PODCAST · arts
WhiskyCast
by CaskStrength Media
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.
Episodes
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A "Precious" Way to Celebrate
The "Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, and a new whisky has come from Middle Earth to mark the occasion. In this case, Middle Earth is New Zealand, where the movies were filmed, and the distillery is Pōkeno Distillery on New Zealand's North Island. Pōkeno...
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English Whisky Comes Into Its Own
There were just three whisky distillers in England when Daniel Szor opened the Cotswolds Distillery in 2014. Now, there are more than 70, and English Whisky has just been granted geographical indicator status by the UK government. Szor helped lead the push to get that status as chair of the…
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Whiskey on the Big Screen
Documentary filmmaker Greg Swartz is back with his fourth whisky film. "West of Tradition" looks at the nascent American Single Malt movement through the story of Seattle's Westland Distillery. It's a followup to his previous films, which include "The Water of Life" and "Independent Spirits."…
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A 20-Year Journey with Highland Park
Martin Markvardsen joined Highland Park as a brand ambassador in 2006. Since then, he's traveled the world touting the virtues of his favorite whisky. He's so in love with Highland Park that he had the logo tattooed on his chest - right over his heart. We'll talk with Martin about his journey and...
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An "Approachable" Single Malt from Amrut
Amrut's Indian single malts have been popular with whisky connoisseurs for nearly two decades. Now, with increasing competition from other Indian single malt distillers, Amrut is seeking to capture the entry-level whisky drinker with Kranthi, a single malt designed to be approachable for…
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On the Road at the 2026 Kentucky Bourbon Festival
This week, we're on the road at the 35th Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown, Kentucky. We'll have highlights from the weekend throughout this week's podcast. In the news, President Donald Trump is dropping the hammer on Canadian whiskies with a complete ban on imports set to take effect later...
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A Busy Month at George Washington's Distillery
September is shaping up to be a busy month at George Washington's Distillery at Mount Vernon in Virginia, with weekend tastings and discounts on Washington's Rye whiskey at the Mount Vernon shops. It's not taught in schools, but Washington was one of the nation's leading whiskey distillers after…
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The Boys Are Back
John Little and John Foster built their reputations around Smooth Ambler before selling the distillery to Pernod Ricard several years ago. After serving out a three-year non-compete agreement, they're back with Little and Foster Whiskey. It's as much a passion project as it is a business venture,...
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Light Whiskey: It's Not About the Calories
Light Whiskey is an obscure type of whiskey that's distilled to higher proofs than is legally allowed for Bourbons and many other types of whiskies. It was developed in the 1960's as a way for distillers to fight the trend toward vodka and other lighter spirits, but never really reached…
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25 Years of Stories, Laughs, & Whisky
Bruichladdich Distillery on Scotland's Isle of Islay is marking 25 years since its resurrection in 2001 by a hardy band of whisky makers led by Mark Reynier, Jim McEwan, and Duncan McGillivray. Adam Hannett was a teenager on Islay watching the distillery come back to life, and joined the team as…
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A Year of Innovation at Four Roses
2026 is the year of innovation at Four Roses, which was sold earlier this year to E&J Gallo for more than $700 million dollars. The work actually started two years ago under Kirin's management, and Master Distiller Brent Elliott tells us Gallo is doubling down on the desire for innovation at Four...
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An Importer's Slant on Whisky
Sam Filmus started importing whiskies into the United States in the 1990's, bringing Signatory and Edradour whiskies to thirsty Americans. Over the years, his ImpEx Beverages has added brands like Kilchoman, the Glenallachie, Ardnamurchan, Nc'Nean, and M&H to the range. Five years ago, he added…
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Archiving 180 Years of Dewar's History
Dewar's celebrates its 180th anniversary this year, going back to 1846 when John Dewar opened his wine and spirits shop in Perth, Scotland. Jacqui Seargeant is the keeper of the Dewar's archives, along with overseeing other archivists working within parent company Bacardi, and her work has helped...
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Glengoyne Mizunara Oak: Scotch With a Hint of Japan
Glengoyne recently released a Mizunara Oak-matured single malt as part of its Oak Masters Series. We'll taste it and talk about it with distillery manager Robbie Hughes on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Brown-Forman is looking for a new CEO after Lawson Whiting announced his...
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Torabhaig: Home on the Isle of Skye
"Taigh" means "home" in Scots Gaelic, and it's the name for the newest expression from Torabhaig Distillery on the Isle of Skye. It's a precursor to the first 10-year-old Torabhaig single malt expected late next year, and we'll learn more about Taigh and the distillery from Torabhaig's Bruce…
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A Colonial-Era Whiskey for America's 250th Birthday
Lots of whisky makers are releasing 250th anniversary commemorative editions, but only one went back to recreate whiskey from a Colonial-era recipe using historical production methods. Distillers Erik Wolfe and Alan Bishop teamed up to create this authentic whiskey, and both join us on this…
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Pennsylvania Rye and Kentucky Bourbon: A Unique Collaboration
Jim Hough of Pennsylvania's Liberty Pole Spirits and Paul Tomaszewski of Kentucky's MB Roland Distillery have joined forces on a unique collaboration. They blended each other's whiskey with their own, pairing Kentucky Bourbon with Pennsylvania Rye. The result: Penntucky and Kentsylvania whiskies....
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Eddie Russell: Making Whiskey His Own Way
Wild Turkey Master Distiller Eddie Russell celebrated his 45th anniversary at the distillery the other night with the premiere of a short film about his career in New York City. "Eddie Russell: His Own Way" covers Eddie's career from pushing barrels as the new guy to the success that got him into...
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The United States of Bourbon
In a project so ambitious that it required more than five years of traveling across the entire United States, Lost Lantern Whiskey has created the United States of Bourbon series of whiskies. The 100 Proof and Cask Strength versions feature a blend of straight Bourbons from all 50 states, while…
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From Bloody Butcher to Bruce's Blue: Heirloom Grains at Jeptha Creed
Kentucky's Jeptha Creed Distillery grows all of its corn on the Nethery family's farm nearby, including heirloom grains like Bloody Butcher (red corn) and Bruce's Blue, a strain of blue corn developed on the farm by Bruce Nethery and the inspiration for the new Bruce's Blue Bourbon. The mother…
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Making Irish-Style Whiskey in America
Minnesota's O'Shaughnessy Distilling wasn't the first American distillery to make triple-distilled Pot Still whiskey, but the makers of Keeper's Heart Whiskey have plenty of Irish heritage to draw on. Former Midleton master distiller Brian Nation now runs the show at O'Shaughnessy, and he's not...
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Barbecue and Bourbon Go Together
This week, we're joined by Carey Bringle, the pit master and whisky maker for Peg Leg Porker. Carey owns a barbecue restaurant by the same name in Nashville, Tennessee, and says there's a lot in common between being a pit master and a whisky maker — but he'll never call himself a master…
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Talisker Magma: Whisky With a Bit of Skye
The newest Talisker single malt is also the oldest Talisker ever bottled at 47 years old. It's finished in virgin American Oak casks toasted using heated volcanic rock from the Isle of Skye, and Diageo Luxury Ambassador Ewan Morgan will explain what the process adds on this week's WhiskyCast...
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Certified Craft: Coming to a Store Near You
Craft distillers have been searching for years for ways to differentiate their whiskies from the large brands on the market. Now, the American Craft Spirits Association has created the "Certified Craft" program to meet the need. ACSA members will be able to use the Certified Craft logo on their...
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Making Single Malt Whisky on Scotland's Ballindalloch Estate
When the Ballindalloch Estate has been in your family for more than 450 years, what's a few years to wait to bottle your own single malt Scotch whisky. The McPherson-Grant family waited nine years to bottle their first single malt after opening their distillery in 2014, and have now entered the...
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250 Years of History in One Bourbon
Horse Soldier Bourbon honors the "horse soldiers," Green Berets who led the invasion of Afghanistan after 9/11 and fought the Taliban on horseback. Now, the brand is celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States with a special 13-year-old Bourbon - representing the 13 original colonies....
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Up on Woody Creek...
This week, we're joined by Woody Creek Distillers' "spokesdude", William H. Macy. Known for his roles in Shameless, Fargo, and other films, the award-winning actor is about to release the third edition of his William H. Macy Reserve Rye whiskey. Woody Creek's National Brand Ambassador, bartending...
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Sukhinder Singh's Worldview
Sukhinder Singh is a legend in the whisky business…he and his brother founded The Whisky Exchange and turned it into one of the leading whisky retailers in the world. They now run Elixir Distillers, which is reviving Tormore as a single malt and building Islay's Portintruan Distillery, which is…
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Cruising with Jefferson's Bourbon
Jefferson's Ocean Bourbon is known for being aged at sea, and now, a new partnership between Jefferson's and Holland America cruises will see 11 cruise ships carrying barrels of Jefferson's on board during their voyages around the world. After the whiskey is bottled, it'll be sold on board each...
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School Time at Moonshine University
Louisville's Moonshine University is one of the few providers of distiller education in the United States, and many aspiring craft distillers have taken its courses over the last decade. With the downturn in whisky production, the school has changed its focus to include brand creation and…
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A Dream About to be Realized
Nine years ago, John Lunn and Allisa Henley set out to make the Tennessee Whiskey of their dreams at Sazerac's A.J. Bond Distillery. That plan was shattered when John Lunn died suddenly three years ago this month, but Allisa forged on with the backing of Sazerac. The first A.J. Bond whiskey will…
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A Pair of Master Whisky Makers
Today marks International Women's Day, and it's just a happy coincidence that we have two women who make great whiskies on this week's show. Dr. Emma Walker is the master blender for Johnnie Walker, while Angela D'Orazio is the Creative Director of Whiskymaking for Compass Box. Both have new...
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Distilling the Artisan Way
Kentucky Artisan Distillery was one of the state's first distilleries to specialize in contract distilling for clients when it opened in 2012. Over the years, it's been laying down whiskies for its own brand as well, and has now released two Bourbons in its Artisan Series: a high-rye Bourbon and…
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"Bottom Shelf:" A Book that Belongs on the Top Shelf
Fred Minnick's latest book "Bottom Shelf: How a Forgotten Brand of Bourbon Saved One Man's Life" is part memoir, part Bourbon history all wrapped up in a single narrative. The former Army photographer once tried to take his own life, but ended up becoming obsessed with the history of Old Crow...
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A Slumping Market for Scotch Whisky?
The Scotch Whisky Association released new export data this week showing a second straight year of global sales declines, with a softening economy and tariffs getting much of the blame. We'll go through the numbers with SWA chief executive Mark Kent on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, another…
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The Beginning of the End for Uncle Nearest?
A critical court hearing is set for Monday in the Uncle Nearest receivership case in Tennessee. Founder Fawn Weaver wants to terminate the receivership and take back control of the company, while the receiver says Uncle Nearest is insolvent and putting it back in Weaver's hands will lead to...
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Charting a New Course for Starward Whisky
Starward Whisky founder David Vitale stepped back from the Australian whisky maker's day-to-day operations several years ago, but after Diageo's Distill Ventures incubator unit pulled its support for Starward and other distillers last year, Vitale was faced with a dilemma. With his board wanting…
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The Man Behind Buffalo Trace's Whiskies
Drew Mayville has been Buffalo Trace's master blender for the last 21 years, overseeing legendary whiskies like George T. Stagg, Sazerac Rye, and the Van Winkle whiskies. He started his career at Seagram's in his native Canada, where he spent 23 years learning the blending business from the…
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A Weekend to Remember
This week, we're on location at the Victoria Whisky Festival in Victoria, British Columbia, where it was unofficially Bill Ashburn Weekend. The retired Forty Creek master blender was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Canadian Whisky Awards and guest of honor at a reception on…
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Chip Tate: Back in the Saddle Again
Maverick whiskey maker Chip Tate is back after a sabbatical following his acrimonious departure from Balcones Distilling. Now the master distiller for innovation with Foley Family Wines & Spirits, Tate has quietly been working on his first new whiskies in nearly 11 years under the company's...
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Celebrating Canadian Whisky Week
The second annual Canadian Whisky Week runs from January 11th through the 18th, with events all over Canada. We'll talk with co-founders Reece Sims and Andrea Fujarczuk about all things Canadian Whisky on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Uncle Nearest founder Fawn Weaver says the...
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The Whisky industry in Flux
On this year-end special episode, we'll take a look back at the events that shaped the whisky industry in 2025. Becky Harris of Virginia's Catoctin Creek Distilling will join us to discuss a troubled year for her colleagues in the craft distilling industry, and we'll offer some predictions for...
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Meet Royal Barkla, the Whisky-Sniffing Robotic Dog
Leaking barrels have been a problem for whisky makers going back generations, and just finding the bad barrels is the biggest part of the problem. Now, a test project involving Royal Barkla, a Boston Robotics robot dog equipped with an ethanol sensor, is underway at the John Dewar & Sons Poniel...
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From Grain to Glass: The Estate Whiskey Alliance
Single Estate whiskies are made from grain grown at or close to a distillery, and there's a new coalition of distillers joined by the University of Kentucky to promote so-called "estate whiskies." The Estate Whiskey Alliance is made up of farm distilleries all the way up to Maker's Mark, which is...
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Remembering Jim Cryle
This week, we'll mark the passing of longtime Glenlivet master distiller Jim Cryle, who ran the Speyside distillery from 1991 until his retirement in 2006. We'll listen to an interview with Jim recorded shortly after his retirement, in which he talks about his history in the business, what makes…
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American Single Malts for a Scotch Lover's Taste
The latest collection of American Single Malts from Lost Lantern Whiskey is dubbed the "Scotch Lover's Collection," not because there are any inferred links to Scotland, but because Lost Lantern founders Nora Ganley-Roper and Adam Polonski crafted them to appeal to a Scotch lover's palate. We'll...
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Not Your Typical Whisky Book
Mitch Bechard is a longtime Scotch Whisky brand ambassador, with years of service at Diageo and Glenfiddich. Now, he's written a rollicking memoir of his tales from the road, along with more serious takes on the improving role of women in whisky and the growth of world whiskies. Mitch joins us on...
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A Bourbon-Free Whisky Festival
With no signs of an end to the U.S.-Canadian trade war in sight, the widespread boycott of American whiskies in Canada had an impact on this week's New Brunswick Spirits Festival. No American whiskies on the stands, and no Bourbon master classes. We'll talk with festival organizers and attendees...
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Celebrating 20 Years of WhiskyCast
This week, we're celebrating the 20th anniversary of the very first WhiskyCast episode in 2005. We'll hear from some longtime listeners, and chat with Tamdhu distillery manager Sandy McIntyre on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. Tamdhu recently released a 21-year-old single malt as part of its…
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does WhiskyCast have?
WhiskyCast currently has 1000 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is 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.
How often does WhiskyCast release new episodes?
WhiskyCast releases new episodes frequently with a large back catalog of 1000 episodes. Check the episode list for recent publication dates.
Where can I listen to WhiskyCast?
You can listen to WhiskyCast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts WhiskyCast?
WhiskyCast is created and hosted by CaskStrength Media.
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