WhiskyCast

Maker's Mark celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, and the distillery is about to undergo a $70 million dollar expansion that will increase capacity by 50% to meet future demands, along with changes to make it easier for distillery workers and thousands of visitors to get around the complex. Maker's Mark President Rob Samuels explains the project and plans for marking the anniversary on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, there are more distillery projects planned in Scotland, details on the third Orphan Barrel Bourbon, and a new Scotch whisky from The Last Drop. We'll also answer a listener question about the history of Speyside distilleries, and this week's tasting notes include the new 25th Anniversary edition of Booker's Bourbon.

Alwynne Gwilt couldn't stand whisky...hated it, in fact. That is, until a former boss in London dragged the Canadian expat to a media tasting. It's not quite the same transformation Peter Parker had following his encounter with a radioactive spider, but that evening turned Alwynne into "Miss Whisky". Now, she's on her own blogging, freelance writing, and leading whisky tastings...and joins us for this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Diageo plans to open Stitzel-Weller Distillery in Louisville to the public, but there are still no official plans to restart production...yet. Beam loses a preliminary battle in its legal fight over Irish whiskey supplies, Teeling Whiskey gets more distribution in Latin America, and The Glenrothes uncovers a single cask from 1969.

There have been many more questions than answers about Diageo's new Orphan Barrel range of whiskies...until now. Diageo's Ewan Morgan answers our questions about the origins of Old Blowhard and Barterhouse Bourbons, hints at the next release in series, and explains what distilleries often mean when they talk about "discovering" old casks of whisky in a warehouse. In the news, Whyte & Mackay is officially up for sale now, a Houston bar may be the only one in the world with a bottle of Glenmorangie 1963, and they're preparing for DramFest 2014 in Christchurch, New Zealand - three years after a massive earthquake devastated the city.

Whisky's brand ambassadors roam the world, racking up tens or hundreds of thousands of frequent flier miles every year and spending up to half their nights away from home, while pouring more drams than some full-time bartenders. We'll hear some of their tales from the road -- good and bad -- during this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, US whiskey exports hit a new high during 2013, while Irish whiskey exports could double by 2020. We'll hear from supporters and critics of the UK's new Scotch Whisky certification program, and this week's tasting notes include four vintage Bourbons.

Kilchoman became Islay's newest distillery in 2005, about the same time Jean Donnay started making whisky at Glann ar Mor on France's Brittany Coast. Fast forward 10 years to 2015, when Donnay is scheduled to open his new distillery on Islay's Gartbreck Farm and claim the title of Islay's youngest distillery. Gartbreck received planning permission this week, and construction is expected to begin this May. Jean Donnay joins us on WhiskyCast In-Depth to discuss his longtime dream of distilling on Islay and his plans for Gartbreck Farm. In the news, the TSA relaxes its rules on carrying duty-free whiskies on board flights for international passengers, Dublin officials give Teeling Whiskey the green light to start construction on its new distillery, and the Kentucky Bourbon Affair's "golden tickets" sold out in little more than a week.

Colin Scott is celebrating two anniversaries -- his 40th anniversary in the whisky business and 25th anniversary as the Master Blender for Chivas Regal and Royal Salute whiskies. His latest release is a tribute to Royal Salute's ties to the world of professional polo, and Colin took his inspiration for the blend from working with his family's polo ponies. He'll discuss his blends and working with whiskies that were just being distilled when he started his career on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Suntory denies reports that it's bidding for Whyte & Mackay and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail sets a new visitor record. We'll also have reaction to a moment in this week's WhiskyCast HD interview that caught Richard Paterson off guard, along with tasting notes for the Dalmore expression he created with Chef Daniel Boulud.

More coverage of the Victoria Whisky Festival in this bonus edition of WhiskyCast, with details on new and upcoming releases from Springbank, Duncan Taylor, Tomatin, and Glenfarclas. In the news, Whyte & Mackay's Richard Paterson discusses his concerns over the future of the company in an exclusive WhiskyCast interview, the world record price for a single bottle of whisky sold at auction has been shattered, and Barry Wilde of Alberta's Highwood Distillers updates us on the recovery from last summer's massive flooding that shut the distillery down for weeks.

This is the first of two episodes from this weekend's Victoria Whisky Festival in British Columbia, where Canadian whisky was featured on opening night with the presentation of the 2013 Canadian Whisky Awards. Corby's Lot No. 40 ended Forty Creek Distillery's three-year run as Canadian Whisky of the Year, but by the slimmest of margins. We'll hear from the winners, as well as the equally pleased runners-up. In the news, Suntory's $16 billion deal to acquire Beam is drawing fire from some critics, Wild Turkey will honor Jimmy Russell with a special bottling to mark his 60th anniversary at the distillery this year, and Clynelish will be the latest Diageo distillery in Scotland to get an expansion. Mark also offers a commentary on the Suntory-Beam merger and why it's good for whisky lovers.

London and Seattle have a few things in common: reputations for foggy, rainy weather...a vibrant cultural scene...and now, craft distilleries. Seattle's had them for several years, and the guys at Westland Distillery are actually on their second one, having moved from their original distillery to a brand-new one just south of downtown Seattle. London had whisky distilleries until 1905, but Darren Rook's London Distillery Company has just started making its first experimental batches of whisky in Battersea using one of the UK's smallest distilleries. We'll find out more on both distillers in this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth...in the news, the UK is implementing a new plan to certify the authenticity of Scotch Whisky, there's talk that the UK may cut whisky taxes ahead of the Scottish independence referendum, and Louisville's about to announce a major Bourbon event for this May.

Southern California isn't the place you'd normally think of for a Bourbon to call home, but Steve Gertman picked the wine country of Santa Barbara County to locate his Ascendant Spirits Distillery and produce Breaker Bourbon. Gertman joins us for this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth, and explains why he gave up a career most guys would dream of: producing TV shows featuring some of the world's hottest cars. We'll also look at a new Scottish Government report on the impact of Scotch Whisky exports, the latest release from Bowmore, and tasting notes for a 60-year-old Glenfarclas single malt.