Whisky Stories Podcast

It was a big night at Mother Superior for our Whisky Stories LIVE event with Adelphi and Ardnamurchan. After our trip to the distillery, it was great to sit down with a group on a Friday night and go through a great lineup which included our very own hand picked cask sample we drew on our trip to the distillery. We had Calum Rafferty and Connie MacDonald in representing Adelphi and Ardnamurchan and they brought some great drams along with them. Another great night with loads of laughs and great whisky.

This is the big one. Dr. Emma Walker is the Master Blender for Johnnie Walker. That's got to be the biggest job in whisky. She is responsible for blending and signing off on all Johnnie Walker products and she talked us through the whole process. Getting to sit down and have some drams with Emma has been one of the best experiences I've had since starting the podcast. Hearing her explain the magnitude of the job that she has, managing 11 million casks of whisky, maintaining the quality and consistency of a product that's sold all over the world, and creating exciting new releases for new individual markets. This podcast was a proper insight into one of the biggest drinks brands in the world.

This week's episode is with Andrew Lennie who is the Global Whisky Specialist for Whyte & Mackay. This episode is actually part of our collaboration with Whyte & Mackay to celebrate the 60th anniversary for Tamnavulin Distillery. In this episode we hear about how Andrew got into whisky and worked his way to becoming the Global Whisky Specialist for Whyte & Mackay. We talked about the whole Whyte & Mackay portfolio which includes The Dalmore, Jura, Fettercairn and Tamnavulin. We talked about the incredible stat that Jura and Tamnavulin are number 1 and number 2 best seeling single malt whisky in the UK for off-trade in volume and value which is mental. Jura being number 1 and Tamnavulin being number 2. We also spoke about the unique still cooling system at Fettercairn as well as their use of Scottish oak which is really interesting. Ross had the Fettercairn 18 which is 100% finished in Scottish oak. We also got a chance to try the 2 NEW and EXCLUSIVE Tamnavulin Special releases. One being the 25 year old celebration single cask for the 60th anniversary which was actually distilled and put into the cask in 2000 when the distillery was mothballed and we also tried their single cask release for Spirit of Speyside Festival which will only be available at the distillery for the 1 week that it is open to the public during the festival.

Anyone who knows the pod will know that we never ignore barley chat. However, we've had Master Blenders, Distillers, Distillery Owners and Founders on the pod, but never had a Maltster. David Hannah is Head of Distillery Sales - Global for Muntons Malt. Basically, it's his job to travel around the world talking to Distillery Managers and selling them malted barley. David said that it might not be the sexiest part of the process, but it's definitely the most important. And we deep dive into the world of malting in this episode. This was a lot of fun to record, David is a keen listener of the pod and we had a few more drams after recording.

We're BIG fans of Old Pulteney on the pod. But we don't know enough about it. So we had Flora Outram who is a Brand Ambassador for International Beverage. She covers everything in their portfolio from New Zealand whisky and vodka, Thai Single Malt and all of their Scotch brands. Thankfully for us, Old Pulteney is one of the brands she covers. We tried some great drams and heard about the amazing history of the distillery which is turning 200 years old this year. Prohibition in Scotland, salinity tasting notes and loads of laughs. This was a lot of fun to record.

We're HUGE fans of Ardnamurchan on the podcast. So it made sense for us to find out the story of how it started.Alex Bruce is the Managing Director of Ardnamurchan and Adelphi.In this episode he talks us through how he started out at Adelphi in 2004 with nothing more than a black book of contacts, a filing cabinet, fax machine and 3 casks. From there he grew Adelphi into a premium highly sought after Independent Bottler and then made the decision it was time to build a distillery. This was a lot of fun and there were some amazing drams he was kind enough to bring in with him.

We met Howard a year ago up in Dornoch and when he contacted us to let us know he was coming back, we had to meet up for a couple of drams. We managed to sneak a recording in on Saturday morning in Diggers before the Independent Whisky Festival in Leith. It was an early start, but we still managed some 'breakfast drams'. Howard talked us through how he started out as a Whisky Importer in the U.S, the challenges of getting whisky into America, how he selects the brands he works with, and why he decided to look at Independent Distilleries and Bottlers rather than going main stream. This is a fascinating insight and the drams were fantastic too.

The first Whisky Stories Spotlight event of 2026 was a special one! Not only were we christening the new Diggers Leith with the first tasting in the pub, we were also getting to try a BRAND NEW Single Malt from Aberargie Distillery.Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers are Blenders, Bottlers and Distillers. And Good Pal of the Pod Tam Cuthbert came along to share some great drams with us and tell their story. We enjoyed a Carn Mor Linkwood, Aberargie Inaugural Release, Old Perth and Mac-Talla.Another cracking night with a room full of people enjoying the great drams.

This week it's a luxury podcast. Tim Walker has been a keen listener of the pod since the early days, and we've been trying to get him on for a long time. Thankfully, he finally agreed. And he brought drams with him!!Tim is the National Account Manager in Scotland for the Luxury On Trade. What that means is that he sells very expensive whisky to people like Ross who sells it on to other people. And speaking of Ross, it was great to have him back on the pod for this one. He was also able to give his own thoughts and insight into the wonderful world of luxury whisky. Enjoy!

This week we have good Pal of the Pod back on for some good old whisky chat. Where is the whisky industry right now? We reacted to the big news coming out of Diageo and tried to work out if this is good news for the consumer. The art of blending and can we do it in the cellar at Diggers? We put Greg's consultancy skills to the test. And a real treat with some Dram Jam sent in for us to sample.

This week we were back in the Diggers Cellar joined by Shona Gillespie aka Shona Sips from Loch Lomond Group. We chatted about Glenscotia, re-branding, Loch Lomond's 11 different spirit types and what's going on in the Scotch Whisky Industry right now. Shona was kind enough to bring drams and samples along with her and we really enjoyed the new Glenscotia 12 release.

This week we were recording our first ever episoed in the NEW Digger Leith which only opened a few days ago. The first half of this episode was recorded during a power cut. But we had plenty of drams to get through, so we lit some candles, poured some drams and got chatting. This week we had really good 'Pal of the Pod' Fraser Souness on to talk us through what's happening at Gordon & Macpahil, the latest chat on the new Cairn Distillerly inaugural release AND I had brought back some Indian goodies. We tried some 'whisky cartons' which ended up with very mixed reviews as well as some proper Indian single malt from Pujl John and Indrie. Enhjoy

When Scotland got a last minute call up to the T20 Cricket World Cup in India, and I realised they'd be in Bangalore while I was here, it was too good an opportunity to pass up. So after watching Scotland in their warm-up game against Afghanistan from outside the ground (check out the vlog) I was invited to the team hotel the next day. You might hear from my voice in this episode that even though I didn't get into the game, we were still in fine voice. I caught up with Charles Paterson Head of Coms and All Rounder Michael Leask in the team hotel before they headed off to kick off their World Cup campaign. This is a great insight into cricket, what it's like scrambling to get a team together, and how whisky plays it's role.

Fraser is based in India and represents The Glenlivet, Aberlour, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute and Ballantine’s. However, he is not on the podcast in an “official capacity”, therefore this was not a recording about his brands. This was a recording about him personally.We talked about his journey into whisky, starting on the familiar path from behind the bar, to then working as a tour guide at The Glenlivet Distillery (we can talk and did talk about this), moving up to Speyside to live and breathe whisky, and then eventually moving out to India to become an International Brand Ambassador.We recorded this episode in Tycoons Bar in Bangalore. Fraser is based in Delhi but flew to Bangalore to catch up, have some drams and record this episode.He spoke about his experiences out in India, the differences that he’s noticed in the whisky world out in India versus in Scotland, and the Indian whisky market.Fraser has visited 17 cities and 15 states in the 18 months that he’s been working as a brand ambassador out in India.He also told a great story about trying some “whisky” made from replica illicit stills made from Glenfarclas stills blueprints, but a third of the size.

While I’m out in India, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to dive deep into Indian whisky and, the good folks at Paul John Distillery were more than happy to help.After a flying visit into Goa to meet Master Distiller Michael D’Souza and get a full tour of the distillery (check out the vlog for this), I was invited to the Paul Hotel back in Bangalore for a chat and some drams with the Paul John Global Brand Ambassador Heemanshu Ashar.Heemanshu talked me through his own beginnings and journey into whisky, and then talked about how Paul John started out.Despite Paul John Distillery only being open from 2012, the whisky gets itself all over the world. But I wanted to know how it all started, and who is Paul John?Heemanshu talked us through the origins of the business and explained about Mr Paul P John and the overall business John Distilleries. Blended Indian whisky, Indian wine and now Indian single malt.Heemanshu was also kind enough to let me try the new 2025 Christmas Edition which is finished in a Cream Sherry Cask.

We’ve talked about getting Cody Reynolds back on the podcast for a long time. But the Angus Dundee Global Brand Ambassador is a busy man travelling the world spreading the good word of Glencadam and Tomintoul. Cody was our 5th episode when he first came on the podcast on the 9th of November 2023. He was our first Brand Ambassador to come onto the pod as well. One of the things that I remember most about that episdoe was Cody explaining the cycle of the whisky drinker. What makes that even more impressive is that even now, after 113 episode we are still referencing it. There was a good amount of whisky consumed before, during and after the podcast and Cody was kind enough to bring in a Swedish drink that I can still taste now. Cody has also birthed one of our next Games for the Pod with Cody Reynolds One Star Reviews!Loads of fun on this one and lots of Glencadam, Tomintoul and general whisky chat. 

What better way to end the year than to sit down in the Diggers cellar with the owner, tuck into some drams and go through some of the best whiskies we've had this year. We look back at what's been an amazing year for the podcast. We've had some great guests, had access to distilleries and hosted some really fun events. We also look ahead to an exciting 2026 for Kev with the soon to be launched 'Diggers 2' down in Leith (name pending). Thanks to everyone who's been part of the podcast for the last 12 months. Happy New Year and here's to 2026 and plenty more drams and shenanigans.

Merry Christmas! We had a quick Christmas catch-up in Diggers for a couple of drams (Ross had already had a few before he got there...) to lead into our North British Distillery Podcast recording. We were given a very special gift from the guys at Royal Mile Whiskies which is something to look forward to in the new year and Ross gave us his top whiskies of 2025. Hope you're having or had a great Christmas and Happy New Year. Thanks for listening. Cheers!

This week we have Pal of the Pod Cameron Ewen in for a chat about his now job, Christmas drams and whiskies of 2025. We were back in the Dug Oot at Diggers for this one enjoying some drams, and festive whisky chat with Cam. Cam talked us through his new role at Diageo and some of the amazing whiskies he gets to work with. Including old Brora and Port Ellon bottlings. We also discuss what whiskies we'll be drinking over the Christmas festivities. Enjoy

Raymond is the man behind the iconic Glencairn whisky glass and changed the way we drink whisky.He isn't just Whisky Royalty, he's an absolute gentleman as well. Spending time with Raymond and hearing his whisky stories was amazing. In this episode we hear about how he started out, what made him decide to design a glass for drinking whisky, and the journey it's taken him on. We also enjoyed a good few drams while we were at it!Enjoy

This one was a lot of fun to record. Sam Simmons was one of the first online whisky bloggers with his blog Dr Whisky starting back in the early 2000s. That took him from writing about whisky to selling it, becoming the Global Brand Ambassador for Balvennie to becoming Head of Whisky for Atom Brands. He's responsible for putting out releases to over 1 million people around the world. Looking for cool whisky concepts, bottling it and selling it. Sam brought in some of his own projects with him for us to try including Wormtub 10 and the famous Dalry Milk North British bottling. There's some great whisky chat in this podcast as well as plenty of laughs and good drams. Enjoy

We were all back in the Diggers Vaults for a recording and a catch up with Chuck, Angus, myself Ross and Scott Moore. Ross had literally just jumped off the plane returning from his trip across the pond to see his current mother and father-in-law and our USA Brand Ambassador was about to leave from his epic whisky trip to Scotland. There were loads of drams on the barrel for this one. With plenty of whisky chat from Scott's trip, we had whisky samples sent over and lots of catching up to do. We chatted about our trip to Glencadam Distillery as well as our epic Edinburgh Whisky Pub Crawl. Loads of fun and nonsense on this one. Enjoy!

How do you start a distillery on tiny island off the coast of Scotland?We sat down with Isle of Raasay Co-founder and Master Distiller Alasdair Day and UK Sales Manager Gregor Hunter to hear the story. Alasdair talks us through how he got into whisky through his family history connections and how things sparked from blending to distilling. We also talked about life on the island and what the distillery is doing for the local economy and growing the island population. The lads also brought in some fantastic drams for us to try including Isle of Raasay newmake and the first ever peated single grain whisky to be bottled. Enjoy!

It's our birthday and to celebrate we put on a BIG Birthday Bash last Friday night at Uno Mas. And what a night it was! We had 55 guests, 6 brands and 7 whiskies on the lineup. There were party games and Ali Baxter Whisky Stories Bingo. And we even had our own cask of whisky which was rolled in and hand filled on the night in the bar. A huge thanks to everyone for coming along and being part of the special occasion and to our brands. Woven InchDairnie Holyrood Tri-Carragh Glengoyne Woodrow's of Edinburgh This is a wild one. Enjoy

We were invited along to have a look around at the Woodrow's of Edinburgh warehouse with Pals of the Pod Woody and Megan. It's always nice to get an invited into a bonded warehouse and last night we were treated to some great drams straight from the cask. We were also sampling some whisky which will be our next Exclusive Whisky Stories Bottling!!Woody and Megan were great hosts and as always gave us great chat and quality drams.

Arthur has been in the whisky industry for over 20 years. He's been the buyer of Scotch Malt Whisky Society and then worked his way up to Managing Director of Royal Mile Whiskies. There's not a cask that Arthur has bought that he doesn't remember. He's been involved in buying and selling some incredible whiskies throughout his career. Being part of the growth of the SMWS and Royal Mile Whiskies has made him one of the most influential people within the Scotch Whisky Industry. He was responsible for what RMW would buy and how they would sell it. He also loves talking about the history of whisky and some of the myths that surround it. He has a YouTube Channel with Dave Broom called The Liquid Antiquarian. There's a lot of good whisky industry chat in this one. Enjoy!

Dougal Gordon is the Brand Ambassador to Scotland for one of the best selling brands in the world, Glenfiddich. But he's also the 6th generation of the Grant Family to work in the business. This is an episode I've been trying to make happen, and it was worth the wait. In this episode, we get the full family history, stories of how Glenfiddich moved into becoming the top selling single malt all over the world, building distilleries against time lines and sponsoring F1 teams. Plus Dougal was very kind not to come along empty handed as well! Pour a dram and enjoy this cracker!

We’ve never had a wrestler on the podcast before. I didn’t think there were many connections between whisky and wrestling. Until I met Sam Barbour a few weeks ago who explained that he is a sales exec for La Martiniquaise who own Glen Moray and Cutty Sark. We’re HUGE fans of Glen Moray on the podcast.And have talked a lot about the distillery, the variety of different cask releases and the quality of whisky and price. So when we got Sam on, we thought it would be a great opportunity to talk about Cutty Sark as well as his alter wrestling ego - SBX. He flogs whisky through the day and wrestles in the evening. Sam is a wrestler who takes part in special wrestling events throughout Scotland. And he’s invited us along to his up coming charity wrestling night ‘WrestleMonia!’ Which is rising money for Movember. Angus might even put his favourite leotard on for this one! The fact that we can seamlessly talk about wrestling and whisky shows just how far this podcast has come over the last 100 episodes. Sam also brought in snacks and we got a sneak peak and taste of the soon to be released Glen Moray Forbidden Fruit Calvados Cask. A lot of fun recording this one.

This was the big one for us. Episode 100!It's crazy to think that we've been doing this for so long already, but we made it to a century of podcast episodes. Angus, Ross and I were back in Diggers in the cellar drinking drams and chatting nonsense. We had some cracking whisky on this weeks episode which included some American Single Cask Single Malt as well as sampled of the new 2025 Ardnamerica Release. Ross brought some goodies as well to celebrate the big occasion. We answered listener questions as well which ranged from what whisky we would use to fight off a bear to our best and worst whisky we've had since starting the pod. Another cracking night chatting about whisky and enjoying some good drams.

This was a cracking night. We were joined by Pal of the Pod Fraser Souness who was taking us through a 6 dram G&M lineup. Recorded in front of a 'live studio audience' in Diggers, we had special guest appearances from listener Launce Morgan and his 'current wife' Sandra. Big Cameron Ewen was also in the audience with his whisky lad Ross Barr. Drams on the night:🥃 Distillery Label Glenburgie 25🥃 CC Craigellachie 2009 - UK exclusive🥃 CC Benriach 1999🥃 Upcoming CC Glenturret 2007 cask sample🥃 Distillery Label Ardmore 2000🥃 CC Upper Balblair 1993Well done to Fraser for putting on a great lineup and giving us some great whisky chat and stories. Thanks to everyone who came along. Enjoy

This week, we were back out and about and heading west! We haven't ventured too far west in the two years of the podcast, so we decided to jump on a train to Helensburgh for the Lomond and Clyde Whisky Festival.But instead of just rocking up with a lanyard and enjoying some drams, we decided to team up with the Collector Club Competitions lads, John and Scott, to do some giveaways of our own.So, we packed our dartboard and wheel of fortune and came up with some challenges for people to try and win some whisky!The good news is that nothing got broken and no one got injured! This episode has a bit of everything: we recorded our first-ever podcast on the train through and back, we caught up with Glen from Whyte and Mackay who chatted about Dalmore and Fettercairn, and we got a sit-down dram with Marcos from Brave New Spirits.A lot was going on in this episode, but it's well worth a listen and was a load of fun to record.

We were back out and about for this episode on our Ian Macleod big day out. Not only were we given full access to the distillery and taken on our own tour with Gordon Dundas, we were also treated to The Malt Master Experience and hosted by good Pal of the Pod Jake Adcook. Jake is part of the blending team for Ian Macleod Distillers, which means he knows a thing or two about how to blend Glengoyne. He talked us through his processes of blending whisky while we had a go at blending our very own versions of Glengoyne. We put our efforts to the test had to select our own favourites blind. Who do you think would be the best Master Blender of the Whisky Stories Podcast?

Hoose Drams with Mark Thomson!This is the first time we've ever recorded in someone's house before!When Angus and I saw Mark Thomson had put his house on the market, we were desperate to get in for a wee look around. So we turned up with a camera, a couple of mics, and some drams.This one was a lot of fun. Mark reflected on his career, which has taken him from working in female fashion, Cafe Mambo in Ibiza (didn't know that about him), working as a Brand Ambassador for Glenfiddich, and an Independent Bottler.Mark's got some great stories, but he also gave us a great insight into the whisky industry and the challenges that brands are facing. We spoke about the importance of a Brand Ambassador and what's involved in working for a major brand like Glenfiddich.The episode covers it all, including:Delivering training sessions in NigeriaWhisky industry trendsComparing the value of new distilleries and the older originalsHow to break into the Glenfiddich Blending RoomIt's just three people sitting in a kitchen, enjoying drams and having some whisky chat. We brought along the Tomatin 6 year old virgin oak distillery hand-fill, the Glen Moray House Distillery Exclusive, and my bottle of Lindores Abbey. Mark, in turn, opened up his new bottle of Tomatin 18.There's so much in this episode to enjoy. Sit back, pour a dram, and enjoy!

Get 15% off the following tours and experiences:Rosebank Reawakening £25 before discountRosebank Discovered £50 before discountRosebank Rekindled £95 before discountThe Residency: Tamdhu Whisky Maker £110 before discountUse discount code: WSP15As part of Whisky Stories x Rosebank, we got a chance to sit down with Gordon Dundas - Brand Development and Advocacy Director at Ian Macleod Distillers.Gordon is responsible for all of the brands under the IMD umbrella which includes Rosebank, Glengoyne, Tamdhu, Lagan Bay and Una. As well as Edinburgh Gin and the blended brands like Isle of Skye.We recorded this in the Rosebank Distillery just after our amazing access all areas tour and enjoyed drinking a Glengoyne 18, Tamdhu Distillery Exclusive Hand Fill and a Rosebank 32.Gordon talked us through his career in whisky from the Whisky Magazine to working in Taiwan as a brand ambassador.He's travelled the world talking about whisky and gave us a great insight into the plans ahead for the new Islay laggan Bay Distillery as well as the history of Rosebank.Jake Adcook also joined us to talk us through the whiskies and production which was a great insight.

This episode is a packed-out catch-up filled with incredible news and a whole lot of chat. We're back in our spiritual home at The Diggers and have some major news to share right at the start!We've secured an exclusive 15% discount for our listeners on tours at the revived Rosebank Distillery. We break down just how good a deal this is, especially with a dram of the 32-year-old Rosebank on offer!In the episode, we also dive into:The highly anticipated return of Scapa 16 Year Old and whether it lives up to its legendary reputation.A lively debate on what makes a distillery "cool," with arguments for Springbank, InchDairnie, and the Thompson Brothers.A blind tasting of a Mystery Malt from Batch 2! Can we guess what's in the bottle?A fun fantasy about what our own independent bottling company would be and which distillery we'd approach for casks.The craziest cask finishes we can imagine, from Irn-Bru to Buckfast.This is a fun, off-the-cuff episode filled with plenty of laughs and even more great whisky.Get 15% off your Rosebank tour with code: WSP15You can also check out our visit to the distillery here:Rosebank Distillery Tour - A Day with Ian Macleod Distillers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a cracker of an episode, I don't think we've had anyone on who's done as much as Craig has done in his career. From starting out cleaning toilets at the Glenkinchie Distillery to blending The Famous Grouse and working with Macallan, he's travelled the world and collected some amazing whisky stories on the way. Craig took us on an incredible journey, sharing stories that prove just how global the whisky industry is. We followed his path from a tour guide at Glenkinchie to working in sales in Canada and even living in Dubai. He also talked about his time as a distiller at the Lark Distillery in Tasmania, where he got to create some truly unique whiskies, like a Christmas Cake Cask! We talked about his work on both sides of the coin, from the incredible attention to detail that goes into every bottle of The Macallan to the surprising process behind a global brand like Famous Grouse. We learnt so much and we've left plenty of chat in the tank for a second episode further down the line. There's also plenty of chat about: We were back in our spiritual home at The Diggers and had a fascinating chat with Craig Johnstone, a man whose career has taken him all over the world in whisky. Craig took us on an incredible journey, sharing stories that prove just how global the whisky industry is. We followed his path from a tour guide at Glenkinchie to working in sales in Canada and even living in Dubai. He also talked about his time as a distiller at the famous Lark Distillery in Tasmania, where he got to create some truly unique whiskies, like a cask finished in a beer barrel! But the real insight came when he told us about his time at Edrington, where he worked as a master blender and whisky maker. We talked about his work on both sides of the coin, from the incredible attention to detail that goes into every bottle of The Macallan to the surprising process behind a global brand like Famous Grouse. It’s a completely new look at how these iconic whiskies are made, and Craig’s straight-up approach means he doesn't hold back. This is an episode you definitely don't want to miss. You'll want to hear about: Craig’s tips for whiskies to drink in 45-degree heat. The surprising cask policy behind Famous Grouse. How a bartender’s trick can make you look smarter. The genius of Australia's most rebellious distiller, Peter Bignell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we recorded our Indy Bottler Spotlight with the Thompson Bros in front of a live audience packed into The False Widow in Leith.We tasted an incredible lineup of whiskies, including their "accidental blend" Blended Scotch Whisky 6 Year Old and a bargain North British 33 Year Old grain whisky.Join us as we uncover the fascinating Dornoch whisky journey, from the Dornoch Castle Hotel to the progress on their new Struie distillery. We also get the full story behind their unique labels and the hugely popular Mystery Malt series.This episode is packed with great Scottish whisky chat, behind-the-scenes stories, and plenty of laughs.Featured Drams:Thompson Brothers Blended Scotch Whisky 6 Year OldGlen Scotia 11 Year OldNorth British 33 Year OldDornoch Distillery Single Cask SampleMystery Malt Series (Torabhaig and Altmore) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the one we’ve all been waiting for, folks! The warehouse episode. We’ve finally got a proper peek behind the scenes and what a place to start. We're not down in the Diggers Vaults this week; we are in a massive room full of casks and the gentle, intoxicating aroma of whisky. The magic really does happen in here!Join me and Angus as we go to the Lowland Bond, home of the tallest cask racking in Europe. Seriously. Our host, James Zorab, and his right-hand man, Chuck, gave us an exclusive tour, and we even went up to the top of the racking system. My fear of heights was well and truly tested, but the view—and the aromas—from up there were absolutely worth it.We delved into the art and science of maturation, from the different types of racking systems to the consistent inconsistencies that make every cask unique. We'll be talking about the new rules for cask ownership, what a 'Wooga' is, and how James and his team handle everything from re-racking to the five-day sample turnaround promise that makes them feel like the "seventh emergency service."You'll hear Chuck reveal what it’s like to handle liquid history, including a 1990 Littlemill. We also get the lowdown on the mysterious 'timing' of casks, which involves some seriously impressive teamwork from the warehouse crew.Plus, stick around for our guests’ "What Three Casks" and a huge thank you to everyone who has supported the podcast and joined our Facebook group. We’re on a high, and the only way is up!Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back in the Diggers Vaults at the Athletic Arms, battling the heat (it's roasting!) and diving into a proper global whisky adventure! This week, Angus and I were joined by the brilliant Carl Crafts, Sales Executive for Ardnamurchan Distillery and Adelphi.Carl, our first American guest, tells us all about his fascinating journey into the whisky world, from craft beer in the US to helping Scottish brands navigate the wild west of American exports. We're massive fans of Ardnamurchan Whisky here, and Carl gives us the inside scoop on this remote Highland gem.We dive deep into Ardnamurchan Single Malt, discussing their unique approach with both peated and unpeated spirit, and their commitment to sustainability with a biomass boiler. We also get the lowdown on Adelphi, the independent bottler with a wild history – including a legendary washback explosion in Glasgow!And of course, we're dramming some absolute crackers! Carl pours us the unreleased Ardnamurchan Midgie Batch 2 (with port influence and a sneaky sherry butt!), a tasty new core range expression. We also get into the nitty-gritty of their single cask whisky releases and how they balance broader appeal with limited editions, including their annual Ardnamerica bottling.To round off a cracking chat, Carl reveals his fascinating What3Drams picks, sharing personal favourites that shaped his journey in whisky. This episode is packed with Carl's expert insights, plenty of laughs, and a deep dive into the unique world of Ardnamurchan Single Malt and Adelphi Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back in the Diggers Vaults at the Athletic Arms, sweating it out (it's roasting!) and diving into a proper global whisky adventure! This week, Angus, Ross, Fraser, and I are catching up after our whirlwind travels, and I've brought back some rather unique souvenirs for us to try.First up, we're tackling Indian whiskies! I'll share some insights from my recent trip to Mumbai for a wild blind tasting experience with the Single Malt Amateur Club. We try some of India's biggest selling brands – Royal Stag, Blender's Pride, and 100 Pipers – and let's just say, the results are... interesting. Some surprises in there, especially when it comes to the "Scotch" element!Then, Fraser unveils a true unicorn: a super rare Japanese whisky from Fuji Gotemba Distillery – the mysterious Dunbar! This one has a bizarre story and some even more bizarre tasting notes (urinal cakes, anyone?!).We also get Fraser's take on his new gig at Gordon & MacPhail, following up on our last chat with Stephen Rankin. He gives us the lowdown on life inside one of the world's most historic independent bottlers and how their incredible whisky portfolio stretches from affordable drams to absolute treasures.Plus, we talk about Rosebank Distillery's incredible Tamdhu residency and the unique blending experience there. And stick around for a hilarious debate on the "Seven Wonders of the Whisky World" and whether a distillery tour is better during production or shutdown.Finally, we unveil the utterly mind-blowing Gordon & MacPhail Driver's Pack drams that Stephen Rankin generously sent us – a line-up of truly world-class, aged whiskies we'll be showcasing in a separate video!It's just another Friday night in the pub with lots of drams, plenty of laughs, surprising whiskies, and the occasional whisky chat you won't hear anywhere else. Don't miss it! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Angus and I as we roll into Elgin for the final leg of our Speyside whisky road trip – and boy, have we got a corker of an episode for you! We managed to corner Stephen Rankin, Director of Prestige at Gordon & MacPhail, the legendary independent bottler and a total powerhouse in the Scotch whisky industry.This chat's a right laugh, folks. We dig into the incredible Gordon & MacPhail family business story, kicking off way back in 1895 when they were, believe it or not, just a local grocer. Stephen spills the beans with some hilarious and fascinating tales about growing up surrounded by whisky (literally!) – from helping his grandad knock down warehouses at Benromach Distillery to navigating the quirks of a multi-generational setup.We chat about how independent bottling really works, the magic behind whisky maturation, and how Gordon & MacPhail's obsession with quality has kept them at the top of their game for decades. You'll get the inside scoop on their approach to cask management and why building proper whisky industry relationships is absolutely vital. Plus, Stephen drops a few hints about a brand-new release that's about to rewrite the history books – you won't want to miss it!We'll be sipping on a cracking Glenburgie 1994 from their Connoisseurs Choice range, having a natter about their other distilleries like The Cairn Distillery, and, naturally, rounding it off with Stephen’s personal "What3Drams" picks.If you're a fan of a good single malt whisky, love a genuine family business yarn, and fancy a chuckle, then this episode is well worth a watch (or a listen!).Don't miss out:Subscribe to the Whisky Stories Podcast for more cracking whisky content!Join our Facebook Group for the Weekend Dram Roll Call – get involved and share your drams with the best whisky community around!Keep an eye on our newsletter for Angus's Dram of the Week and loads more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Whisky Stories, it's a complete change of scenery! Graeme journeyed to India and got the incredible chance to catch up with Hemanth Rao and Harsha Thimmaiah  from the Single Malt Amateur Club (SMAC) in Bangalore.Join us as we dive into the fascinating story of how Hemanth, the visionary behind the SMAC, built India's largest whisky club from humble beginnings in 2011 to a massive community of over 7000 members today. Harsha was the first to join him, and together, they've not only expanded the club but also became India's first 'independent bottler' and a trusted voice for some of the world's biggest whisky brands.Due to India's strict licensing laws, we set up our recording on a vibrant rooftop terrace in Bangalore, allowing us to freely explore the 6 or 7 whiskies we had on the table! Hemanth and Harsha offer a brilliant explanation of all things Indian Whisky, from its distilling origins to the potential impact of the new Free Trade Agreement, which will see tariffs on imported Scotch drop significantly from 150% to 75%.Pour yourself a dram and join us for this unique global whisky adventure! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the pod, we were back in the Diggers Vaults and joined by the brilliant Ali Reynolds—a man with a seriously impressive whisky journey. From award-winning bartender to global brand ambassador, and now running his own creative spirits marketing business, Ali’s got stories for days.After winning World Class Bartender of the Year in 2015, Ali landed a dream role as Brand Ambassador for Johnnie Walker—the world’s biggest Scotch whisky brand. From delivering masterclasses and global training sessions, to helping shape how people engage with whisky, his impact has been huge.In this episode, we talk about: 🥃 The role Johnnie Walker has played in shaping the Scotch whisky industry 🥃 How Ali made his training sessions stand out from the rest 🥃 His move to Denmark to work with the innovative Stauning Distillery 🥃 Launching his new creative agency, Yellow Hammer, which blends his experience in bartending, brand work, and spirits marketing with his passion for photography and storytellingAli also shared some great drams, cracking stories, and had us in stitches more than once. This one was packed with insights, laughs, and a fresh perspective on the whisky industry from the inside out.Enjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week’s episode, we were joined by Christopher Coates, Editor at Large for Whisky Magazine, along with returning guest and co-host Hazel MacLeod (aka Hazy Drams) from Woven Whisky.Christopher took us through his incredible journey into the world of whisky—from an impromptu student tasting led by a German roommate, to working in the shop at the Scotch Whisky Experience, and eventually hitting the road (and the skies) as a full-time whisky writer, editor, and content creator.From being handed the keys to a car and told to go find whisky stories in the Scottish Highlands, to producing world-class whisky content across print, video, and events, Christopher’s stories are as insightful as they are entertaining.And, being the gent that he is, he brought along three brilliant whiskies for his What3Drams picks:🥃 Dram 1: Hellyers Road ‘The Iberian’ – A Tasmanian single malt finished in sherry and port casks🥃 Dram 2: Fuji Gotemba Single Blended – A beautiful expression from Japan🥃 Dram 3: Tamdhu 21 – Sherried elegance from SpeysideWe also caught up with Hazel on what’s new at Woven, and—of course—got stuck into plenty of top-quality Scotch whisky chat, drams, and storytelling.It’s a longer episode this week, but trust us—it’s well worth pouring yourself a big one and settling in.Enjoy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, it was back to just the four of us in the cosy confines of The Diggers Whisky Vaults—mics on, drams poured, and loads of listener questions to get through.After the great feedback from our last group episode, we were buzzing to sit down again for another proper whisky chat.We kicked things off catching up on life—Ross’s new role, Angus’s holiday stories, and then got stuck into the important stuff:🥃 Whisky dilemmas🥃 The one dram we’d drink forever🥃 Moral questions from listeners🥃 A fresh round of Play Your Distilleries Right🥃 And yes… the best whisky to pair with a fish supper This one was full of laughs, genuine whisky chat, and a brilliant reminder of why we love doing this podcast.A huge thanks to everyone who sent in questions—we couldn’t get to them all, but we’ll be doing more of these soon!Enjoy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the pod, there was no Angus and no Ross, so it was just Chuck and me left to figure things out… luckily, we weren’t alone for long. We were joined by friend of the pod Sian Buchan, owner of Uno Mas, and her pal Jane Ross, who brought the energy, the stories, and the drams.Jane wears many whisky hats—she runs The Powder Room, False Widow, and the legendary Mother Superior Whisky Bar in Leith, and she’s also one half of Whisky & Witches.She had just returned from Feis Ile 2025 on Islay, where she somehow managed to win bottles of whisky in pinball competitions—that alone is worth tuning in for.We chatted all about: 🥃 Travelling to Islay 🥃 Launching a whisky bar during Covid 🥃 The origins of Whisky & Witches 🥃 The art of putting on amazing whisky eventsWe also started dreaming up the Whisky Stories BIG Night Out with Sian and Jane—two people who seriously know how to throw a party with a proper pour.And yes, after what feels like forever, we FINALLY tried the famous Tomatin 6-Year-Old Virgin Oak… and Chuck asked an important question for our listeners to help out with.This episode was a proper laugh, full of whisky, banter, and the kind of guests who make this podcast what it is.Enjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we were joined by BIG friend of the pod Mike Brown, Global Brand Ambassador for Ian Macleod Distillers—the team behind Tamdhu, Glengoyne, Rosebank, and Smokehead.This marks Mike’s third appearance on the pod… technically. The first one got deleted (my fault), and this time, I forgot to press record for the first five minutes. That’s what happens when you go for a couple of pre-podcast drams…Despite the chaos, this episode was packed with incredible whisky chat. Mike spends his time travelling the world, leading tastings and masterclasses for whisky lovers and industry folk alike—and every time he’s on the pod, he comes loaded with samples, stories, and good humour.This time round, Mike brought some cracking whiskies to share, including a special message and dram drop from fellow podcast guest Jake Adcock.As always, it was a brilliant, relaxed, whisky-fuelled session with plenty of laughs, brilliant insight, and more than a few drams.Expect stories from the road, brand talk across Tamdhu, Glengoyne, Rosebank, and Smokehead, and the usual dose of mayhem when Mike’s around.Enjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the podcast, we hosted our first-ever LIVE Distillery Spotlight tasting and what a night it was! We were joined by Scott Sneddon (aka the Engineer of Flavour) and Daniel Cunningham from InchDairnie Distillery, as part of our ongoing collaboration with one of the most innovative whisky producers in Scotland.We had a packed room of whisky fans at The Diggers Vaults, all eager to taste the incredible lineup of drams, and they did not disappoint. Scott guided us through five brilliant whiskies, including a couple of exclusive previews and a very special unreleased dram drawn straight from cask the day before the tasting:🥃 RyeLaw 1st Release 🥃 RyeLaw 2nd Release (not yet released) 🥃 KinGlassie Double Matured 🥃 KinGlassie Raw 🥃 8-Year-Old Unpeated InchDairnie matured in an Amontillado cask – a one-off cask sample shared just for the eventScott, as always, brought the stories, the science, and plenty of laughs as he explained how InchDairnie are pushing boundaries in whisky production from their use of alternative grains to their focus on flavour innovation and fermentation.This episode captures the energy of the night, the quality of the whiskies, and the ongoing story of modern Scotch whisky being written in Fife. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the pod, it was just the lads back in The Diggers Cellar—surrounded by drams, plenty of laughs, and a chance to reflect on what’s been a wild few months for the Whisky Stories podcast.We cracked open a brilliant selection of Scotch whiskies, shared some stories, and—believe it or not—finally opened our fan mail! Over the last few months, we’ve been sent some amazing packages from our incredible listeners, and this was the perfect moment to open them up and say thanks.We also reached out to our audience for questions, prompts, and chat suggestions—you delivered, and we dove into some cracking conversations, debates, and downright daft moments.Of course, it wouldn’t be a proper episode without another round of Play Your Distilleries Right, and we also dropped some BIG breaking news about what’s coming next for Whisky Stories.No guests, no script—just pure whisky-fuelled chaos, proper laughs, and some brilliant community spirit.Enjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the podcast, we were invited to record at one of the most iconic whisky destinations in the world—the Scotch Whisky Experience, right at the top of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.Ever since Episode 5, we’ve been talking about how many of our guests started their journeys here, and this week we finally got the chance to sit down with the people at the heart of it:🥃 Susan Morrison, Chief Executive🥃 Angela Dineen, Operations Director🥃 Lenka Whyles, Senior Specialist Tours & Tastings ManagerBetween them, Susan, Angela, and Lenka have helped shape the careers of countless whisky professionals, while also welcoming and educating hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world about the world of Scotch whisky.👉 Susan—now a Master of the Quaich—started out as a tour guide on opening day in 1988 and has since worked her way to becoming the CEO.👉 Angela and Lenka—both Keepers of the Quaich—have helped shape everything from the visitor experience to the sensory storytelling that makes the Scotch Whisky Experience so legendary.In this episode, we chat about:Their careers in the Scotch whisky industryThe incredible growth of whisky tourism in EdinburghThe importance of storytelling, education, and mentorship in whiskyAnd, of course, their What3DramsA must-listen for anyone interested in:✅ Working in the whisky industry✅ The people behind the scenes of whisky’s biggest attractions✅ The Scotch Whisky Experience and its role in global whisky culture✅ Female leadership in whiskyEnjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.