Author name: Mark Gillespie

Thanks a Thousand! (Episode 1000: April 16, 2023)

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We’re celebrating a major milestone this week with the 1000th episode of WhiskyCast! To mark the occasion, Mark went back through the archives to pick some memorable moments and interviews from the past 18 years for this special episode. You’ll hear from legends like the late Parker Beam and Michael Jackson, along with Jimmy Russell, Jim McEwan, Maureen Robinson, Fawn Weaver, and Richard Paterson…just to name a few. This episode is a lot longer than usual, and there’s plenty more that we could have included. In the news, Scotch Whisky Association leaders are hoping to persuade Parliament to reject a Read More »

The Ultimate Whisky Glass (Episode 999: April 9, 2023)

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Many have tried, but the Glencairn whisky glass remains the preferred choice of whisky blenders and savvy whisky lovers. There’s more to Glencairn Crystal than just its iconic glass, though, and we’ll talk with Glencairn founder Raymond Davidson on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Campari is investing $160 million to build a second distillery at Wild Turkey in Kentucky. We’ll have details on that and the rest of the week’s headlines, and in our Behind the Label segment, we’ll explain why some whiskies can taste soapy and what causes it. Links: Glencairn Crystal | Wild Turkey | Wyoming Read More »

The World’s Largest Whisky Club (Episode 998: April 2, 2023)

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The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is marking its 40th anniversary in 2023, and we’ll talk with founder Pip Hills on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. The 82-year-old Hills started the Society as a cask-share scheme with his friends…and their friends…and so on, until now, the Society’s membership stands at 37,000 whisky lovers worldwide. In the news, Diageo CEO Ivan Menezes is retiring, Kentucky state lawmakers have passed the barrel tax phaseout bill into law, and Whisky Magazine handed out its annual awards this past week. Links: Scotch Malt Whisky Society | Diageo | Kentucky Distillers Association | Spirits Canada | The Read More »

Glen Grant Unveils New 21-Year-Old Single Malt

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March 26, 2023 – Glen Grant has introduced the oldest permanent addition to its range with a new 21-year-old single malt. The whisky was matured in a combination of Oloroso Sherry butts and hogsheads along with ex-Bourbon barrels, and is bottled at 46% ABV with no chill filtering. “The 18-year-old was our oldest one before, and it was mainly Bourbon wood which gives you much more floral notes to it,” said Master Distiller Dennis Malcolm. The 62-year veteran of the Scotch Whisky industry was on hand this week at an event in New York City to introduce the new whisky. Read More »

Ask the Distiller (Episode 997: March 26, 2023)

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There’s very little Dennis Malcolm hasn’t seen in his 62 years of making whisky, and the longtime Glen Grant distillery manager joins us on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth to answer some of your whisky questions. Dennis was in New York City for the global launch of the new Glen Grant 21 Years Old, and we’ll have tasting notes for it as well. In the news, Kentucky lawmakers are running out of time to pass a bill ending the barrel tax this year, while the U.S. Supreme Court held oral arguments on a trademark case involving Jack Daniel’s…and dog poop. Links: Read More »

Supreme Court to Rule on “Bad Spaniel’s” Trademark Lawsuit

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March 22, 2023 – In a nearly 90-minute hearing punctuated with laughter, the United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a lawsuit over whether a “Bad Spaniel’s” dog toy violates the trademark protection Jack Daniel’s has for its whisky bottles. The lawsuit (Jack Daniel’s Properties, Inc v. VIP Products) filed by Jack Daniel’s owner Brown-Forman claims the dog toy creates consumer confusion, while the poop-themed toy’s maker argues it falls within legal exceptions for parodies. The Supreme Court agreed to take the case after VIP Products won an appeals court ruling when the court used a standard defining when Read More »

Whisky Lost and Found (Episode 996: March 19, 2023)

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1983 was a very bad year to be in the Scotch Whisky business. Sales had dried up in the face of changing consumer tastes and economic woes, and the industry was sitting on a “whisky loch” of millions of gallons of whisky no one wanted to buy. That led to the permanent or temporary closings of 14 distilleries, along with blending and bottling plants throughout Scotland. 40 years later, the industry has recovered – but have the lessons from 1983 been remembered? We’ll talk with historians Charles Maclean and Dr. Nick Morgan about the circumstances that led to mass closings Read More »

Chancellor Slams Whisky Industry With Tax Hike

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March 15, 2023 – The Scotch Whisky Association’s pleas for a freeze on excise duty fell on deaf ears, as Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s new budget calls for a 10.1% increase in duty on whisky and other distilled spirits. Hunt’s budget plans a tax increase in line with inflation effective August 1 for all four alcohol categories (distilled spirits, wine, beer, and cider), with relief being offered for on-draught products sold at bars and restaurants. According to the Scotch Whisky Association, the duty rate on spirits will rise to £31.64 per liter of pure alcohol, raising the tax burden on an Read More »

American Spirits Exports Reach Record High

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March 12, 2023 – American distillers exported a record $2.06 billion in spirits during 2022, a 30 percent gain over 2021 as the temporary end of tariffs on Bourbons and other American whiskies helped exports rebound. According to a new report from the Distilled Spirits Council, American whisky exports grew 32 percent with a value of $1.28 billion during the year. “Growth to the European Union and United Kingdom lagged behind other markets,” DISCUS Vice President of International Trade Rob Maron told WhiskyCast in a telephone interview. Both trade partners ended their punitive tariffs on American whisky exports in 2022, Read More »

The State of Scotch (Episode 995: March 12, 2023)

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Mark Kent left the UK’s diplomatic service 14 months ago to become the new CEO of the Scotch Whisky Association, and admits he didn’t know much about Scotch when he started. With the industry in a state of flux over issues ranging from a potential marketing and advertising ban in Scotland to free trade and climate change, it’s been a busy 14 months for Kent. He’ll join us on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth to discuss the state of the Scotch Whisky industry and those key issues it faces. In the news, Islay distillers are scrambling to find new sources of Read More »

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