Author name: Mark Gillespie

Danish Distiller Says “No Peace, No Whisky”

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February 16, 2022 – Hans Island sounds like the name of the villain in a James Bond movie, but it’s actually more like a lair for a Bond villain. It’s a small island in the North Atlantic on the border between Canada and Greenland, and has been the subject of a low-key diplomatic dispute between Canada and Denmark for decades. Both sides claim sovereignty over Hans Island, but the dispute escalated in 1984 when Canadian soldiers “invaded” the island, planted the Maple Leaf flag, and left behind a bottle of Canadian Whisky. Denmark’s minister for Greenland followed up on that Read More »

Happy Hour Live with Bill Samuels, Jr. of Maker’s Mark (Episode 926: February 16, 2022)

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It’s been more than a decade since Bill Samuels, Jr. “retired” as chairman of Maker’s Mark and turned the reins over to his son Rob, but the 82-year-old Bourbon legend seems just as busy today as ever. He joined us from his office at Maker’s Mark headquarters for the #HappyHourLive webcast the other night for a wide-ranging discussion of everything from his early days to being a mentor for today’s generation of emerging distillers. Join us each Friday night at 5:00pm New York time for our live webcasts on the WhiskyCast YouTube channel, our Facebook page, Twitter, and Twitch. Links: Read More »

The Verdict Is In (Episode 925: February 13, 2022)

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It takes guts to put your whisky up against those from around the world in blind tastings and agree to publish the results no matter what, but the verdict is now in for The Judgement of Westland. Around 2,000 people tasted Westland’s American single malt against competitors from Scotland, Australia, and India over the last four months, and in the end, all four malts were separated by just a fraction of a point. We’ll discuss the findings with Westland’s Steve Hawley on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Scotch Whisky exports are starting to recover from the double whammy of U.S. Read More »

Happy Hour Live with the “Off Track with Hinch & Rossi” Gang (Episode 924: February 10, 2022)

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Time for our annual visit with the guys from “Off Track with Hinch & Rossi” podcast for a virtual whiskey tasting session. IndyCar veterans Alexander Rossi and James Hinchcliffe joined us for the #HappyHourLive webcast, along with producer Tim Durham and their special guest, Marco Andretti. We tasted the Heaven’s Door Redbreast Edition Bourbon, the Dickel/Leopold Bros. Rye collaboration, Redwood Empire’s Lost Monarch, and the Crown Royal Noble Collection Winter Wheat edition. Join us for our live webcasts every Friday night at 5:00pm New York time on the WhiskyCast YouTube channel, our Facebook page, Twitter, and Twitch. Links: Heaven’s Door | George Read More »

Happy Hour Live with Company Distilling’s Jeff Arnett (Episode 923: February 9, 2022)

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Jeff Arnett left Jack Daniel’s nearly 18 months ago with a desire to create his own whiskey brand, and that’s just what he and his partners have done with the new Company Distilling. With one Tennessee distillery already in operation, a second under construction, and plans for a third in the works, Company Distilling has high hopes for the future. We talked with Jeff about that future and his past at Jack Daniel’s on our #HappyHourLive webcast the other night, and you can catch all of our live webcasts every Friday night at 5:00pm New York time on the WhiskyCast YouTube Read More »

Lifting Spirits and Lifting Up a Spirits Business (Episode 922: February 6, 2022)

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It’s been nearly two years since Uncle Nearest and Jack Daniel’s joined forces to create the Nearest and Jack Advancement Initiative with a goal of creating new opportunities for people of color in the spirits industry. The Initiative’s business incubator program has just graduated its first company after working with Du Nord Social Spirits for more than a year. The Minneapolis distillery was damaged by fire in the unrest that followed the murder of George Floyd by police just a few blocks away in June of 2020, but is making a comeback with plans for an all-new distillery in one Read More »

Happy Hour Live with Clay Risen & Maggie Kimberl (Episode 921: February 2, 2022)

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Our live webcast with Clay Risen of the New York Times and Maggie Kimberl of American Whiskey Magazine went all over the place, with everything from winter weather to fake whiskies and much more! Join us each Friday night at 5:00pm New York time (22:00 GMT/UTC) for our live shows on the WhiskyCast YouTube channel, our Facebook page, Twitter, and Twitch. Links: The New York Times | American Whiskey Magazine

Heaven Hill Acquires Craft Producer Samson & Surrey

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February 1, 2022 – Heaven Hill is expanding its portfolio to include “craft” whiskey brands such as FEW Spirits, Widow Jane, and Brenne with its acquisition of Samson & Surrey. The craft producer has been one of the fastest-growing spirits companies in the industry since it was founded by industry veterans Robert Furniss-Roe and Juan Rovira five years ago, and will operate as a standalone unit within the Shapira family’s Heaven Hill Brands. Heaven Hill president Max Shapira said in a statement released following the close of business Tuesday “the Samson & Surrey portfolio strategically enhances our portfolio with emerging Read More »

Battling Bogus Bourbons & Confronting Counterfeiters (Episode 920: January 31, 2022)

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Fakes have been plaguing Scotch Whisky collectors for years, but the rising boom in Bourbon’s popularity means more demand than supply — and that’s where counterfeiters see a chance to make money. With empty bottles available for sale online, it’s not that hard to create a fake Bourbon…until you get a call from Adam Herz. He’s a Los Angeles-based whisky collector who’s become an expert in the art of uncovering fake whiskies and the people who create them, and he’ll share his story with us on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Kentucky alcohol regulators say the private barrel Read More »

Private Barrel Kentucky Bourbons in Legal Jeopardy

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January 29, 2022 – Sales of “private selection” barrels by distillers in Kentucky have become popular choices for retailers, bars, restaurants, and even whiskey clubs. However, it turns out that those sales actually violate state liquor regulations in Kentucky, and perhaps even at the federal level. It’s not because sales by the barrel are specifically banned, but because the process of selecting those barrels violates a number of state regulations. Kentucky’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Board enforces the state’s regulations, and has issued an advisory opinion to that effect, according to Kentucky Distillers Association president Eric Gregory. “Right now, the ABC Read More »

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