trade - BourbonSphere

Behind the Scenes at a Spirits Competition

Ever wanted to find out how a spirits competition works? This week, we’ll take you inside the recent American Craft Spirits Association’s annual judging of… Read More

Ever wanted to find out how a spirits competition works? This week, we’ll take you inside the recent American Craft Spirits Association’s annual judging of craft spirits to show you how the judging process works. It only takes a couple of minutes for trained judges to assess a whisky’s aroma, flavor and finish and determine a score. In the news, American electoral politics could affect the price you pay for whiskies in the future, no matter where you live in the world.

Leaving Laphroaig…and Islay Behind

Barry MacAffer is leaving Laphroaig Distillery and his native Islay for a new adventure: building a malt whisky distillery in South Korea. This week on… Read More

Barry MacAffer is leaving Laphroaig Distillery and his native Islay for a new adventure: building a malt whisky distillery in South Korea. This week on WhiskyCast In-Depth, Barry tells us why he’s making the move now and what he’ll miss most about Islay. In the news, the threat of tariffs hangs over the whisky industry again as the U.S. Presidential election heats up, another new distillery is in the works for Scotland, and Rosebank Distillery opens its doors to visitors for the first time.

Episode 1060: June 9, 2024

A Part of the Community

Many distilleries take great pains to be involved in their surrounding communities, but Scotland’s Glen Wyvis Distillery goes to an extreme. That’s because many members… Read More

Many distilleries take great pains to be involved in their surrounding communities, but Scotland’s Glen Wyvis Distillery goes to an extreme. That’s because many members of the Dingwall community are shareholders in the community distillery, which was built with a crowdfunding campaign. The distillery donates a percentage of its profits each year to grants for local community programs, with a goal of improving life for all of Dingwall’s residents. Distillery manager Matthew Farmer joins us on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Wild Turkey honors Jimmy Russell with its new visitors center, while Scotch Whisky industry leaders are worried about a potential return to tariffs after the U.S. Presidential election.

Episode 1058: May 26, 2024

Image courtesy Glen Wyvis Distillery.

Mark Reynier: Whisky’s Enfant Terrible

Waterford Distillery founder Mark Reynier has no shortage of opinions about how he feels whisky should be made, and he’s putting those opinions into the… Read More

Waterford Distillery founder Mark Reynier has no shortage of opinions about how he feels whisky should be made, and he’s putting those opinions into the bottle. Reynier has butted heads with the whisky establishment many times over the years because of his passion for flavor above all else, critics be damned. He’ll share some of his opinions with us on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Compass Box founder John Glaser is stepping down after 23 years, while there’s both good and bad news about whisky exports.

Episode 1046: March 3, 2024

U.S. Whiskey Exports Set Record in 2023

While most drinks industry reports have been full of bad news in recent weeks, a new report released by the Distilled Spirits Council of the… Read More

While most drinks industry reports have been full of bad news in recent weeks, a new report released by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States shows U.S. spirits exports have recovered from three years of European Union tariffs. Exports totaled $2.2 billion in 2023, up 8% over 2022, while American whiskey exports increased by 9% to a record $1.4 billion. Whiskies account for 63% of all U.S. spirits exports by value and 34% by volume.

In a news release, DISCUS Vice President of International Trade Rob Maron said “The tariffs imposed from 2018-2021 as part of two separate disputes between the U.S., EU and UK have since been suspended or removed, presenting U.S. spirits producers with an opportunity to recapture lost market share in some of the U.S.’s largest export markets. Over the span of two years, American Whiskey exports to the EU surged by more than 60%, climbing from $439 million in 2021 to $705 million in 2023.”

The 27-member bloc represents the largest export market for American whiskey, followed by Australia ($121 million), Japan ($106 million), the United Kingdom ($86 million), and Canada ($76 million). Tariffs remain suspended until March 31, 2025 while Washington and Brussels negotiate a trade deal on steel and aluminum exports, along with a separate dispute over aircraft subsidies.

The emphasis on whiskey exports can also be found on a state-by-state basis. Tennessee was the number one state for spirits exports ($983 million), largely on the basis of global demand for Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey. Bourbon exports pushed Kentucky to the number two position at $505 million, while exports of rum and other spirits put Florida in third place at $338 million.

The full report is available here.

2023: The Year in Whisky

A lot happened in the world of whisky during 2023, and with the help of WhiskyCast Community app members, we’ve identified the top ten whisky… Read More

A lot happened in the world of whisky during 2023, and with the help of WhiskyCast Community app members, we’ve identified the top ten whisky stories of the year. Join us as we count them down in the news, then listen as Milam & Greene’s Heather Greene shares her lessons on whisky entrepreneurship in WhiskyCast In-Depth. We’ll also have some of your year-end dramming choices in our Community segment, too.

Episode 1037: December 31, 2023

Links: Milam & Greene | Torabhaig Distillery | Smokehead | Lagavulin | Bruichladdich

A Whiskey Maker’s Holiday Treat

Alex Chasko is an Oregon transplant turned Dublin whiskey maker. He’s the master distiller and whiskey maker for Teeling Whiskey Company, and his latest creation… Read More

Alex Chasko is an Oregon transplant turned Dublin whiskey maker. He’s the master distiller and whiskey maker for Teeling Whiskey Company, and his latest creation is a 33-year-old Irish single malt finished in Pineau des Charentes casks. He’ll join us on this holiday edition of WhiskyCast. In the news, European and U-S trade negotiators extend a deal to avoid a return to tariffs on American whiskey exports, while another Scotch Whisky company is building a distillery in China.

Episode 1036: December 24, 2023

Never Say Die Bourbon: A Whiskey with a Back Story

The stories behind the whiskies we drink are almost as enjoyable as the whiskies, and the story behind Never Say Die Bourbon is an intriguing… Read More

The stories behind the whiskies we drink are almost as enjoyable as the whiskies, and the story behind Never Say Die Bourbon is an intriguing one. There’s a near-death experience, followed by success on horse racing’s grandest stage, and a side story linking it to the founding of The Beatles. Never Say Die co-founder Brian Luftman joins us to share that story on this week’s WhiskyCast. In the news, Chivas Brothers workers approve a new contract, Kentucky Bourbon distillers set more records, and the deadline to avoid European import tariffs on American whiskey is getting closer.

Photo courtesy Ninth House/Never Say Die Bourbon.

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

The Spirited Chef Takes on Whisky & Food

One of the highlights of this week’s New Brunswick Spirits Festival was the food and whisky pairings created by The Spirited Chef, Taylore Darnell. She… Read More

One of the highlights of this week’s New Brunswick Spirits Festival was the food and whisky pairings created by The Spirited Chef, Taylore Darnell. She and the staff at the Delta Fredericton created spirited breakfasts, lunches, and dinners featuring unique combinations of food and whisky. We’ll talk with Chef Taylore about matching food to whisky and how our senses perceive those combinations on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, there’s a new world record for the most expensive bottle of whisky ever sold at auction, and American single malt makers are still waiting for an official definition for their whiskies.

Episode 1031: November 19, 2023