Charles Maclean - BourbonSphere

Making the “World’s Most Admired” Whiskies

Louisville’s Michter’s Distillery took top honors in the 2023 Drinks International survey to find the “world’s most admired” whiskey brand. Andrea Wilson is the Master… Read More

Louisville’s Michter’s Distillery took top honors in the 2023 Drinks International survey to find the “world’s most admired” whiskey brand. Andrea Wilson is the Master of Maturation for Michter’s, as well as the company’s chief operating officer, and has the final say on any whisky that carries the Michter’s name. We’ll talk with Andrea about the pressure of living up to that reputation, as well as her Hall of Fame whisky-making career, on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Kentucky lawmakers have approved a bill to close loopholes in the state’s Vintage Distilled Spirits Law. We’ll have the details on that and the rest of the week’s whisky news, including a rare collaboration between Australia’s Starward Whisky and Lagavulin.

Episode 1050: March 31, 2024

Is the Luxury Whisky Investment Market Softening?

Whisky has become more attractive as an investment asset in recent years, but a new report indicates the value of luxury whiskies has declined over… Read More

Whisky has become more attractive as an investment asset in recent years, but a new report indicates the value of luxury whiskies has declined over the past year. We’ll talk with the report’s author, Duncan McFadzean of Scotland’s Noble & Company, on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, lots of hardware was handed out at this week’s awards ceremonies in Scotland and Ireland, and we’ll have the details. Chivas Brothers faces strikes by its union workers next week, and there’s less than a month left before American whiskies face European import tariffs again.

Episode 1033: December 3, 2023

Whisky Number One…of One

Distillers around Scotland are teaming up to help the country’s youth through the Distillers’ Charity One of One Auction on October 5. 39 one-of-a-kind bottles… Read More

Distillers around Scotland are teaming up to help the country’s youth through the Distillers’ Charity One of One Auction on October 5. 39 one-of-a-kind bottles will go on the auction block to raise money for the Charity’s Youth Action Fund, including the debut bottling of Kandoblanc from Studio Dhavall Gandhi. We’ll talk with Dhavall and the charity’s managing director, Beanie Geraedts-Espey on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, we’ll have details on new releases from Bruichladdich, Jack Daniel’s, and Tomatin, just to name a few.

Episode 1021: September 11, 2023

Image courtesy Studio Dhavall Gandhi.

Four Roses Bourbon Celebrates 135 Years

Back in 1888, Paul Jones Jr. started selling Bourbon under the Four Roses brand. 135 years later, the brand is stronger than ever, and to… Read More

Back in 1888, Paul Jones Jr. started selling Bourbon under the Four Roses brand. 135 years later, the brand is stronger than ever, and to mark the anniversary, Four Roses is releasing a first-ever tasting kit with all 10 of the distillery’s unique recipes. We’ll talk with Master Distiller Brent Elliott about the anniversary, and what makes each of those 10 recipes different, on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth.

In the news, new distilleries are opening up in Japan, Wales, and Pennsylvania this week, while Sazerac has won a counterfeiting lawsuit against a company that was selling miniature bottles of its W.L. Weller Bourbon online.

Episode 1012: July 9, 2023

A Craft Maltster’s Closing Leaves Distillers in the Lurch

The collapse of Washington’s Skagit Valley Malting last month left distillers and brewers alike searching for new suppliers of malted barley. The craft maltster had… Read More

The collapse of Washington’s Skagit Valley Malting last month left distillers and brewers alike searching for new suppliers of malted barley. The craft maltster had more than 270 customers when it closed unexpectedly, including Seattle’s Westland and Copperworks distilleries. We’ll talk with Copperworks co-founders Jason Perkins and Jeff Kanof this week on WhiskyCast In-Depth, along with Kate Bernot, who’s been covering the story for Good Beer Hunting. In the news, the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame gets eight new inductees, while Woodford Reserve is teaming up with Kentucky farmers to develop the state as a rye-producing region. We’ll have all the week’s whisky news, tasting notes for whiskies from the U.S., Japan, and India, and much more on this week’s WhiskyCast.

Episode 1011: July 2, 2023

A New Golden Age for Scotch Whisky?

The Scotch Whisky industry is roaring along, setting new records for sales every year as the global demand for whisky continues to grow. The last… Read More

The Scotch Whisky industry is roaring along, setting new records for sales every year as the global demand for whisky continues to grow. The last “golden age” for Scotch Whisky is generally considered to be the late 1800’s, when distilleries flourished all over Scotland. That begs the question: are we in a new golden age for Scotch Whisky? Veteran whisky writers, historians, and consultants Charles Maclean and Ian Buxton take on that question and other key issues in an extended WhiskyCast In-Depth conversation this week.

In the news, a Pacific Northwest malting house has left distilleries and brewers in the lurch after suddenly closing this week, while Speyside Distillers is being questioned about the location of casks sold to investors more than 20 years ago.

Episode 1010: June 25, 2023