WhiskyCast
1,069 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 days ago - ★★★★★ - 223 ratingsEach 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.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Jeff Arnett: 10 Years as Master Distiller at Jack Daniel's (WhiskyCast Episode 718: August 5, 2018)
August 05, 2018 14:16 - 45 minutes - 52.8 MBJeff Arnett became the Master Distiller for Jack Daniel's in 2008, joining a small club of distillers that began with Jack Daniel and Nathan "Nearest" Green in 1866. In his first decade on the job, he's created more new Jack Daniel's whiskies than all of his predecessors combined, while also traveling the world as the brand's chief ambassador. We'll talk with Jeff Arnett about that decade and his plans for the future on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, community activists in Northern Irelan...
Building a Showcase for Bourbon History (WhiskyCast Episode 717: August 2, 2018)
August 03, 2018 00:15 - 1 hour - 69.8 MBConstruction workers are racing the clock to complete work at Louisville's Frazier History Museum by the end of this month, when the new "Spirit of Kentucky" Bourbon history exhibit and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Welcome Center are scheduled to open. Both represent a multi-million dollar investment in Bourbon tourism on Louisville's Whiskey Row, and we'll take a "hard hat" tour with the Frazier's Andy Treinen on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, 2017 was another record year for Scotch Whisky...
Trade Disputes Lead to a "Whisky Summit" in Louisville (WhiskyCast Episode 716: July 29, 2018)
July 30, 2018 00:28 - 43 minutes - 40.4 MBGlobal trade has helped the whisky industry expand massively over the last two decades. With the ongoing trade dispute between the US and its key trading partners threatening that growth, the world's nine major whisky trade associations held their first-ever "W9 Summit" this week in Louisville. WhiskyCast was in Louisville for the summit, and we'll have complete coverage on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, we'll have details on the week's new whiskies from Glenfiddich, Johnnie Walker, Mortl...
On the Road at Tales of the Cocktail (WhiskyCast Episode 715: July 22, 2018)
July 22, 2018 23:22 - 39 minutes - 45.8 MBThis time around, we're in New Orleans for Tales of the Cocktail, the annual gathering of bartenders and drinks industry leaders for a week of education and entertainment. Think of this year's version as Tales 2.0, though. There's a completely new management team in place following some troubled times for the conference in the past 18 months, and the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation has been formed to create a long-term impact on the industry. This week, they started by awarding $250,000 in ...
Bringing Distilling Back to Lexington's Distillery District (WhiskyCast Episode 714: July 15, 2018)
July 16, 2018 00:42 - 31 minutes - 36.3 MBThe James E. Pepper Distillery dominated the western edge of downtown Lexington, Kentucky for decades until it closed in 1958, and what was at one time the country's largest Bourbon distillery became a rundown eyesore. Several years ago, entrepreneurs bought several of the distillery's buildings and started building bars, a brewery, galleries and other businesses in the "Distillery District." Last December, Amir Peay's Georgetown Trading Co. brought distilling back to the district when he re...
Parker's Heritage Collection Takes a Twist (WhiskyCast Episode 713: July 12, 2018)
July 13, 2018 04:06 - 37 minutes - 43 MBHeaven Hill has unveiled the 2018 edition of Parker's Heritage Collection whiskey. It's a Bourbon finished in Orange Curaçao liqueur barrels, and that has some purists raising an eyebrow. Heaven Hill Master Distiller Denny Potter joins us on WhiskyCast In-Depth to explain - and defend the process that went into creating this year's release as a chance to try something different...the way Parker Beam would have. In the news, Western Kentucky is getting a new whiskey distillery that's actually...
A New Riff on Distilling (WhiskyCast Episode 712: July 8, 2018)
July 08, 2018 20:58 - 47 minutes - 55.1 MBKen Lewis has accomplished a lot of things in his life, from climbing Alaska's Denali to owning one of Kentucky's largest chains of liquor stores. Four years ago, he sold The Party Source stores to his employees and opened New Riff Distilling in Newport, Kentucky to start making whiskey instead of selling it. At the end of this month, the first New Riff Bourbon will go on sale - a four-year-old Bottled in Bond Bourbon. We'll talk with Ken about his disruptive approach to life and whiskey on ...
The Great Islay Swim (WhiskyCast Episode 711: July 1, 2018)
July 01, 2018 23:58 - 50 minutes - 58.5 MBThe rough, cold waters off Scotland's Isle of Islay are a challenge for even the best sailors, and one might think it madness to try and swim around the island. A year ago, three men did just that and collected whiskies from each of Islay's eight distilleries along their journey in the "Great Islay Swim." Veteran explorers Justin Fornal and Chad Anderson were joined by Beam Suntory brand ambassador Johnnie Mundell, who brought his own open-water swimming background and his connections on Isl...
Beetles and Bourbon Rickhouses Don't Mix (WhiskyCast Episode 710: June 28, 2018)
June 29, 2018 04:13 - 46 minutes - 53.7 MBWhile the cause of last Friday's warehouse collapse at Kentucky's Barton 1792 Distillery is still not known, the whiskey industry has known for years about the problems so-called "powderpost" beetles can cause in a rickhouse. Anobiid beetles dig deeply into old, untreated wood as larvae, then chew their way out as adults, and are capable of weakening the structural integrity of a wooden structure over many years. University of Kentucky entomology professor Michael Potter is an expert on thes...
45 Is Old...For a Bourbon! (WhiskyCast Episode 709: June 24, 2018)
June 25, 2018 01:30 - 48 minutes - 56.2 MBIf you're young, you might think 45 is old. If you're older, you might think 45 is still pretty young. But when you're talking about tasting a 45-year-old Bourbon, not only is that old, but it's the oldest Bourbon ever bottled! We'll head to Julio's Liquors in Massachusetts for the rare chance to taste the James Thompson & Brother Final Reserve 45-year-old Bourbon, along with its 42-year-old kid brother and three vintage Kentucky whiskies from the 50's and 60's. In the news, we'll have t...
Growing a Whisky Business in Glasgow (WhiskyCast Episode 708: June 21, 2018)
June 21, 2018 13:26 - 41 minutes - 47.5 MBThe Glasgow Distillery Company won't release its first 1770 Glasgow single malt whisky until later this year, but the four-year-old company is already kicking off a year-long expansion project to double its production capacity. We'll talk with co-founder Liam Hughes about the expansion and the challenges of launching Glasgow's first malt whisky distillery in a century on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, European Union import tariffs on American-made whiskies go into effect on Friday, settin...
Speed Rack: Women Shaking Cocktails for a Cause (WhiskyCast Episode 707: June 17, 2017)
June 17, 2018 16:56 - 40 minutes - 46.8 MBThere are plenty of cocktail competitions for bartenders, but Speed Rack was one of the first to highlight women working behind the bar. Lynette Marrero and Ivy Mix founded Speed Rack in 2012 to not only empower women in the cocktail culture, but also to raise money for breast cancer research and charities. They've succeeded at both over the last six years, and will be staging the first Speed Rack competition in Australia next month. We'll talk with Lynette Marrero on WhiskyCast In-Depth, an...
A Double Whammy for US Whisky Distillers (WhiskyCast Episode 706: June 14, 2018)
June 15, 2018 03:09 - 47 minutes - 54.9 MBTax cuts that took effect at the start of 2018 encouraged many US whisky distillers to expand their facilities. Now, they're caught in the middle of the trade war between the United States and its trading partners in Canada, Mexico, and the European Union. Not only are the whiskies some of those distillers export going to be hit with new tariffs at the start of July, but prices for the stainless steel and aluminum they need for those expansion projects are going up because of the US tari...
The First American Single Malt Whiskey? (WhiskyCast Episode 705: June 10, 2018)
June 11, 2018 01:14 - 49 minutes - 57.1 MBHistorians aren't sure who distilled the first Scotch-style single malt whiskey in the United States, but Oregon's Clear Creek Distillery has a pretty solid claim to the title. Steve McCarthy started making his McCarthy's Oregon Single Malt in 1993, and while Steve McCarthy sold Clear Creek in 2014 and eased into semi-retirement, his influence still guides Clear Creek's distillers to this day. We'll talk with Clear Creek's Jeanine Racht on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, the G7 Summit ends...
Whisky By the Generations (WhiskyCast Episode 704: June 7, 2018)
June 07, 2018 23:03 - 46 minutes - 53.7 MBWith Father's Day coming up, we'll meet a Scottish woman following her father into the whiskey business. That's right...whiskey. Jennifer Nickerson married her Irish farmer husband, Liam Ahearn, and moved to his family's farm in County Tipperary, Ireland. Her father is longtime Scotch Whisky veteran Stuart Nickerson, and when he saw Liam's farm, he persuaded them that it was the perfect place for a distillery. They're now building the Tipperary Boutique Distillery, and while Liam works the f...
A Whisky Trade War on the Horizon? (WhiskyCast Episode 703: June 3, 2018)
June 03, 2018 21:59 - 47 minutes - 55.2 MBCanada and the European Union are planning retaliatory tariffs on imports of Bourbon and other American whiskies after this week's move by the Trump Administration to impose tariffs on their steel and aluminum exports to the United States. That sets the stage for what could potentially become a full-fledged trade war with whisky as a weapon, and whisky makers are worried that the U.S. will respond with tariffs against their whiskies. We'll talk with William Lavelle of the Irish Whiskey A...
Becoming a Bourbon Badass (WhiskyCast Episode 702: May 31, 2018)
June 01, 2018 01:46 - 51 minutes - 59 MBBourbon scares some people away...at first. Often, those who approach Bourbon gingerly develop a true passion for it, and become what Linda Ruffenach refers to as a "Bourbon Badass." Linda founded the Whisky Chicks four years ago in Louisville, and while her book "How to be a Bourbon Badass" is geared to women, the term itself - just like a passion for Bourbon - is gender-neutral. We'll talk with Linda Ruffenach on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, the trade war is on between the United Sta...
Port Charlotte and Islay's "Middle Child Syndrome" (WhiskyCast Episode 701: May 27, 2018)
May 27, 2018 01:15 - 51 minutes - 59.3 MBBruichladdich's Port Charlotte single malt lies in between the distillery's namesake unpeated whiskies and its Octomore heavily peated malts, and Bruichladdich CEO Douglas Taylor admits the range has suffered from "middle child syndrome" in recent years. As part of Bruichladdich's open day today during the annual Islay Festival of Malt & Music, Port Charlotte is getting some much-needed attention. There's a new Port Charlotte 10-year-old that will be available worldwide, a new 2011 Islay Bar...
The Macallan's Whisky Cathedral Opens in Scotland (WhiskyCast Episode 700: May 24, 2018)
May 24, 2018 20:23 - 49 minutes - 56.7 MBEdrington first announced plans for The Macallan's new distillery in 2012, but the planning process on what may be one of the longest distillery projects on record started well before that, and construction work alone took three and a half years. The Macallan's new home welcomed its first guests the other night, and will open for tours on June 2. We'll talk with The Macallan's Ken Grier about the new distillery and what it means for the brand's future, along with the recent move to revam...
Memories of an Irish Whiskey Legend (WhiskyCast Episode 699: May 20, 2018)
May 20, 2018 00:51 - 43 minutes - 49.9 MBIrish Whiskey lost one of its longtime champions this past week with the passing of John Clement Ryan. He was the 7th - and final generation of Dublin's Power family to work in the Irish Whiskey business, and while he never distilled a drop of whiskey himself, he traveled the world for three decades promoting Jameson Irish Whiskey during one of the industry's bleakest periods. His evangelism and fervor for Irish Whiskey contributed to the renaissance we see today as Irish Whiskey sales grow ...
30 Years of the Scotch Whisky Experience (WhiskyCast Episode 698: May 17, 2018)
May 17, 2018 19:08 - 46 minutes - 107 MBIn May of 1988, the Scotch Whisky Experience opened its doors on Edinburgh's Royal Mile, next to Edinburgh Castle. Over the last 30 years, millions of whisky lovers have made the hike to the top of the Royal Mile to learn more about Scotch Whisky - and sample a dram or two. This month kicks off a year-long anniversary celebration, and we'll talk with Julie Trevisan Hunter of the Scotch Whisky Experience on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Suntory is disappointing whisky lovers with word tha...
A Big Boost for Scotch Whisky Tourism (May 13, 2018)
May 13, 2018 16:36 - 40 minutes - 94 MBScotland's distilleries have been investing millions of pounds over the last several years to upgrade their visitor experiences as more tourists come to Scotland specifically to learn more about whisky. Now, Diageo is making what is likely to be the largest single investment ever in Scotch Whisky tourism with a £150 million project over the next three years. In addition to upgrades for the visitor centers at its 12 distilleries that are open to the public, there are plans for a new Johnn...
The Way of Whisky (WhiskyCast Episode 696: May 10, 2018)
May 10, 2018 23:09 - 55 minutes - 63.4 MBDave Broom has been one of Japanese whisky's most passionate observers for many years, and his latest book "The Way of Whisky" delves into Japan's unique whisky culture at a time when demand for Japanese whiskies far outpaces the supply. We'll talk with Dave about those shortages, along with other so-called "world whiskies" that he's uncovering on his travels and his upcoming Scotch Whisky documentary, "The Amber Light," on WhiskyCast In-Depth. We'll also look at the latest political clashes...
Sip, Sip, Sippin' On Heaven's Door (WhiskyCast Episode 695: May 6, 2018)
May 06, 2018 03:19 - 54 minutes - 63 MBBob Dylan is known for many things, but slapping his name onto a product to make a quick buck is definitely not one of them. In fact, the new Heaven's Door line of whiskies marks the first time the legendary singer and songwriter has ever put his brand on anything other than his music and art. Dylan partnered with a team of spirits experts led by Marc Bushala, who helped bring Angel's Envy to the market before selling it to Bacardi in 2015, and Ryan Perry to create three new whiskies, al...
Challenging Scotch Whisky's Norms at Eden Mill (WhiskyCast Episode 694: May 3, 2018)
May 03, 2018 04:51 - 50 minutes - 58.6 MBThe area around St. Andrews was home to Scotch Whisky's Haig family and their Seggie Distillery, but after it closed in 1850, the whisky industry largely moved away from St. Andrews. Paul Miller brought it back when his Eden Mill Brewery started distilling whisky in 2014, and now, the first Eden Mill single malts are reaching the market. Miller and his team led by head distiller Scott Ferguson have been challenging the traditions of Scotch Whisky while respecting the heritage, and they'll jo...
A Big Bourbon Weekend in Mississippi (WhiskyCast Episode 693: April 29, 2018)
April 29, 2018 18:11 - 44 minutes - 61.3 MBOxford, Mississippi is known for many things, but Bourbon isn't usually the first thing you think of. Chef John Currence and his friends might just convince you otherwise, though. They've turned their annual fundraising weekend for Move On Up Mississippi into a full-blown whiskey weekend, with the first Oxford Bourbon Festival and Auction coming up the weekend of May 18-20. Chef John Currence owns four restaurants in Oxford, and the James Beard Award-winning chef and author counts whiskey am...
On the Road - And at the Pub in Dublin (WhiskyCast Episode 692: April 26, 2018)
April 26, 2018 18:40 - 44 minutes - 51.8 MBThis time around, we’re on the road in Dublin for the launch of the first cask-strength Jameson Irish Whiskey, the new Jameson Bow Street 18. It’s also the first Jameson expression in many years with a direct link to the Jameson family’s old distillery on Bow Street in Dublin, since the casks used for Bow Street 18 spent their final year of maturation in the new mini-warehouse at the Jameson Distillery Bow Street visitor experience. We’ll have that story in the news, along with late-breaking...
Introducing The Pope to Pappy (WhiskyCast Episode 691: April 22, 2018)
April 22, 2018 01:40 - 49 minutes - 57.1 MBThe Bible says "The Lord works in mysterious ways." As proof, we have the story this week of Father Jim Sichko, a Kentucky-based Catholic priest heading to Rome for an audience at the Vatican with Pope Francis. He admits to not knowing much about Bourbon, but whether you want to call it providence or luck, he was able to get his hands on some of the much-sought-after Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon for the Pope, along with enough whiskey to start a new collection at the Vatican. He'll share his...
Billy Walker's Back in the Whisky Business with The GlenAllachie (WhiskyCast Episode 690: April 19, 2018)
April 19, 2018 03:12 - 48 minutes - 55.6 MBBilly Walker could have walked away from the Scotch Whisky business last year after he and his partners sold the BenRiach, GlenDronach, and Glenglassaugh distilleries to Brown-Forman for more than $400 million. However, he decided to jump back in with his "dream team" of industry leaders and buy the Glenallachie distillery from Chivas Brothers, and will launch the distillery's first range of single malts in June. We'll talk with Billy about building that team and giving new life to a long-un...
Craft Whisky: Optimism and a Reality Check (WhiskyCast Episode 689: April 15, 2018)
April 15, 2018 19:01 - 48 minutes - 56.1 MBEvery distillery opens as a dream, with the backers hoping to become the next Heaven Hill, Wild Turkey, or one of countless other mainstays of the whisky business. During Friday night's American Whiskey Convention in Philadelphia, many startup distilleries showed off their whiskies next to those mainstays. A couple of miles away, James Yoakum was pouring drinks in his tasting room at Cooper River Distillers, days after making the decision to close the distillery after one last Kentucky D...
Taking Time Out of the Whisky Bottle (WhiskyCast Episode 688: April 8, 2018)
April 08, 2018 21:46 - 1 hour - 82.2 MBWhisky makers have tried for decades to come up with ways of making young whiskies taste like older ones, but whisky purists will argue that there is no substitute for time in a barrel when it comes to making a quality whisky. O.Z. Tyler created the TerrePURE process, which uses ultrasonic sound waves to break up some of the undesirable byproducts of the distilling process that are left behind after a whisky reaches the barrel. South Carolina-based Terressentia has been using that proces...
Whisky is Too Important to be Taken Seriously (WhiskyCast Episode 687: April 1, 2018)
April 01, 2018 02:28 - 1 hour - 76.6 MBScotland's Douglas Laing and Co. is celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2018, and for many of those years, the Laing family has taken a light-hearted approach to Scotch Whisky - at least, when it comes to what's on the outside of the bottle. With brands like Big Peat, Scallywag, Timorous Beastie, and the like, Fred Laing has given us many reasons to smile as we pour a dram. Fred has turned over much of the day-to-day operations of the company over to his daughter Cara and son-in-law Chris Le...
Wandering the Wonderful World of Whisky (WhiskyCast Episode 686: March 25, 2018)
March 25, 2018 21:19 - 53 minutes - 61.9 MBRachel Barrie is known on Twitter as @TheLadyBlender, and she's just winding up her first year as the master blender for Brown-Forman's BenRiach, GlenDronach, and Glenglassaugh distilleries in Scotland. Over the years, she's worked on some of Scotch Whisky's most iconic brands, and joins us to discuss her career and her plans for those distilleries. This week, we're on the road in Cornwall, Ontario at the Wonderful World of Whisky Show to catch up with old friends and make some new ones. Bac...
Waiting for Waterford's Whiskey (WhiskyCast Episode 685: March 18, 2018)
March 18, 2018 18:31 - 1 hour - 86.3 MBIt's St. Patrick's Day weekend, and while we cover Irish Whiskey all year-round, it's worth paying special attention to the fastest-growing segment of the whisky business this week. Waterford Distillery has been quietly laying down more than 2.3 million liters of spirit since it opened at the end of 2015, and just as he did at Bruichladdich, Waterford founder Mark Reynier is challenging many of Irish Whiskey's traditions. We'll catch up with Mark for a progress report and discuss his newest ...
A Whisky Weekend in Waco (WhiskyCast Episode 684: March 11, 2018)
March 11, 2018 00:41 - 57 minutes - 65.9 MBThis week, we're on the road in Waco, Texas for the inaugural RyeFest at Balcones Distilling, where they're releasing their first-ever Rye whisky after 10 years of making almost every other kind of whisky under the Texas sun. We'll talk with Balcones head distiller Jared Himstedt and taste the new Balcones 100 Proof Rye. On this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth, we'll also meet some distillers from Down Under - Australians who are proving that not all Australian whisky comes from Tasmania. In ...
Betting on Irish Whiskey's Future (WhiskyCast Episode 683: March 4, 2018)
March 04, 2018 21:22 - 1 hour - 71.2 MBIrish Whiskey has been the fastest-growing segments of the global whiskey market for the last several years, and for many Irish entrepreneurs, it's a long-awaited return to the glory days of Irish Whiskey. We'll talk with several entrepreneurs betting their futures on the continued growth of Irish Whiskey on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth, including Donal O'Gallachoir of Glendalough Distillery and Peter Clancy, who's spearheading construction of the new Lough Ree Distillery along the River ...
Preparing for Whisky's Next Generation (WhiskyCast Episode 682: February 25, 2018)
February 25, 2018 05:44 - 1 hour - 70.5 MBDistillers like to say they're not making whisky for themselves, but laying it down for future generations. Part of that process is identifying the young distillers who may be asked to take over for them one day, and this week, that process put Woodford Reserve's future in much clearer perspective. Brown-Forman promoted Elizabeth McCall from her role as Woodford's Master Taster to Assistant Master Distiller, putting her on the track to eventually take over for current Master Distiller Ch...
Celebrating 5 Years at The Dead Rabbit (WhiskyCast Episode 681: February 18, 2018)
February 18, 2018 21:13 - 1 hour - 65.7 MBFive years ago, Irish expats Jack McGarry and Sean Muldoon bet their futures on opening an Irish pub in New York City's Financial District. Since then, The Dead Rabbit has become renowned as one of the world's best bars. Now, The Dead Rabbit shares its name with a new Irish Whiskey in a collaboration with Quintessential Brands, which is building the Dublin Liberties Distillery in the city's Newmarket Square. We'll talk about the bar and the whiskey with Sean Muldoon and Darryl McNally, Quint...
Whisky and Chocolate: A Divine Combination (WhiskyCast Episode 680: February 11, 2018)
February 11, 2018 21:36 - 1 hour - 69.8 MBWith apologies to the legendary Scottish poet Robert Burns, "whisky and chocolate gang tegither!" Good whiskies and fine chocolates actually share many of the same characteristics, and pairings of the two have become a common feature at whisky tastings and festivals. The Rev. Dr. R.M. Peluso has written extensively on chocolate for years, and is also a whisky lover. She explored the pairing of these two treats in her latest book, "Deep Tasting: Chocolate and Whisky," and joins us for a Valen...
Making Whisky with MGP's Gordon Working (WhiskyCast Episode 679: February 4, 2018)
February 05, 2018 02:24 - 25 minutes - 29.5 MBWhen someone wants to start a new whisky brand, but doesn't own a distillery, chances are they'll turn to Gordon Working and his team at the MGP Ingredients Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Over the years and several owners, the distillery has gone from being one of the backbones of the Seagram's empire to one of the leaders in "contract distilling" for clients. We'll talk with Gordon Working on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, American whiskies led the overall spirits s...
A Whisky Dream Realized (WhiskyCast Episode 678: January 28, 2018)
January 29, 2018 03:21 - 1 hour - 69.2 MBThree years ago, we introduced you to Graeme Macaloney, a Scottish-Canadian pharmaceutical engineer with a dream of making his own single malt whisky in British Columbia. Back then, he had the plans and the consultants, but not all of the money and more importantly, no site for his distillery. Happily, it all worked out, as Victoria Caledonian Distillery and the Twa Dogs Brewery opened in the autumn of 2016, and Graeme's laying down spirit for the future. We'll catch up with Graeme Macal...
On the Road at the Victoria Whisky Festival (WhiskyCast Episode 677: January 21, 2018)
January 22, 2018 06:56 - 56 minutes - 65.4 MBThis week, we're in Victoria, British Columbia for the 13th annual Victoria Whisky Festival - just as the Canadian province's liquor regulators staged a crackdown targeting the Scotch Malt Whisky Society and its "partner bars" in the province. Agents seized several hundred bottles of the Society's whiskies in raids at four bars in Vancouver, Victoria, and Nanaimo because they were purchased from private liquor stores in British Columbia instead of the government-run liquor distribution s...
There's Whisky History Behind That Wall! (WhiskyCast Episode 676: January 14, 2018)
January 14, 2018 22:23 - 51 minutes - 59.8 MBYou never know what might be found behind the walls or under the floors of old houses and other buildings, especially those built during the Prohibition era. As those buildings are being renovated or torn down, salvage crews in major cities are uncovering all kinds of whisky-related artifacts, including evidence from old speakeasies and bootlegging operations. Philadelphia Community Corps founder Greg Trainor leads salvage teams in recovering usable materials from old buildings, and his crew...
Nearest Green's Legacy Gets a New Home (WhiskyCast Episode 675: January 7, 2018)
January 07, 2018 02:12 - 40 minutes - 46.8 MBLast November, Fawn Weaver told us about her mission to spread the story of Nathan "Nearest" Green, the former slave who became Jack Daniel's first distiller when he started making whiskey in Lynchburg, Tennessee after the end of the Civil War. Part of that mission is the Uncle Nearest 1856 Whiskey brand, which helps support the Nearest Green Foundation and provides college scholarships for Green's descendants. During our conversation in Episode 666, Weaver told us she'd just acquired a piec...
A Peek Inside the Irish Whiskey Archive (WhiskyCast Episode 674: December 31, 2017)
January 01, 2018 05:56 - 36 minutes - 42.2 MBMuch of whisky's early history is documented only in tales, with few written records that have survived the centuries. In some cases, though, the documents exist that can help fill in the gaps in those legends. Archivist Carol Quinn is cataloging more than two centuries' worth of documents from the distilleries that merged in 1966 to form Irish Distillers, along with rare whiskies that make up the Irish Whiskey Archive's "liquid library." Few people are ever granted access to the vault-l...
Meet "The Gatekeeper of the Grains" (WhiskyCast Episode 673: December 24, 2017)
December 24, 2017 23:49 - 36 minutes - 41.6 MBDistilleries need tons of grain to make their whiskies, and the responsibility for making sure that grain meets quality control standards falls on "The Gatekeeper." Almost every distillery has someone responsible for checking loads of grain as they arrive for moisture levels, mold, and other things that might otherwise slip through the cracks and not be caught until a whisky is already in the barrel. Kristy Fregonese is "The Gatekeeper" at Corby's Hiram Walker Distillery in Windsor, Ontario,...
New Tricks for an Old Elk (WhiskyCast Episode 672: December 17, 2017)
December 17, 2017 18:26 - 49 minutes - 57.6 MBGreg Metze spent years making whisky near the banks of the Ohio River, but he never really got the recognition he deserved because his distillery was on the northern side of the river in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. After 38 years at what started out as the Seagram's distillery, then became LDI and finally MGP, Greg retired last year intending to focus on consulting work. Curt and Nancy Richardson first met Greg several years ago when he created a custom Bourbon mashbill for the whiskey brand ...
Women in Whiskey, Sisters in Suds (WhiskyCast Episode 671: December 10, 2017)
December 10, 2017 22:43 - 1 hour - 82.3 MBThis week, the New York Times marked the anniversary of the end of Prohibition with a special event at one of America's few women-owned distilleries, Republic Restoratives in Washington, DC. "Women in Whiskey, Sisters in Suds" featured a discussion of the role women play in distilling and brewing - both today and in history. We'll talk with Republic Restoratives co-founder Rachel Gardner and bring you the discussion on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, the tentative Brexit deal b...
Snowflakes in the Forecast ... and Whiskey Lovers in Line (WhiskyCast Episode 670: December 3, 2017)
December 04, 2017 23:41 - 50 minutes - 57.7 MBColorado's ski resorts wish they had lift lines as long as the one that stretched down Kalamath Street in Denver Saturday morning, when hundreds of whiskey lovers lined up for the annual release of Stranahan's Snowflake single malt whiskey. The line actually started on Wednesday morning when three people arrived from Wisconsin to claim "first in line" honors - beating out the longtime "Strana-Fan" who traditionally claims that spot. We'll have all of the fun from Denver on this week's Whisky...
Wick's Whisky Wizard: Pulteney's Malcolm Waring (WhiskyCast Episode 669: November 26, 2017)
November 26, 2017 19:29 - 50 minutes - 58.6 MBPulteney Distillery manager Malcolm Waring wasn't born in Wick, Scotland, but there's no place he'd rather be three decades after getting his first job at what was then the northernmost distillery on Scotland's mainland. There's plenty of rain, plenty of wind, and fortunately for Malcolm...plenty of whisky to keep track of at the distillery. He leaves Wick a few times a year to meet with whisky lovers around the world, and we caught up with him last week during a brief trip to New Brunswick ...