Witchburn Distillery Seeks Planning Approval, Wolfcraig’s Request Denied
Plans for a third new distillery in Campbeltown, Scotland have been submitted to Argyll & Bute Council for review. The Witchburn Distillery project is led… Read More
Bowmore’s ARC-52 Decanter Raises Funds for Islay Charities
A one-of-a-kind “Mokume Edition” ARC-52 Bowmore single malt brought a high bid of $283,988 (Including taxes) at Sotheby’s in London Friday. The decanter designed by… Read More
Bowmore’s ARC-52 Decanter Raises Funds for Islay Charities
A one-of-a-kind “Mokume Edition” ARC-52 Bowmore single malt brought a high bid of $283,988 (Including taxes) at Sotheby’s in London Friday. The decanter designed by… Read More
Another New Distillery for Campbeltown
At one time, Campbeltown was Scotland’s whisky capital with more than 35 distilleries. That number dwindled to just three over the years, but now, planning… Read More
Another New Distillery for Campbeltown
At one time, Campbeltown was Scotland’s whisky capital with more than 35 distilleries. That number dwindled to just three over the years, but now, planning… Read More
Celebrating World Whisky Day (Episode 1005: May 21, 2023)
Whisky lovers around the world celebrated World Whisky Day Saturday. The holiday was created a dozen years ago by whisky writer and consultant Blair Bowman, and we’ll check in with him on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. He’s been involved in several major controversies affecting the Scotch Whisky industry, from protesting the planned Deposit Return Scheme now scheduled to take effect next March to fighting a proposed series of marketing and advertising restrictions for whiskies and other alcoholic beverages. In the news, we’ll have an update on new whiskies released for World Whisky Day, while the owners of Justins’ House of Read More »
A New Era for Blended American Whisky (Episode 1004: May 14, 2023)
Blended American Whisky has been ignored by connoisseurs for many years, largely because the category has been dominated by cheap blends using grain neutral spirits. Now, there’s a new era for Blended American Whisky as blenders explore the flexibility the category offers, from being able to blend Bourbons and Ryes with other styles of whisky to being able to use whisky matured in used barrels. We’ll talk with master blender Ari Sussman about the trend in this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Australian distillers are in a dispute over what should be called a “single malt,” Russian officials raid Read More »
“Bourbon Capital of the World” Hits the Brakes on New Whiskey-Related Projects (Episode 1003: May 7, 2023)
Bourbon’s construction boom in Central Kentucky is raising concerns in Nelson County, home to Bardstown, the “Bourbon Capital of the World.” County officials have reached a compromise with whiskey makers for a 90-day moratorium on planning approval for new warehouses in agricultural zones. Nelson County Judge Executive Tim Hutchins wants a review of current ordinances allowing virtually unfettered development of warehouses without public input, while allowing projects in areas zoned for industrial use to move forward. We’ll talk with Judge Hutchins on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth about the moratorium and the impact of losing millions of dollars in barrel tax Read More »
A Scottish Rye? Rye Not! (Episode 1002: April 30, 2023)
Rye hasn’t been widely used by Scotch whisky distillers for decades, but Inchdairnie Distillery is doing something different for its first release: A Scottish single grain distilled from 53% malted rye and 47% malted barley. The distillery contracted local farmers to grow the rye grain, and released its first batch of RyeLaw this week. Inchdairnie managing director Ian Palmer joins us to explain the reasons for starting with a Scottish rye whisky. In the news, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says no to reconsidering a whisky tax hike set for August, while Diageo is joining the growing list of whisky Read More »
Experiments in Whisky (Episode 1001: April 23, 2023)
Dr. Bill Lumsden has been experimenting at both Ardbeg and Glenmorangie distilleries. His latest Ardbeg release, Heavy Vapours, involved taking part of the distilling system out of the picture just because he wanted to see what would happen if he did. At Glenmorangie, he has a whole year’s worth of projects for his experimental Lighthouse distillery. We’ll catch up with whisky’s mad scientist on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Scotland’s controversial alcohol marketing restrictions have been sent back to the drawing board, while the equally controversial deposit return scheme for bottles has been pushed back to next March. Read More »