respect of other distillers with their unique Jimmy Red Bourbon distilled...
09.11.2023
Whisky Number One...of One
09.04.2023
"Do You Even Like Whisky"
Women still face huge barriers to equality within the whisky industry, according to a new survey from the Our Whisky Foundation. The survey found high levels of unconscious bias and sexual harassment along with a perceived lack of respect for...
08.28.2023
A Deep Dive Into Scotch Whisky Data
There's a lot of data behind the whiskies we enjoy, and analyzing that data can give us some insights into the health of the whisky industry. Martin Purvis and Duncan McFadzean examine whisky data for their Commercial Spirits Intelligence newsletter,...
08.21.2023
The Risks of Whisky Investing
Valuations for rare whiskies have started to slow down after being one of the best performing alternative investments over the last ten years. The latest Knight Frank Luxury Investment Index shows a four percent decline year-over-year in the value of...
08.14.2023
Whisky and Music Come Together in Rhythm & Booze Records
Whisky and music go perfectly together, but Felipe Schrieberg and Paul Archibald are taking the volume up to 11 with Rhythm & Booze Records. They're combining an independent record label with an independent bottler and making whiskies to match their...
08.07.2023
Digging Into Scotland's Whisky History
Thousands of illicit distilling sites exist around Scotland. Derek Alexander and his team of archaeologists at the National Trust for Scotland have barely scratched the surface of the country’s bothys, but their recent digs have uncovered some rare artifacts of...
07.31.2023
A New Era for Gordon & MacPhail
The 128-year-old family-owned independent bottler stunned the whisky world this week with news that it will stop sourcing new make spirit from other distillers starting next year. Instead, Gordon & MacPhail will focus on single malts from its two distilleries,...
07.24.2023
Reviving Rosebank Distillery After 30 Silent Years
When Rosebank Distillery's stills went silent in 1993, many whisky lovers assumed the Falkirk distillery was gone forever - especially after thieves stole the copper stills for scrap a couple of years later. Now, after 5 and a half years...
07.17.2023
A New Experience at The Scotch Whisky Experience
The Scotch Whisky Experience on Edinburgh's Royal Mile celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, and this week launches an all-new multimedia tour highlighting the production of Scotch Whisky. We'll talk with CEO Susan Morrison on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In...
07.10.2023
Four Roses Bourbon Celebrates 135 Years
Back in 1888, Paul Jones Jr. started selling Bourbon under the Four Roses brand. 135 years later, the brand is stronger than ever, and to mark the anniversary, Four Roses is releasing a first-ever tasting kit with all 10 of...
07.03.2023
A Craft Maltster's Closing Leaves Distillers in the Lurch
The collapse of Washington’s Skagit Valley Malting last month left distillers and brewers alike searching for new suppliers of malted barley. The craft maltster had more than 270 customers when it closed unexpectedly, including Seattle’s Westland and Copperworks distilleries. We’ll...
06.26.2023
A New Golden Age for Scotch Whisky?
The Scotch Whisky industry is roaring along, setting new records for sales every year as the global demand for whisky continues to grow. The last "golden age" for Scotch Whisky is generally considered to be the late 1800's, when distilleries...
06.19.2023
Changing of the Guard at Seattle's Westland Distillery
Westland Distillery co-founder Matt Hofmann is leaving the Seattle distillery at the end of the month to pursue new adventures. With no specific plans for the future, Matt and his successor as production manager, Tyler Pederson, join us on this...
06.12.2023
Big Changes for Wyoming Whiskey
Wyoming Whiskey marked its 10th anniversary last December, and this April, Edrington took majority ownership of the Cowboy State's first distillery. That ended the run of David DeFazio as Wyoming Whiskey's president, but he remains the brand's global ambassador and...
06.05.2023
Old Pulteney Shutting Down for 8 Weeks to Protect Water Supply
With some parts of Scotland facing another long, dry summer, distilleries are making plans to cope with expected water shortages from the lochs and rivers that provide essential water for distilling. Wick's Old Pulteney Distillery has already announced plans to...
05.29.2023
Another New Distillery for Campbeltown
At one time, Campbeltown was Scotland's whisky capital with more than 35 distilleries. That number dwindled to just three over the years, but now, planning approval is being sought for up to three new distilleries. The latest project is the...
05.22.2023
Celebrating World Whisky Day
Whisky lovers around the world celebrated World Whisky Day Saturday. The holiday was created a dozen years ago by whisky writer and consultant Blair Bowman, and we'll check in with him on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. He's been involved in...
05.15.2023
A New Era for Blended American Whisky
Blended American Whisky has been ignored by connoisseurs for many years, largely because the category has been dominated by cheap blends using grain neutral spirits. Now, there's a new era for Blended American Whisky as blenders explore the flexibility the...

What's WhiskyCast about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

WhiskyCast episodes:

A Green Fuel Source for Distillers?

A Sleeping Giant Awakens at Port Ellen

15 Years of Texas Whiskey

Making the "World's Most Admired" Whiskies

Ask the Whisky Maker: Compass Box's James Saxon

A Whisky Dream Come True

A Long-Term Commitment to Longmorn

Mark Reynier: Whisky's Enfant Terrible

A Commitment to Sustainable Whisky

Bulleit Enters the American Single Malt Race

In Search of Dusty Whiskies

Another New Distillery for Kentucky

Tennessee Whiskey's Lost History

And the Winner Is...

Changing of the Guard at Ireland's Midleton Distillery

A New Future for Single Cask Nation

2023: The Year in Whisky

A Whiskey Maker's Holiday Treat

Never Say Die Bourbon: A Whiskey with a Back Story

Bespoke Whisky, Bespoke Tweed

Is the Luxury Whisky Investment Market Softening?

Northern Ireland's Distilling Resurgence

The Spirited Chef Takes on Whisky & Food

Through the Years with Dewar's Master Blender Stephanie Macleod

Balcones Distilling Celebrates 15 Years of Texas Whiskey

Making Whiskey in the Music City

Signed, Sealed, & Delivered: A Look at Contract Distilling

An Exercise in Whisky Blending

The Outlander and the Distiller

Eight Special Single Malts...and a Cowboy Bourbon

Catching Up with Ardbeg's Colin Gordon

10 Years In…And a Lot More Left to Learn

Whisky Number One...of One

"Do You Even Like Whisky"

A Deep Dive Into Scotch Whisky Data

The Risks of Whisky Investing

Whisky and Music Come Together in Rhythm & Booze Records

Digging Into Scotland's Whisky History

A New Era for Gordon & MacPhail

Reviving Rosebank Distillery After 30 Silent Years

A New Experience at The Scotch Whisky Experience

Four Roses Bourbon Celebrates 135 Years

A Craft Maltster's Closing Leaves Distillers in the Lurch

A New Golden Age for Scotch Whisky?

Changing of the Guard at Seattle's Westland Distillery

Big Changes for Wyoming Whiskey

Old Pulteney Shutting Down for 8 Weeks to Protect Water Supply

Another New Distillery for Campbeltown

Celebrating World Whisky Day

A New Era for Blended American Whisky