Author name: Mark Gillespie

Myths & Misconceptions

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February 19, 2023 – There are a lot of myths and misconceptions surrounding whisky, and every so often, we need to puncture those myths and shed some light on the facts… For instance, the common perception is that if a whiskey is labeled as “straight,” then it can’t have any coloring or flavoring materials added. This is where things get tricky…straight Bourbons, straight malt, straight rye, straight wheat, straight corn, and straight rye malt can’t have any coloring or flavorings added to them… However, according to the TTB’s Beverage Alcohol Manual, “blended” versions of those whiskies (such as “a blend of Read More »

The Barrel Problem

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February 19, 2023 – In 2021, Kentucky distillers filled 2-point-6 million barrels of Bourbon. Each one of those barrels was a new, charred oak barrel…just like the law requires. Other states don’t track Bourbon production specifically, but if we look at more than 2-thousand distilleries operating now in the other 49 states, it’s easy to get to somewhere between 3 and a half to four million new barrels that are needed every year, not to mention what makers of other spirits and wine need.  That’s created a lot of pressure on cooperages to meet the demand, and those distilleries without long-term supply Read More »

Oregon Scandal Costs Liquor Regulators Their Jobs

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February 19, 2023 – There’s a scandal brewing in Oregon, where both the executive director and chairman of the state’s liquor control board have resigned under pressure from Governor Tina Kotek. Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission chairman Paul Rosenbaum resigned Thursday following the ouster of executive director Steve Marks. Marks was one of several OLCC executives implicated in an internal investigation last year that found they had diverted bottles of Pappy Van Winkle and other rare Bourbons from retail sale for their own use The Oregonian newspaper broke details of the internal probe, which also found that the agency executives paid for Read More »

Scottish Government Opens Consultation on Peat Ban

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February 19, 2023 – In a move that’s likely to make fans of peaty Scotch whiskies nervous, the Scottish Government has opened a public consultation period on a proposal to begin limiting the sale of peat with an eye to eventually banning peat usage outright. Most peat harvested goes to agricultural use, and the government’s proposal would begin with a ban on the sale of peat for home gardening use, followed by commercial agriculture and finally, industrial uses of peat. Environment and Land Reform Minister Mairi McAllan said in a statement that “we also want to hear views from industry Read More »

The Barrel Problem (Episode 992: February 19, 2023)

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Bourbon and many other whiskies must be matured in new barrels by law, but distillers are finding a shortage of available barrels. Cooperages are keeping up with existing demand, but are facing their own supply chain issues with raw logs and can’t keep up with distillery expansions across the industry. It all amounts to “the barrel problem,” and we’ll look at the issue on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Scottish government officials want public comments on whether the sale of peat should be banned, including the whisky industry’s use of peat for malting barley. There’s a scandal in Read More »

Distillers Left Out of UK Energy Relief Program

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February 17, 2023 – Wine, cider, and beer qualify for relief under the UK Government’s new energy relief program, but whisky distillers have been left out, despite the fact that distilleries use more energy than their competitors in the drinks industry. The government’s Energy and Trade Intensive Industries scheme is designed to provide financial support for industries hit hard by the rise in electricity and natural gas prices, with eligible companies receiving a discount based on the difference between wholesale prices and a set price threshold. According to the Scotch Whisky Association, 53 percent of distillers have seen their energy Read More »

Raiding Whisky (Episode 991: February 12, 2023)

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Last month’s raid on the Justins’ House of Bourbon stores in Kentucky brought a multi-state and federal investigation into the spotlight. Now, authorities in the District of Columbia and at least two other states are investigating potential violations of interstate shipping laws, according to a report this week in the Lexington Herald-Leader. The Herald-Leader’s Janet Patton broke the story and joins us this week on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, distilled spirits sales outpaced beer for the first time during 2022, while Scotch Whisky exports set a new record. Links: Lexington Herald-Leader | Distilled Spirits Council | Scotch Whisky Association Read More »

A Milestone for The Dead Rabbit (Episode 990: February 5, 2023)

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It’s hard to believe, but the iconic New York City pub The Dead Rabbit is celebrating its 10th anniversary this month. In that time, it’s built a reputation as one of the world’s best cocktail bars. We’ll talk with co-founder and managing partner Jack McGarry about the first ten years and what the future holds for The Dead Rabbit – including expansion to Austin, New Orleans, and other cities. On Your Voice, listeners like you tell us what makes a pub great, and in our Behind the Label segment, we’ll answer a question about the difference between a peaty whisky Read More »

What’s Authentic? (Episode 989: January 29, 2023)

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Distillers like to claim the “authentic” label for their whiskies, but how does one define “authenticity” in whisky? Is a “grain to glass” whisky more authentic than one that’s mass-produced? Stanford business professor Glenn Carroll and Tulane business professor Cameron Verhaal teamed up to study just what whisky drinkers consider to be authentic, and they join us on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth to discuss their findings. In the news, Irish Whiskey tourism rebounded strongly during 2022 with a 425% gain over the pandemic-affected year of 2021. Diageo shares took a plunge on softness in U.S. Scotch Whisky sales, and a Read More »

A Big Victory for Small Distillers (Episode 988: January 22, 2023)

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This week’s episode comes from the Victoria Whisky Festival in Victoria, British Columbia…where a small Vancouver distillery shocked the Canadian whisky world the other night. Sons of Vancouver won Canadian Whisky of the Year honors at the Canadian Whisky Awards with their “Palm Trees and a Tropical Breeze” rye whisky. It was the highest-scoring whisky in the competition, and it wasn’t even close. We’ll talk with the distillery’s Jenna Diubaldo, James Lester, and Max Smith on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth, along with Canadian Whisky Awards founder and chairman Davin de Kergommeaux. In the news, an explosion rocked Alberta Distillers in Read More »

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