King Charles III - BourbonSphere

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

“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 revenue in the coming years. In the news, Sazerac CEO Mark Brown is stepping aside in a long-planned succession, while Scotland’s Parliament has approved new rules to make it easier for whisky makers to borrow against their stockpiles of maturing whisky. We’ll also have details on a host of commemorative whiskies celebrating the coronation of King Charles III, along with the rest of the week’s whisky releases.

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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 »

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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 »

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

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 »

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McEwan Honored with MBE

January 2, 2023 – “For contributions to the Scotch Whisky industry and the community on Islay.” Eleven words that describe a six-decade career in the whisky industry, but not nearly enough to describe Jim McEwan’s career. McEwan was named a member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in King Charles’s first New Year’s Honours List along with Diageo CEO Ivan Menezes, who will be knighted for his services to the business community and equality. “To receive an award like that completely floored me…I never ever, ever, ever, anticipated anything like that, McEwan said in a telephone interview with Read More »

January 2, 2023 – “For contributions to the Scotch Whisky industry and the community on Islay.”

Eleven words that describe a six-decade career in the whisky industry, but not nearly enough to describe Jim McEwan’s career. McEwan was named a member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in King Charles’s first New Year’s Honours List along with Diageo CEO Ivan Menezes, who will be knighted for his services to the business community and equality.

“To receive an award like that completely floored me…I never ever, ever, ever, anticipated anything like that, McEwan said in a telephone interview with WhiskyCast. “I couldn’t get in the store (this morning), everyone wanted to shake my hand,” he said.

McEwan was notified of the award in a letter from Buckingham Palace on November 30, and he and his wife Barbara were sworn to secrecy until the announcement late Friday night (December 30). No date has been set for him to officially receive the medal in a ceremony.

“Without Barbara’s help, I never would have done it…when I was traveling, she’d be home taking care of the kids, and when I came home, she’d put me back together again,” he said. “Putting up with me for 57 years, that deserves a medal,” he said with a laugh.

McEwan finally retired in 2021 after several tries that left him “pacing the cage like a tiger,” ending a career that saw him go from an apprentice cooper at Bowmore Distillery on his native Islay to managing the distillery. In 2001, he was offered the chance to bring the mothballed Bruichladdich Distillery back to life and became its Production Director, teasing the most out of a cache of casks left behind by the previous owner to bring in much-needed cash while his team started laying down new make spirit that’s now being bottled on the island today.

After he stepped down from Bruichladdich in 2015, he became the first master distiller for the island’s newest distillery, Ardnahoe, while working on consulting projects as far away as Australia. Finally, after being featured in the documentary film “The Water of Life,” Jim retired to spend more time at home with Barbara and his grandchildren.

“There’s still life in the dog yet…I’m still running.”