WhiskyCast HD
77 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 5 years ago - ★★★★ - 5 ratingsCask-Strength Conversation on Whisky
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Episodes
Catching Up with Forty Creek Whisky Founder John Hall
January 27, 2019 00:59 - 12 minutes VideoForty Creek Whisky founder John K. Hall has kept a low profile since selling his distillery to Campari five years ago. He won dozens of awards for his whiskies at Forty Creek, and turned his startup into one of the best-selling Canadian whiskies around - earning him a place in Canadian Whisky history. Hall returned to the 2019 Victoria Whisky Festival for the first time since the sale to serve as the keynote speaker for the Canadian Whisky Awards dinner. In an exclusive interview with WhiskyC...
Cleaning Up Thousands of Bourbon Barrels at Barton 1792 Distillery
August 14, 2018 20:30 - 3 minutes VideoOn June 22, 2018, half of Warehouse 30 collapsed at the Barton 1792 Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky, spilling around 9,000 barrels of whiskey. The rest of the warehouse collapsed on July 4 with another 9,000 barrels. Crews have been working since then to recover as many barrels - and as much Bourbon - as possible. The site is closed to reporters, but Sazerac has released a video and new images showing cleanup work at the warehouse site.
Crown Royal's Bourbon...Uh, Blenders' Mash
July 12, 2018 19:30 - 6 minutes VideoWith the ongoing trade dispute between the US and Canada, it's important to keep in mind that Canadian Whisky remains extremely popular in the US. Crown Royal has released the latest edition in its Noble Collection series - a 13-year-old "Blender's Mash" using one of the five different styles of whisky Crown Royal makes at its distillery in Gimli, Manitoba. They call it a different name at the distillery, though...and when they tried to use that "Bourbon Mash" name in the US...let's just say ...
A Craft Distiller's Last Call
May 06, 2018 22:30 - 7 minutes VideoJames Yoakum opened Cooper River Distillers in 2014 in the heart of Camden, New Jersey - just wanting to make good whiskies and rum. He and his team did just that, but they learned an important lesson along the way: size matters. They couldn't make enough whiskey and rum to meet the demand, but they also couldn't make enough money to expand the distillery. Faced with that dilemma, Yoakum decided to close the distillery with one final Kentucky Derby party on May 5, 2018.
The Archivist Preserving Irish Whiskey's History
December 30, 2017 18:30 - 10 minutes VideoIrish Whiskey's history has been written over centuries, but Carol Quinn has the unique task of preserving the history that was actually written down. The professional archivist has spent the last five years cataloging more than two centuries' worth of historic documents, photographs, and bottles from the distilleries that joined forces in 1966 to form Irish Distillers - and she's barely getting started. The stories hidden away in the Irish Whiskey Archive tell more than just the facts and fi...
Whisky Starts with the Grain and "The Gatekeeper"
December 21, 2017 00:00 - 9 minutes VideoWe'll visit the Hiram Walker and Sons distillery in Windsor, Ontario, which uses around 100 million metric tons of grain each year to distill its Canadian whiskies, and meet "The Gatekeeper," Kristy Fregonese. It's her job to make sure that every truckload of grain that arrives at the distillery meets strict quality control standards.
10 Years of Making Rye Whiskey at George Washington's Distillery
December 13, 2017 00:40 - 9 minutes VideoGeorge Washington's original whiskey distillery at his Mount Vernon estate in Virginia operated from 1797 until shortly after his death in 1799. In 2007, the restored distillery began producing rye whiskey using Washington's original recipe. Ten years later, distillers from around the United States gathered at Mount Vernon to celebrate - and make some whiskey.
A Snowflake Whiskey in the Rocky Mountains
December 10, 2017 00:40 - 13 minutes VideoOn the first Saturday each December, Stranahan's Distillery in Denver releases its annual Snowflake limited-edition single malt whiskey. The release party has become more than just a one-day event, as hundreds of whiskey lovers start camping outside the distillery days in advance to claim a spot in line. We'll meet these "Strana-fans" and get a look behind the scenes as the 2017 release of Snowflake goes on sale.
Reviving Whiskey Distilling in Dublin's Liberties
November 09, 2017 18:10 - 9 minutes VideoDublin's Liberties neighborhood was once the center of the whiskey universe at a time when Irish Whiskey ruled the world more than 100 years ago. Changing tastes, wars, and economics ended that, and the last heritage distillery in the Liberties closed in 1976. Four decades later, the resurgence of Irish Whiskey has led to a resurgence of distilling in the Liberties, with two distilleries now in production and two more under construction as the Liberties reclaims its place in the whiskey world...
Selling Whiskey in a Whisky World
October 21, 2017 15:50 - 8 minutes VideoThe boom in Bourbon and American Whiskey sales isn't just a North American phenomenon. Whisky lovers around the world are demanding Bourbon, Tennessee Whiskey, and other whiskies from legendary and new distilleries alike, as we found during The Whisky Show in London. Part of the demand is being created by the cocktail culture, as American whiskies are key to making both classic and modern cocktails, but there's also a demand for the unique flavors of American whiskies, too.
Taiwan’s King Car: A Distillery on Fire
August 30, 2017 19:30 - 9 minutes VideoBTaiwan's King Car Distillery is only 10 years old, yet its Kavalan single malt whiskies have won worldwide acclaim. As the distillery enters its second decade, Master Blender Ian Chang is leading his team with a heavy heart following the sudden death of his mentor earlier this year. Dr. Jim Swan was a consultant and mentor to distillers and blenders around the world, but had a special place in his heart for his friends in Taiwan, where he helped fashion the single malt whiskies that gave Kav...
WhiskyCast HD: Making Whisky Under a Bridge in Waco, Texas
June 21, 2017 22:20 - 7 minutes VideoBalcones Distilling moved into a brand-new modern whisky distillery in Waco, Texas in 2016, leaving behind its home in an old welding shop under the 17th Street Bridge a few blocks away. Head Distiller Jared Himstedt helped build the original distillery, and took us back for a tour of the largely hand-built distillery that helped Balcones make its name. We’ll also get a look inside the new state of the art distillery as well.
WhiskyCast HD: Making Scotch Whisky the Old School Way with Floor Malting
May 13, 2017 01:00 - 11 minutes VideoThe pagodas that adorn the roofs of many whisky distilleries in Scotland aren't there just for show. Years ago, those pagodas reeked with smoke as distillers dried the malted barley they produced on their malting floors. Economics forced all but a handful of distilleries to shut down their maltings many years ago and source their malted barley from large commercial maltings. However, a handful of Scotland's distilleries still malt some of their own barley because they believe it makes a diffe...
WhiskyCast HD: The Story of Green Spot Irish Whiskey
March 17, 2017 18:00 - 8 minutes VideoFor years, whiskey lovers spoke of a mysterious Irish Whiskey that could generally be found only in Ireland. Green Spot is a single pot still Irish Whiskey that was created by Mitchell and Son, the legendary Dublin wine and whiskey merchant. Green Spot got its name from the dab of green paint on each cask, and was one of four different Spot whiskeys bottled by the Mitchell family for decades using whiskey from Dublin's Jameson Distillery.
WhiskyCast HD: A Peek Inside Dublin’s New Jameson Distillery Bow Street
March 06, 2017 23:00 - 5 minutes VideoThe Old Jameson Distillery in Dublin has been one of Ireland's most popular tourist attractions for years, but it closed at the end of August 2016 for an €11 million renovation project. It has now reopened as the Jameson Distillery Bow Street, with a whole new approach to go along with the new name.
WhiskyCast HD: Inside the Port Ellen Maltings
December 28, 2016 19:00 - 9 minutes VideoThe days when each Scotch Whisky distillery malted its own barley are long gone, and only a few distilleries still have malting floors. Now, most distilleries get their malt from one of the 11 commercial maltings in Scotland, and we’ll go inside Diageo’s Port Ellen Maltings on Islay for a look at the process of malting barley - one of the first steps in making whisky.
WhiskyCast HD: 200 Years of Whisky History at Islay’s Lagavulin Distillery
November 26, 2016 22:00 - 10 minutes VideoLagavulin Distillery on Scotland's Isle of Islay is celebrating its 200th anniversary in 2016. It's not Islay's largest distillery, nor does it make the island's smokiest single malt Scotch whisky. Instead, Lagavulin's distillers focus on making the best whisky they can every day, and that dedication has led to whisky lovers around the world falling in love with Lagavulin.
WhiskyCast HD: Wine to Whisky: The Sherry Influence
September 16, 2016 15:00 - 9 minutes VideoMany of our favorite whiskies can be traced to Spain’s Sherry Triangle, the coastal region where Sherry comes from. We’ll look at the influence Sherry casks have on whiskies and visit the Antonio Páez Cooperage in Jerez, where Sherry casks are still made largely by hand.
WhiskyCast HD: What’s In a Name?
May 25, 2016 03:00 - 4 minutes VideoMany of Scotland's whisky distilleries are named after their towns, such as Aberlour, Bowmore, and Craigellachie. However, The Glenrothes is the exception...it's distilled in the Speyside town of Rothes, 92 miles north of Glenrothes in Fife. Glenrothes has a new distillery to call its own, and we'll visit InchDairnie Distillery for a look at its modern way of making classic Scotch Whisky.
WhiskyCast HD: Pouring The Perfect Pint of Guinness
March 16, 2016 18:00 - 9 minutes VideoThis is a special “throwback” video with the very first WhiskyCast video segment released on March 17, 2011 featuring former Guinness master brewer Fergal Murray demonstrating how to pull a perfect pint of Guinness from the tap.
WhiskyCast HD: The Brian Kinsman Interview
March 15, 2016 00:00 - 10 minutes VideoBrian Kinsman became the sixth Master Blender in the history of William Grant and Sons in 2009, following in the footsteps of his mentor, David Stewart. While Stewart continues to oversee The Balvenie, Kinsman is responsible for Glenfiddich, the Grant's blended Scotch whiskies, and the rest of the company's portfolio.
WhiskyCast HD:The First Still Run at Ireland’s Waterford Distillery
December 12, 2015 06:20 - 9 minutes VideoIt's rare to watch a whiskey distillery's stills run for the very first time, but that's what we're bringing you in this episode of WhiskyCast HD. Just a year and a week after buying the former Guinness brewery in Waterford, Ireland, Mark Reynier's Renegade Spirits has fired up the stills at what's now known as Waterford Distillery. Many of the brewery's former employees laid off after it closed two years ago have come back to work at the distillery, and 46 area farmers have been contracted t...
WhiskyCast HD: Don’t Try This At Home!
November 06, 2015 00:10 - 4 minutes VideoWhisky glasses come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, and while most of us have our own personal favorite style of glass, they all start out the same way...white-hot molten glass on the end of a glass blower's pipe. As part of Auchentoshan's "Art of Auchentoshan" project, a group of whisky writers was given a chance to hand-blow our own whisky glasses at Brooklyn's Urban Glass - with supervision!
WhiskyCast HD: The Jim Beveridge Interview
October 16, 2015 00:10 - 12 minutes VideoDr. Jim Beveridge is the Master Blender for Johnnie Walker, and leads a team of blenders at Diageo's blending lab in Menstrie, Scotland. He rarely does interviews, but sat down with WhiskyCast's Mark Gillespie recently in New York City to discuss the science and the art behind whisky blending.
WhiskyCast HD: Chatting with Bourbon Legends Parker Beam and Jimmy Russell
October 08, 2015 18:40 - 19 minutes VideoParker Beam and Jimmy Russell were part of the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame's inaugural class in 2001, and on September 16, 2015, Jimmy helped present Parker with the Hall of Fame's first Lifetime Achievement Award. The award has been named for Parker as a tribute to the longtime Heaven Hill master distiller, who has been fighting ALS for the last three years. After the presentation, both Bourbon legends sat down with WhiskyCast's Mark Gillespie for a chat.
WhiskyCast HD: Seattle’s Hometown Single Malt Whiskey
September 10, 2015 16:40 - 7 minutes VideoSeattle is known for coffee, but Westland Distillery wants Seattle to be known for its whiskey, too. Westland has already outgrown its original distillery, and is one of the few American distilleries producing single malt whiskey exclusively. Westland is also one of the few North American distilleries with its own peat bog...the only one in the region not designated as protected wetlands.
WhiskyCast HD: Silver Trail’s Story of Survival
August 28, 2015 01:12 - 14 minutes VideoKentucky had not had a fatal distillery accident since Prohibition until the morning of April 24, 2015, when the still at the Silver Trail Distillery suddenly over-pressurized and exploded. Distillers Jay Rogers and Kyle Rogers were hit with a blast of steam followed by burning alcohol, and both men suffered severe burns. Kyle Rogers died 17 days later at Nashville's Vanderbilt University Medical Center, while Jay Rogers spent more than two months in the burn unit before he was released. He a...
WhiskyCast HD: Bringing Whisky to Ballindalloch
June 16, 2015 05:12 - 6 minutes VideoThe Macpherson-Grant family has owned Scotland's Ballindalloch Estate for 469 years, so short-term thinking isn't in their DNA. The family has converted an old barn on the estate into Speyside's smallest distillery, with plans to release a Ballindalloch Single Malt Scotch Whisky years from now.
WhiskyCast HD: The Spirit of Speyside Festival
May 21, 2015 05:13 - 6 minutes VideoThousands of whisky lovers descend on Scotland's Speyside region on the first weekend of May each year for the Spirit of Speyside Festival. The festival has more than 400 events over the River Spey's 100-mile length, combining music, art, and food as well as some of the world's finest whiskies.
WhiskyCast HD: The Alan Winchester Interview
May 14, 2015 05:01 - 15 minutes VideoAlan Winchester is Master Distiller for The Glenlivet, along with overseeing distilling operations at all of the Chivas Brothers distilleries in Scotland. This June, he'll celebrate his 40th anniversary in the Scotch Whisky industry, and he sat down with WhiskyCast's Mark Gillespie to discuss the past, present, and future of Scotch Whisky during the Spirit of Speyside Festival.
WhiskyCast HD: A Big Weekend At Maker’s Mark
April 17, 2015 03:45 - 5 minutes VideoThe second weekend of April means The Masters for golf lovers, but for fans of Maker's Mark Bourbon, it means horse racing and a visit to the distillery in the heart of Kentucky's Bourbon Country. More than a thousand people lined up at Keeneland in Lexington on Friday (April 10) for the annual Keeneland charity bottle signing featuring University of Kentucky basketball legends. The next day, more than 4,000 people descended on the tiny town of Loretto, Kentucky for the distillery's annual Ma...
WhiskyCast HD: Single Malt Whisky Swedish Style
December 11, 2014 13:00 - 9 minutes VideoSwedes have a passion for whisky, and that's led some Swedish whisky lovers to open their own distilleries and make single malt whisky with a Scandinavian flair. We'll visit Box and Mackmyra distilleries in Sweden to see what makes Swedish single malt whiskies unique on this episode of WhiskyCast HD.
WhiskyCast HD: The John Glaser Interview, Part Two
October 26, 2014 20:30 - 14 minutes VideoCompass Box founder John Glaser has been shaking up the Scotch Whisky industry for the last 15 years. In the final part of our 2-part interview conducted in John's blending lab, we'll discuss his differences with the Scotch Whisky Association, the story behind the new Compass Box whisky “The Lost Blend”, and John answers more questions submitted by WhiskyCast listeners.
WhiskyCast HD: The John Glaser Interview, Part One
October 18, 2014 18:15 - 12 minutes VideoCompass Box founder John Glaser has been shaking up the Scotch Whisky industry for the last 15 years. In Part 1 of our 2-part interview conducted in John's blending lab, we'll discuss the early years of Compass Box along with his latest whisky, Great King Street Glasgow Blend. He'll also answer questions submitted by WhiskyCast listeners.
WhiskyCast HD: Making Bourbon On Display At The Evan Williams Bourbon Experience
October 02, 2014 01:30 - 6 minutes VideoAfter decades of Bourbon history, Whiskey Row along Main Street in downtown Louisville finally has its first distillery. Heaven Hill's Evan Williams Bourbon Experience was built around a barrel-a-day microdistillery.
WhiskyCast HD: New Life For Stitzel-Weller As The Bulleit Frontier Whiskey Experience Opens
September 27, 2014 03:00 - 6 minutes VideoFor decades, the legendary Stitzel-Weller Distillery in the Louisville suburb of Shively has been a mystery for Bourbon lovers. Now, the distillery made famous by Pappy Van Winkle has opened its doors to the public as the home of the Bulleit Frontier Whiskey Experience.
WhiskyCast HD: Whisky “On The Rock”
May 16, 2014 22:15 - 3 minutes VideoTokyo's bartenders have been carving ice into perfect spheres for years, but Hidetsugu Ueno found that boring. The owner of Bar High Five in Tokyo's Ginza district not only designed his carving knife, but a design for carving his ice into diamonds that taper perfectly to fit a whisky glass.
WhiskyCast HD: On The Road With Whisky’s Wanderers
February 06, 2014 23:00 - 11 minutes VideoBeing a brand ambassador for a major whisky brand sounds like a lot of fun...and it is, but it's also a job with perks like jet lag, lost luggage, flight delays, and occasionally, a trip to the local police station. Some of the whisky world's top brand ambassadors shared their tales from the road with us at the 2014 Victoria Whisky Festival in Canada.
WhiskyCast HD: The Richard Paterson Interview, Part 2
January 24, 2014 16:00 - 16 minutes VideoRichard Paterson, Whyte & Mackay’s Master Blender, answers questions from WhiskyCast community members in Part 2 of our interview during the Victoria Whisky Festival.
WhiskyCast HD: The Richard Paterson Interview, Part 1
January 23, 2014 11:15 - 10 minutes VideoRichard Paterson is known to whisky lovers as “The Nose”, and Whyte & Mackay’s Master Blender sat down for a one on one interview at the Victoria Whisky Festival. In Part 1, he discusses his recent project with Chef Daniel Boulud and his feelings about the current situation at Whyte & Mackay.
WhiskyCast HD: Reviving Pennsylvania’s Rye Whiskey Heritage at Dad’s Hat
December 30, 2013 02:00 - 7 minutes VideoPennsylvania was once the center of American whiskey distilling. John Cooper and Herman Mihalich are trying to revive the Keystone State’s rye whiskey heritage with their Dad’s Hat Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey, distilled in an old woolen mill near the banks of the Delaware River in Bristol, Pennsylvania.
WhiskyCast HD: The Tap Tavern in Kinsale: A Classic Irish Pub
December 28, 2013 02:00 - 6 minutes VideoIrish pubs are legendary, but original ones are becoming harder and harder to find. The Tap Tavern in Kinsale, County Cork, has been owned by the same family since 1886, and is one of the best examples of a classic Irish “local” around.
WhiskyCast HD: Forty Creek Distillery's Whisky Weekend
October 06, 2013 23:00 - 5 minutes VideoCanadian whisky lovers converge on the Forty Creek Distillery in Grimsby, Ontario on the final weekend of September each year. That's when Forty Creek founder and whisky maker John Hall releases his annual limited edition release. This year, WhiskyCast's Mark Gillespie was on hand as John released Forty Creek's "Heart of Gold" whisky and around 3,000 whisky lovers showed up to claim their bottles.
WhiskyCast HD: Ireland's Midleton Distillery Celebrates Massive Expansion
September 10, 2013 11:20 - 8 minutes VideoIrish Whiskey is the fastest growing segment of the worldwide whisky market, and Midleton Distillery is the largest in Ireland. Even running 24/7 isn't enough to meet global demand for Jameson, Redbreast, Powers, Paddy, and the other whiskies distilled at Midleton. Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard is investing $265 million to expand Midleton, and dedicated the distillery's new stillhouse with a housewarming party on September 4, 2013.
WhiskyCast HD: Atlantic City's Best Whisky Bar
August 18, 2013 11:20 - 10 minutes VideoWhisky lovers travel to Atlantic City from all over the U.S. for the monthly Second Saturday Single Malt Tastings at the Miner's Delight Inn. Bob and Barbara Townsend started the monthly tastings after they bought the inn in 2006, and their "Two-Bit Cowboy Saloon" has 86 different whiskies behind the hand-crafted bar. They're used to a bit of confusion, though. This Atlantic City is in Wyoming, not New Jersey.
WhiskyCast HD: Glenmorangie's Cask Masters Project
July 13, 2013 02:20 - 4 minutes VideoCrowdsourcing comes to the world of whisky, as Glenmorangie gives whisky lovers the chance to select its next single malt Scotch whisky. The choices range from the type of casks, all the way down to the plans for the launch party in 2014.
WhiskyCast HD: Cocktails - Shaken Or Stirred?
July 01, 2013 20:20 - 3 minutes VideoVisit any cocktail bar, and you're certain to hear the sound of a bartender shaking a drink over ice. It may be a great way to show off, but is it the best way to make some whisky-based cocktails like the classic Manhattan? With some help from Beam Master Mixologist Bobby Gleason and Louisville-area bartenders Larry Rice and Levi Beckley, we'll see whether shaking or stirring a Manhattan makes a difference.
WhiskyCast HD: Single Malt from Grain to Glass at Canada's Shelter Point Distillery
May 29, 2013 01:20 - 5 minutes VideoIn the old days, distilleries were almost always part of a farm, since farmers would distill their excess grain to make some extra money. Some craft distillers are reviving that heritage, including Patrick Evans and Jim Marinus of Shelter Point Distillery on Canada's Vancouver Island. They've been distilling and maturing single malt whisky for the last couple of years and waiting for it to mature, while running the Evans family farm full-time and using the distillery to host weddings and othe...
WhiskyCast HD: Highland Park - Scotch Whisky, Orcadian Heritage
May 21, 2013 00:30 - 5 minutes VideoHighland Park is Scotland's northernmost distillery, and has a character that's uniquely Orcadian. Orkney was home to ancient Neolithic tribes well before the Vikings invaded from Norway 15 centuries ago, but both cultures have merged to create a unique place...that's home to a unique distillery. We'll look at what makes Highland Park different from other Scotch whiskies...and solve a mystery: how did a distillery that's technically not in the Scottish Highlands get the name Highland Park?
WhiskyCast HD: Single Malt Whisky the Indian Way: A Visit to Amrut
April 13, 2013 02:30 - 8 minutes VideoIndia is one of the world's largest whisky-consuming nations, but never had a single malt whisky to call its own until the Jagdale family's Amrut Distillery in Bangalore produced the first Indian single malt in 2004. Originally available only in the UK, Amrut expressions are now available in 22 nations around the world...but only in one of India's 25 states...so far.