WhiskyCast

The James E. Pepper Distillery dominated the western edge of downtown Lexington, Kentucky for decades until it closed in 1958, and what was at one time the country's largest Bourbon distillery became a rundown eyesore. Several years ago, entrepreneurs bought several of the distillery's buildings and started building bars, a brewery, galleries and other businesses in the "Distillery District." Last December, Amir Peay's Georgetown Trading Co. brought distilling back to the district when he reopened the James E. Pepper Distillery using part of the original distillery building. This week, the distillery opened its doors to visitors for the first time to show off the heritage - and the future of the Pepper brand. Amir Peay joins us on WhiskyCast In-Depth. We'll also have details on Sazerac's Tennessee Whiskey plans, along with the opening next month of Stauning Whisky's new distillery in Denmark and much more!

Heaven Hill has unveiled the 2018 edition of Parker's Heritage Collection whiskey. It's a Bourbon finished in Orange Curaçao liqueur barrels, and that has some purists raising an eyebrow. Heaven Hill Master Distiller Denny Potter joins us on WhiskyCast In-Depth to explain - and defend the process that went into creating this year's release as a chance to try something different...the way Parker Beam would have. In the news, Western Kentucky is getting a new whiskey distillery that's actually an old one about to be used for the first time, while Angel's Envy in Louisville is starting an expansion project just two years after the distillery opened. We'll also explain why liquor reform in British Columbia will have to wait until after cannabis reform, and taste four craft whiskies in this week's tasting notes.

Ken Lewis has accomplished a lot of things in his life, from climbing Alaska's Denali to owning one of Kentucky's largest chains of liquor stores. Four years ago, he sold The Party Source stores to his employees and opened New Riff Distilling in Newport, Kentucky to start making whiskey instead of selling it. At the end of this month, the first New Riff Bourbon will go on sale - a four-year-old Bottled in Bond Bourbon. We'll talk with Ken about his disruptive approach to life and whiskey on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, the cleanup project at Kentucky's Barton 1792 Distillery has doubled after the second half of a rickhouse collapsed on Wednesday, China's new tariffs on American Whiskey exports have gone into effect, and there are plenty of new whiskies to talk about, too!

The rough, cold waters off Scotland's Isle of Islay are a challenge for even the best sailors, and one might think it madness to try and swim around the island. A year ago, three men did just that and collected whiskies from each of Islay's eight distilleries along their journey in the "Great Islay Swim." Veteran explorers Justin Fornal and Chad Anderson were joined by Beam Suntory brand ambassador Johnnie Mundell, who brought his own open-water swimming background and his connections on Islay to the challenge. We'll talk with Johnnie Mundell about his life-changing experience on WhiskyCast In-Depth and taste the whisky that's been bottled from that challenge and is being sold to raise money for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. In the news, the ringleader of Kentucky's "Pappygate" thefts has been released on shock probation after serving just 30 days of his 15-year prison sentence, while a judge's ruling is all that remains before the stolen whiskey seized as evidence in the case can be destroyed. Meanwhile, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society whiskies seized from four British Columbia bars last January are still locked up as evidence, but a provincial review panel has recommended policy changes that might lead to those whiskies being returned to the shelves. We'll have that story, along with details on the week's new whisky releases and as summer temperatures soar, we'll have tasting notes for a whiskey-flavored ice cream to beat the heat!

While the cause of last Friday's warehouse collapse at Kentucky's Barton 1792 Distillery is still not known, the whiskey industry has known for years about the problems so-called "powderpost" beetles can cause in a rickhouse. Anobiid beetles dig deeply into old, untreated wood as larvae, then chew their way out as adults, and are capable of weakening the structural integrity of a wooden structure over many years. University of Kentucky entomology professor Michael Potter is an expert on these beetles, and has worked with Barton 1792 and other distilleries over his 27 years at UK. He'll join us on WhiskyCast In-Depth, and we'll also have details as state officials plan to cite Sazerac for environmental damage from the whiskey spilled in the rickhouse collapse.

If you're young, you might think 45 is old. If you're older, you might think 45 is still pretty young. But when you're talking about tasting a 45-year-old Bourbon, not only is that old, but it's the oldest Bourbon ever bottled! We'll head to Julio's Liquors in Massachusetts for the rare chance to taste the James Thompson & Brother Final Reserve 45-year-old Bourbon, along with its 42-year-old kid brother and three vintage Kentucky whiskies from the 50's and 60's. In the news, we'll have the latest on Friday's partial collapse of a whiskey warehouse at Kentucky's Barton 1792 Distillery that left 9,000 barrels of whisky in a huge pile of timber and tin. On Behind the Label, we'll also explain why those warehouses are called "rickhouses" in Kentucky and why the "ricks" are built out of wood.

The Glasgow Distillery Company won't release its first 1770 Glasgow single malt whisky until later this year, but the four-year-old company is already kicking off a year-long expansion project to double its production capacity. We'll talk with co-founder Liam Hughes about the expansion and the challenges of launching Glasgow's first malt whisky distillery in a century on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, European Union import tariffs on American-made whiskies go into effect on Friday, setting the stage for potential retaliation against their whiskies from Washington. We'll update distillery projects in Ireland and Scotland as well on this episode of WhiskyCast recorded at New York City's Grand Central Station, where Highland Park premiered a pop-up Orkney exhibition Wednesday night.

There are plenty of cocktail competitions for bartenders, but Speed Rack was one of the first to highlight women working behind the bar. Lynette Marrero and Ivy Mix founded Speed Rack in 2012 to not only empower women in the cocktail culture, but also to raise money for breast cancer research and charities. They've succeeded at both over the last six years, and will be staging the first Speed Rack competition in Australia next month. We'll talk with Lynette Marrero on WhiskyCast In-Depth, and while we're talking about cocktail competitions, we'll check in with Lynn House as the eight regional winners in Heaven Hill's 2018 Bartender of the Year competition gather in Sea Island, Georgia for this week's finals. In the news, China has joined the growing list of US trading partners targeting American-made whiskies for punitive tariffs as the trade war expands. Kentucky's Castle & Key Distillery has successfully defended a trademark infringement suit over its use of the original Old Taylor name for its distillery, and on Behind the Label, we'll look at the tricky question of when whiskies made in one country can be labeled as coming from another country.

Tax cuts that took effect at the start of 2018 encouraged many US whisky distillers to expand their facilities. Now, they're caught in the middle of the trade war between the United States and its trading partners in Canada, Mexico, and the European Union. Not only are the whiskies some of those distillers export going to be hit with new tariffs at the start of July, but prices for the stainless steel and aluminum they need for those expansion projects are going up because of the US tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. We'll look at the issue on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Brown-Forman has opened its Old Forester distillery on Louisville's "Whiskey Row" downtown, while the management of Bardstown's Willett Distillery is being handed down to the next generation. Wild Turkey is releasing a new Bourbon with a back story appropriate for Father's Day weekend, and we'll head into the weekend with some Dad jokes.

Historians aren't sure who distilled the first Scotch-style single malt whiskey in the United States, but Oregon's Clear Creek Distillery has a pretty solid claim to the title. Steve McCarthy started making his McCarthy's Oregon Single Malt in 1993, and while Steve McCarthy sold Clear Creek in 2014 and eased into semi-retirement, his influence still guides Clear Creek's distillers to this day. We'll talk with Clear Creek's Jeanine Racht on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, the G7 Summit ends with no progress in resolving a global trade dispute pitting the US against its key trading partners, while new tariffs could affect 65 percent of all US whiskey exports within the next month. We'll look at a new whisky that's raising money for search and rescue operations in the UK, along with other new whiskies, tasting notes, and much more.

With Father's Day coming up, we'll meet a Scottish woman following her father into the whiskey business. That's right...whiskey. Jennifer Nickerson married her Irish farmer husband, Liam Ahearn, and moved to his family's farm in County Tipperary, Ireland. Her father is longtime Scotch Whisky veteran Stuart Nickerson, and when he saw Liam's farm, he persuaded them that it was the perfect place for a distillery. They're now building the Tipperary Boutique Distillery, and while Liam works the farm, Jennifer will be making the whiskey. We'll talk with father and daughter on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, the whiskey trade war is expanding, and distillers are preparing to face the impact of new tariffs on exports of Bourbon and other American whiskies. We'll have that story and much more on the midweek edition of WhiskyCast.

Canada and the European Union are planning retaliatory tariffs on imports of Bourbon and other American whiskies after this week's move by the Trump Administration to impose tariffs on their steel and aluminum exports to the United States. That sets the stage for what could potentially become a full-fledged trade war with whisky as a weapon, and whisky makers are worried that the U.S. will respond with tariffs against their whiskies. We'll talk with William Lavelle of the Irish Whiskey Association, who's urging European Union leaders to carefully consider the economic impact of their plans. We'll also explain just how tariffs on whisky imports work in our Behind the Label segment, and share some of your reactions on Your Voice. In the news, the ringleader of the "Pappygate" distillery thefts in Kentucky has been sentenced to 15 years in prison, but there's still no verdict yet on the fate of the stolen whiskey.

Bourbon scares some people away...at first. Often, those who approach Bourbon gingerly develop a true passion for it, and become what Linda Ruffenach refers to as a "Bourbon Badass." Linda founded the Whisky Chicks four years ago in Louisville, and while her book "How to be a Bourbon Badass" is geared to women, the term itself - just like a passion for Bourbon - is gender-neutral. We'll talk with Linda Ruffenach on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, the trade war is on between the United States and the European Union over steel and aluminum imports, and the Europeans are firing back with plans to impose tariffs on Bourbon and other American whiskies. We'll have that story, along with plans for another new distillery in Scotland's Speyside region, The Macallan's oldest whisky ever, and your comments on the raging inferno from our last episode.

Bruichladdich's Port Charlotte single malt lies in between the distillery's namesake unpeated whiskies and its Octomore heavily peated malts, and Bruichladdich CEO Douglas Taylor admits the range has suffered from "middle child syndrome" in recent years. As part of Bruichladdich's open day today during the annual Islay Festival of Malt & Music, Port Charlotte is getting some much-needed attention. There's a new Port Charlotte 10-year-old that will be available worldwide, a new 2011 Islay Barley bottling, and an end to "hand-me-down" bottles and packaging. On WhiskyCast In-Depth, we'll talk with Douglas Taylor about the upgrade, along with growing concerns on Islay about the Scotch Whisky industry's impact on the island. In the news, another deadline is approaching in the ongoing trade dispute between the U.S. and the European Union, while Sazerac's plans for a new distillery in Tennessee have gotten the green light. We'll also have tasting notes for a couple of whiskies that take spice - and the score for one - to a new level.

Edrington first announced plans for The Macallan's new distillery in 2012, but the planning process on what may be one of the longest distillery projects on record started well before that, and construction work alone took three and a half years. The Macallan's new home welcomed its first guests the other night, and will open for tours on June 2. We'll talk with The Macallan's Ken Grier about the new distillery and what it means for the brand's future, along with the recent move to revamp The Macallan's core ranges and last week's pair of million-dollar bids for two rare 1926 Macallans at Bonhams in Hong Kong. In the news, Diageo has named project managers for the revival of its Port Ellen and Brora distilleries. There's a report that U.S. trade officials are pressuring Great Britain to weaken protections for Scotch Whisky in a post-Brexit free trade deal, while Gordon & MacPhail has unveiled another new range of single malts and Irish Distillers is adding two new whiskies to its Method and Madness lineup.

Irish Whiskey lost one of its longtime champions this past week with the passing of John Clement Ryan. He was the 7th - and final generation of Dublin's Power family to work in the Irish Whiskey business, and while he never distilled a drop of whiskey himself, he traveled the world for three decades promoting Jameson Irish Whiskey during one of the industry's bleakest periods. His evangelism and fervor for Irish Whiskey contributed to the renaissance we see today as Irish Whiskey sales grow year after year. In 2013, we sat down with John Ryan for an interview that's never aired before as he shared some of his history and Irish Whiskey's history with us - you'll hear that interview on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, the million-dollar mark for a single bottle of whisky sold at auction has been broken - twice in one day! We'll have the details, along with the story of an unusual collaboration among some of Bourbon's masters for Kentucky charities. We'll also have your comments, tasting notes, and look at barrel vocabulary on "Behind the Label."

In May of 1988, the Scotch Whisky Experience opened its doors on Edinburgh's Royal Mile, next to Edinburgh Castle. Over the last 30 years, millions of whisky lovers have made the hike to the top of the Royal Mile to learn more about Scotch Whisky - and sample a dram or two. This month kicks off a year-long anniversary celebration, and we'll talk with Julie Trevisan Hunter of the Scotch Whisky Experience on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Suntory is disappointing whisky lovers with word that it'll be dropping the Hakushu 10 and Hibiki 17 whiskies later this year because of supply shortages, while Diageo broke ground this week for a new Bulleit Distillery visitors center in Kentucky. We'll also have details on the week's new whiskies and find out how 500 whisky lovers are getting their names on the car Jay Howard is trying to qualify for next weekend's Indianapolis 500. Finally, we'll look at a whisky debate that may send shivers down your spine, depending on how you feel about ice in your dram!

Scotland's distilleries have been investing millions of pounds over the last several years to upgrade their visitor experiences as more tourists come to Scotland specifically to learn more about whisky. Now, Diageo is making what is likely to be the largest single investment ever in Scotch Whisky tourism with a £150 million project over the next three years. In addition to upgrades for the visitor centers at its 12 distilleries that are open to the public, there are plans for a new Johnnie Walker brand home in Edinburgh. While the plans are still in development, Diageo's Ewan Gunn joins us on WhiskyCast In-Depth with a preview. In the news, U.S. distillers are gathering in Washington for the industry's annual public policy conference - and to persuade members of Congress to make the recent cut in federal excise taxes on distilled spirits permanent. The Scotch Whisky industry is gearing up for a tax battle of its own, and Pernod Ricard is getting into the beer business for the first time - to protect one of its key whiskey brands.

Dave Broom has been one of Japanese whisky's most passionate observers for many years, and his latest book "The Way of Whisky" delves into Japan's unique whisky culture at a time when demand for Japanese whiskies far outpaces the supply. We'll talk with Dave about those shortages, along with other so-called "world whiskies" that he's uncovering on his travels and his upcoming Scotch Whisky documentary, "The Amber Light," on WhiskyCast In-Depth. We'll also look at the latest political clashes that could pose problems for whisky lovers and get the details on new whiskies, including one that's getting our highest score ever! To appreciate the great, though, one must taste the not-so-great, and our new "Behind the Label" segment has the back story of what could be one of the worst - yet still highly sought-after whiskies ever bottled.

Bob Dylan is known for many things, but slapping his name onto a product to make a quick buck is definitely not one of them. In fact, the new Heaven's Door line of whiskies marks the first time the legendary singer and songwriter has ever put his brand on anything other than his music and art. Dylan partnered with a team of spirits experts led by Marc Bushala, who helped bring Angel's Envy to the market before selling it to Bacardi in 2015, and Ryan Perry to create three new whiskies, along with plans for a distillery and art gallery scheduled to open next year in Nashville. Marc Bushala and Ryan Perry join us on WhiskyCast In-Depth to share their story of creating whiskies with Bob Dylan, and we'll also have tasting notes for the Heaven's Door whiskies, too. In the news, a bad Brexit breakup could cost the Scotch Whisky industry millions of pounds each year in trade tariffs, and industry leaders are trying to persuade British officials to avoid that outcome. We'll have that story, along with a look at the first whisky distillery in the Scottish Borders since 1837, and much more on this episode of WhiskyCast.

The area around St. Andrews was home to Scotch Whisky's Haig family and their Seggie Distillery, but after it closed in 1850, the whisky industry largely moved away from St. Andrews. Paul Miller brought it back when his Eden Mill Brewery started distilling whisky in 2014, and now, the first Eden Mill single malts are reaching the market. Miller and his team led by head distiller Scott Ferguson have been challenging the traditions of Scotch Whisky while respecting the heritage, and they'll join us on WhiskyCast In-Depth. We'll also have news on another music icon's entry into the world of whiskies, details on a one-of-a-kind Glenfarclas rescued from the back of a cupboard, and since it's Kentucky Derby week, we'll look at the history of horse racing's favorite cocktail, the Mint Julep.

Oxford, Mississippi is known for many things, but Bourbon isn't usually the first thing you think of. Chef John Currence and his friends might just convince you otherwise, though. They've turned their annual fundraising weekend for Move On Up Mississippi into a full-blown whiskey weekend, with the first Oxford Bourbon Festival and Auction coming up the weekend of May 18-20. Chef John Currence owns four restaurants in Oxford, and the James Beard Award-winning chef and author counts whiskey among his favorite food groups. He'll join us on WhiskyCast In-Depth to discuss the festival, along with his love for Bourbon - and his disdain for pairing Bourbons with specific foods. We'll also have more details on the latest distillery planned for Islay, along with new whiskies, the week's tasting notes, and explain why you might get a pickle-like note in some Rye whiskies in our new "Behind the Label" segment.

This time around, we're on the road in Dublin for the launch of the first cask-strength Jameson Irish Whiskey, the new Jameson Bow Street 18. It's also the first Jameson expression in many years with a direct link to the Jameson family's old distillery on Bow Street in Dublin, since the casks used for Bow Street 18 spent their final year of maturation in the new mini-warehouse at the Jameson Distillery Bow Street visitor experience. We'll have that story in the news, along with late-breaking news on another new distillery planned for Islay. On WhiskyCast In-Depth, we'll talk with Benromach Distillery manager Keith Cruickshank about the Speyside distillery's dual anniversaries this year: Benromach's 120th anniversary and the 20th anniversary of its reopening by Gordon & MacPhail. We'll also have some of your comments, the week's tasting notes, and much more!

The Bible says "The Lord works in mysterious ways." As proof, we have the story this week of Father Jim Sichko, a Kentucky-based Catholic priest heading to Rome for an audience at the Vatican with Pope Francis. He admits to not knowing much about Bourbon, but whether you want to call it providence or luck, he was able to get his hands on some of the much-sought-after Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon for the Pope, along with enough whiskey to start a new collection at the Vatican. He'll share his story with us on WhiskyCast In-Depth, and we'll also preview the upcoming Spirit of Speyside Festival. In the news, the world's largest brewer is dipping its toes into the Scotch Whisky business, while construction will begin next month on Edinburgh's first malt whisky distillery in 90 years and Canada's Supreme Court has dealt a legal setback to whisky lovers,. We're also kicking off a new segment this week, as "Behind the Label" looks at things you may have wondered about when it comes to learning more about whisky.

Billy Walker could have walked away from the Scotch Whisky business last year after he and his partners sold the BenRiach, GlenDronach, and Glenglassaugh distilleries to Brown-Forman for more than $400 million. However, he decided to jump back in with his "dream team" of industry leaders and buy the Glenallachie distillery from Chivas Brothers, and will launch the distillery's first range of single malts in June. We'll talk with Billy about building that team and giving new life to a long-underrrated distillery on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Anheuser-Busch InBev has acquired Atom Group, the UK-based drinks company that owns Master of Malt, while Diageo has announced plans to invest £150 million to upgrade the visitors centers at 12 of its distilleries in Scotland and create a new "brand home" for Johnnie Walker in Edinburgh. We'll also have details on Gordon & MacPhail's move to consolidate its 12 lines of single malt whiskies into just five starting this month with the Connoisseurs Choice range, and the Spirit of Speyside Festival brings judging for its annual whisky competition to New York for the first time.

Every distillery opens as a dream, with the backers hoping to become the next Heaven Hill, Wild Turkey, or one of countless other mainstays of the whisky business. During Friday night's American Whiskey Convention in Philadelphia, many startup distilleries showed off their whiskies next to those mainstays. A couple of miles away, James Yoakum was pouring drinks in his tasting room at Cooper River Distillers, days after making the decision to close the distillery after one last Kentucky Derby party May 5th. He'll share some of the lessons he learned over the last four years, and we'll meet some of the distillers still full of optimism - yet tempered with reality - on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, four Kentucky distilleries celebrated milestones this week, while Wild Turkey's partnership with actor Matthew McConaughey has led to a new Bourbon and Diageo has given us a preview of this year's Special Releases single malts...with no Port Ellens or Broras in the mix.

Whisky makers have tried for decades to come up with ways of making young whiskies taste like older ones, but whisky purists will argue that there is no substitute for time in a barrel when it comes to making a quality whisky. O.Z. Tyler created the TerrePURE process, which uses ultrasonic sound waves to break up some of the undesirable byproducts of the distilling process that are left behind after a whisky reaches the barrel. South Carolina-based Terressentia has been using that process on bulk and private-label Bourbons for the last ten years, and revived the old Medley Distillery in Owensboro, Kentucky in 2016. Now, the renamed O.Z. Tyler Distillery will release its first Kentucky Bourbon using that process this week, and we'll talk with Terressentia CEO Earl Hewlette on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, it could soon be legal for the first time to have a Kentucky distillery ship whiskies home for visitors. We'll look at the impact of the just-passed House Bill 400 on distillers, tourists, and retailers. The brewing trade war between the United States and China has now expanded to include American-made whiskies, and one of Sweden's largest distilleries is changing its name.

Scotland's Douglas Laing and Co. is celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2018, and for many of those years, the Laing family has taken a light-hearted approach to Scotch Whisky - at least, when it comes to what's on the outside of the bottle. With brands like Big Peat, Scallywag, Timorous Beastie, and the like, Fred Laing has given us many reasons to smile as we pour a dram. Fred has turned over much of the day-to-day operations of the company over to his daughter Cara and son-in-law Chris Leggett, but took the title of Chairman of the Board because "Chief Mischief Maker" wasn't an option. He'll join us on WhiskyCast In-Depth to talk about this year's anniversary releases, the progress of their new distillery in Glasgow, and their newest whisky...the bacon-infused "Big Meat. We'll also have the details on a complete makeover for The Macallan's single malts, a upcoming "crowdsourced" Bourbon from Buffalo Trace, April Fool's fun from Westland, and Dave Broom's future as a film star, along with tasting notes for three Scandinavian single malts and much more!

Rachel Barrie is known on Twitter as @TheLadyBlender, and she's just winding up her first year as the master blender for Brown-Forman's BenRiach, GlenDronach, and Glenglassaugh distilleries in Scotland. Over the years, she's worked on some of Scotch Whisky's most iconic brands, and joins us to discuss her career and her plans for those distilleries. This week, we're on the road in Cornwall, Ontario at the Wonderful World of Whisky Show to catch up with old friends and make some new ones. Back in 2006, we first met Barry Bernstein and Barry Stein shortly after they left their jobs to form Premium Bottlers and import casks of Scotch Whisky into Canada. That led to their opening Still Waters Distillery in the Toronto suburbs a few years later, and this week, their Stalk & Barrel Single Malt was named the "Best Canadian Single Cask Single Malt" in Whisky Magazine's World Whiskies Awards. We'll talk with "The Barrys" - as they're affectionately known, and hear a tale of one brand ambassador's airport security nightmare that turned into a dream.

It's St. Patrick's Day weekend, and while we cover Irish Whiskey all year-round, it's worth paying special attention to the fastest-growing segment of the whisky business this week. Waterford Distillery has been quietly laying down more than 2.3 million liters of spirit since it opened at the end of 2015, and just as he did at Bruichladdich, Waterford founder Mark Reynier is challenging many of Irish Whiskey's traditions. We'll catch up with Mark for a progress report and discuss his newest challenge - distilling whiskey from biodynamically-grown barley. We'll also hear about another newcomer to the Irish Whiskey scene, as Sabine Sheehan joins us to share the story behind Lambay Irish Whiskey - a collaboration between Cognac's Camus family and Ireland's Baring family. In the news, Irish investigators are looking for the cause of a fatal accident this week at the Irish Distillers maturation warehouses in Dungourney, and Ireland's prime minister was in Washington trying to persuade President Donald Trump to reconsider punitive tariffs on steel and aluminum imports set to take effect this week in a move that could set off a whisky-focused trade war.

This week, we're on the road in Waco, Texas for the inaugural RyeFest at Balcones Distilling, where they're releasing their first-ever Rye whisky after 10 years of making almost every other kind of whisky under the Texas sun. We'll talk with Balcones head distiller Jared Himstedt and taste the new Balcones 100 Proof Rye. On this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth, we'll also meet some distillers from Down Under - Australians who are proving that not all Australian whisky comes from Tasmania. In the news, the stage is set for European Union officials to impose tariffs on Bourbon after the Trump Administration kicked off a potential trade war by imposing punitive tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from EU member nations and other countries. Diageo's distillery in Tullahoma, Tennessee is getting a new name - and a new head distiller, and we'll talk with the founders of the #OurWhisky movement to highlight diversity in the whisky industry.

Irish Whiskey has been the fastest-growing segments of the global whiskey market for the last several years, and for many Irish entrepreneurs, it's a long-awaited return to the glory days of Irish Whiskey. We'll talk with several entrepreneurs betting their futures on the continued growth of Irish Whiskey on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth, including Donal O'Gallachoir of Glendalough Distillery and Peter Clancy, who's spearheading construction of the new Lough Ree Distillery along the River Shannon. We'll also talk with Bourbon & Beyond Festival promoter Danny Wimmer and Fred Minnick about the whiskey lineup unveiled this week for the second year of the festival this September in Louisville. In the news, US President Donald Trump's plans to impose punitive tariffs on steel and aluminum imports could lead to a backlash against the Bourbon industry. We'll also talk with the Diageo executive behind the controversial Jane Walker Edition of Johnnie Walker Black Label, catch up on the rest of the week's whisky news, and deliver a stiff reprimand to a whisky jerk!

Distillers like to say they're not making whisky for themselves, but laying it down for future generations. Part of that process is identifying the young distillers who may be asked to take over for them one day, and this week, that process put Woodford Reserve's future in much clearer perspective. Brown-Forman promoted Elizabeth McCall from her role as Woodford's Master Taster to Assistant Master Distiller, putting her on the track to eventually take over for current Master Distiller Chris Morris one day. McCall's story is unique - not because she's a second-generation whisky maker, but because she followed her mother into the whisky business. She'll share her story and her goal of encouraging other young women to consider science careers on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. This week, we're on location in the Boston suburb of Westborough, Massachusetts for the annual Go Whisk(e)y Weekend at Julio's Liquors, and we'll have details on another marriage between music and whiskey as the rock giants of Metallica are teaming up with veteran distiller Dave Pickerell to create not just their own whiskey, but build their own distillery as well! We'll also have details on Ardbeg's new expansion plans and some hints about this year's Ardbeg Committee bottling, along with a first look at Laphroaig's annual Cairdeas release and new entries in the Bottled in Bond American Whiskey category.

Five years ago, Irish expats Jack McGarry and Sean Muldoon bet their futures on opening an Irish pub in New York City's Financial District. Since then, The Dead Rabbit has become renowned as one of the world's best bars. Now, The Dead Rabbit shares its name with a new Irish Whiskey in a collaboration with Quintessential Brands, which is building the Dublin Liberties Distillery in the city's Newmarket Square. We'll talk about the bar and the whiskey with Sean Muldoon and Darryl McNally, Quintessential's master distiller and blender, on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. There's a lot to cover in the news, including local approval for Glenmorangie's expansion plans in Scotland, the return of whisky distilling to downtown Montreal, and how South Africa's severe water shortages are affecting the country's leading whisky distiller. We'll also answer some of your whisky questions and taste some new whiskies, too.

With apologies to the legendary Scottish poet Robert Burns, "whisky and chocolate gang tegither!" Good whiskies and fine chocolates actually share many of the same characteristics, and pairings of the two have become a common feature at whisky tastings and festivals. The Rev. Dr. R.M. Peluso has written extensively on chocolate for years, and is also a whisky lover. She explored the pairing of these two treats in her latest book, "Deep Tasting: Chocolate and Whisky," and joins us for a Valentine's Day conversation on WhiskyCast In-Depth. We'll also catch up with Jack Teeling of Ireland's Teeling Whiskey Company, and 2018 is a big year for the Teeling family. Later this year, they'll be bottling the first Irish Whiskey distilled in Dublin in more than four decades, and this week released a 34-year-old Irish single malt that's one of the oldest of its kind. In the news, Scotch Whisky exports reached a new record high in 2017 ... we have details on an executive shakeup within Pernod Ricard's whisky portfolio ... and we'll look at Glenallachie's progress under its new ownership.

When someone wants to start a new whisky brand, but doesn't own a distillery, chances are they'll turn to Gordon Working and his team at the MGP Ingredients Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Over the years and several owners, the distillery has gone from being one of the backbones of the Seagram's empire to one of the leaders in "contract distilling" for clients. We'll talk with Gordon Working on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, American whiskies led the overall spirits sector to another year of growth in 2017, while another major Scotch Whisky distiller is planning an expansion to meet growing global demand.

Three years ago, we introduced you to Graeme Macaloney, a Scottish-Canadian pharmaceutical engineer with a dream of making his own single malt whisky in British Columbia. Back then, he had the plans and the consultants, but not all of the money and more importantly, no site for his distillery. Happily, it all worked out, as Victoria Caledonian Distillery and the Twa Dogs Brewery opened in the autumn of 2016, and Graeme's laying down spirit for the future. We'll catch up with Graeme Macaloney and his master distiller, longtime Diageo veteran Mike Nicolson, on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, British Columbia's attorney general now acknowledges that the province's liquor laws may need updating in the wake of last week's raids on four Scotch Malt Whisky Society partner bars. We'll also get an update on plans for the new Holyrood Park Distillery in Scotland's capital city of Edinburgh, while the boom in whisky-related tourism keeps growing around the world.

This week, we're in Victoria, British Columbia for the 13th annual Victoria Whisky Festival - just as the Canadian province's liquor regulators staged a crackdown targeting the Scotch Malt Whisky Society and its "partner bars" in the province. Agents seized several hundred bottles of the Society's whiskies in raids at four bars in Vancouver, Victoria, and Nanaimo because they were purchased from private liquor stores in British Columbia instead of the government-run liquor distribution system. We'll have complete coverage of the crackdown, along with its impact on the Victoria Whisky Festival, which was forced to cancel several tastings and master classes to head off a similar crackdown. We'll also have complete coverage of this year's Canadian Whisky Awards and talk with a pair of brewer/distillers from one of the most remote distilleries around...in the middle of the Yukon!

You never know what might be found behind the walls or under the floors of old houses and other buildings, especially those built during the Prohibition era. As those buildings are being renovated or torn down, salvage crews in major cities are uncovering all kinds of whisky-related artifacts, including evidence from old speakeasies and bootlegging operations. Philadelphia Community Corps founder Greg Trainor leads salvage teams in recovering usable materials from old buildings, and his crews have found all kinds of things that would make a whisky memorabilia collector smile. We'll take a look at some of his Prohibition-era finds and what they can tell us about present-day America on WhiskyCast In-Depth. We'll also look at some bucket-list destinations for spirited travelers with Kelly Magyarics, who just profiled a few of those destinations for Fodors.com. In the news, another distillery has started making Bourbon in Bardstown, Kentucky, the scientist who's created a way to turn distillery waste into biofuel has been honored, and we'll say goodbye to an old friend of Islay whisky fans.

Last November, Fawn Weaver told us about her mission to spread the story of Nathan "Nearest" Green, the former slave who became Jack Daniel's first distiller when he started making whiskey in Lynchburg, Tennessee after the end of the Civil War. Part of that mission is the Uncle Nearest 1856 Whiskey brand, which helps support the Nearest Green Foundation and provides college scholarships for Green's descendants. During our conversation in Episode 666, Weaver told us she'd just acquired a piece of property to build a distillery, but didn't want to say any more than that at the time. Just before Christmas, local officials in Bedford County, Tennessee approved the rezoning of a former horse farm to become the home of the Nearest Green Distillery, and Fawn Weaver joins us this week to update the story. We'll also have news on a distillery accident in Pittsburgh, along with a new way for Bourbon lovers to shop and fly in Louisville, and some of your New Year's drams, too.

Much of whisky's early history is documented only in tales, with few written records that have survived the centuries. In some cases, though, the documents exist that can help fill in the gaps in those legends. Archivist Carol Quinn is cataloging more than two centuries' worth of documents from the distilleries that merged in 1966 to form Irish Distillers, along with rare whiskies that make up the Irish Whiskey Archive's "liquid library." Few people are ever granted access to the vault-like room that houses that liquid archive, but you'll get to go inside on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, public health activists are concerned about the potential impact of the federal tax cut on U.S. distillers that takes effect this week. Queen Elizabeth has honored one of the founders of a fledgling British whisky distillery, and a retired Kentucky distillery owner's personal stash of Bourbon is about to come on the market - more than four decades after it was distilled.

Distilleries need tons of grain to make their whiskies, and the responsibility for making sure that grain meets quality control standards falls on "The Gatekeeper." Almost every distillery has someone responsible for checking loads of grain as they arrive for moisture levels, mold, and other things that might otherwise slip through the cracks and not be caught until a whisky is already in the barrel. Kristy Fregonese is "The Gatekeeper" at Corby's Hiram Walker Distillery in Windsor, Ontario, and it's here job to not only monitor the grain as it comes in, but make sure the spent grains are also taken care of. We'll meet "The Gatekeeper" on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, U.S. whisky makers are cheering the tax reform legislation signed into law this week. The new law includes several changes to the tax code that specifically benefit the whisky industry. New distilleries are open now in Kentucky and Scotland, and we'll also have an update on last week's story on a new world record for whisky bars.

Greg Metze spent years making whisky near the banks of the Ohio River, but he never really got the recognition he deserved because his distillery was on the northern side of the river in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. After 38 years at what started out as the Seagram's distillery, then became LDI and finally MGP, Greg retired last year intending to focus on consulting work. Curt and Nancy Richardson first met Greg several years ago when he created a custom Bourbon mashbill for the whiskey brand they were developing in Colorado, and after a few months of consulting, they persuaded him to come out of retirement and become their master distiller. Now, Greg's signature is on the front of every bottle of their new Old Elk Bourbon. We'll talk with Greg Metze about his new job - and his old one - on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, the owners of Jose Cuervo Tequila are expanding their whiskey portfolio with a $205 million dollar deal for the Pendleton Whisky brand, while Diageo is changing its tune about opening a visitors center at its new Bulleit Distillery in Kentucky. There's also a new world record holder for the bar with the largest whisky selection - but is it really a world record? The answer might just surprise you...

This week, the New York Times marked the anniversary of the end of Prohibition with a special event at one of America's few women-owned distilleries, Republic Restoratives in Washington, DC. "Women in Whiskey, Sisters in Suds" featured a discussion of the role women play in distilling and brewing - both today and in history. We'll talk with Republic Restoratives co-founder Rachel Gardner and bring you the discussion on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, the tentative Brexit deal between Great Britain and the European Union is being welcomed by Ireland's distillers and brewers on both sides of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Brown-Forman's stock price jumped after a positive quarterly earnings report, and Pernod Ricard plans to start exporting whiskies made by its unit in India. We'll also look at a new English single malt whisky and compare two rye whiskies with port wine influences in this week's tasting notes.

Colorado's ski resorts wish they had lift lines as long as the one that stretched down Kalamath Street in Denver Saturday morning, when hundreds of whiskey lovers lined up for the annual release of Stranahan's Snowflake single malt whiskey. The line actually started on Wednesday morning when three people arrived from Wisconsin to claim "first in line" honors - beating out the longtime "Strana-Fan" who traditionally claims that spot. We'll have all of the fun from Denver on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, another malt whisky distillery has opened in Scotland, and Glen Wyvis may well be the first distillery to open after a successful crowdfunding campaign. The controversial tax reform bill approved by the U.S. Senate this weekend includes tax breaks for distillers, and a new audit suggests Australia's Nant Distillery may have been insolvent for more than two years while the founders were selling casks of spirit to investors. We'll have those stories, along with the tale of a bourbon-slurping opossum, on this week's WhiskyCast!

Pulteney Distillery manager Malcolm Waring wasn't born in Wick, Scotland, but there's no place he'd rather be three decades after getting his first job at what was then the northernmost distillery on Scotland's mainland. There's plenty of rain, plenty of wind, and fortunately for Malcolm...plenty of whisky to keep track of at the distillery. He leaves Wick a few times a year to meet with whisky lovers around the world, and we caught up with him last week during a brief trip to New Brunswick for a chat and a dram of Old Pulteney. Our conversation's coming up on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Glasgow's newest distillery is on the banks of the River Clyde, and Clydeside Distillery has opened its doors to the public. Diageo is ending its Hilhaven Lodge Whiskey partnership with Hollywood producer Brett Ratner over sexual misconduct allegations, while taking former United Spirits chairman Vijay Mallya to court in London to recover $181 million. Country music's John Rich is launching the Redneck Riviera whiskey label with Portland's Eastside Distilling, and in this week's tasting notes, we'll look at a couple of whiskies featured in new Scotch Whisky Advent Calendars for the holidays.

This time around, we're on location at the New Brunswick Spirits Festival in Fredericton, New Brunswick...and if you think we get around a lot, spare some sympathy for Distell's Andy Watts. He spent 38 hours traveling to Fredericton from his base in South Africa, where he oversees production and quality control for Distell's whisky distilleries in South Africa and Scotland. Earlier this year, Andy stepped aside from his longtime role as distillery manager for Distell's James Sedgwick Distillery to take up his new position...and spend a lot more time traveling around the world. We'll catch up with him on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, police in Paris are trying to find the burglars who stole nearly $800,000 in rare whiskies during a break-in at La Maison du Whisky. Scotch Whisky producers lost their 5-year-long legal battle to stop the Scottish government from implementing minimum pricing for alcohol sales, and the government in Edinburgh has given the backers of a new malt distillery in Inverclyde more than a million dollars in grant funding. We'll also have details on a couple of rare Canadian whiskies that have some Canadians hip-checking each other in the aisles at retailers, along with the latest Irish Oak-finished whiskey from Midleton Distillery and much, much more...on this special episode from New Brunswick!

The very first episode of WhiskyCast was on November 12, 2005, and twelve years later, we've been around long enough to have an age statement! Back on that first episode, the idea that someone would invest $150 million to build a new Bourbon distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky probably would have been good for a few laughs, since the Bourbon boom was in its infancy. Now, that $150 million dollar distillery project isn't just a reality, but the third new distillery to be built in Bardstown. Stoli Group broke ground this week on its new Kentucky Owl Park in Bardstown, less than a year after buying the boutique Bourbon brand from Dixon Dedman. His great-great grandfather started making Kentucky Owl in 1879, and Prohibition killed the brand for nearly a century before Dixon Dedman revived it in 2014. Dedman joined Stoli Group as its master blender as part of the deal, and he'll share his family's story with us on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Dedman's new distillery is part of a much larger project that will reshape Bardstown's future, while part of Lexington's distilling past is about to come back to life. We'll also look at the week's new whiskies and taste one of the rarest single malts around to celebrate 12 years of WhiskyCast!

In 2015, Brown-Forman acknowledged what had been an open secret around Lynchburg, Tennessee for generations - that Jack Daniel's distilling mentor was Nathan "Nearest" Green, a slave on the farm owned by Dan Coll until the end of the Civil War. After the war ended, Jack Daniel hired the newly-freed Nathan Green to be the head distiller at his new distillery in Lynchburg. Green's sons and grandsons worked for Jack Daniel later on, and even after 150 years, the distillery has always had at least one of Green's descendants working there. Fawn Weaver was fascinated by the 2015 New York Times story on the relationship between the Greens and Jack Daniel's, and is now devoting her life to researching that history and cementing Nearest Green's role in American history with, among many other things, a Tennessee whiskey that bears his name. We'll discuss the story of America's first African-American master distiller on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Scotch Whisky exports rose during the first half of 2017, but the statistics show some areas for concern. U.S. craft distilling is now a $3 billion annual business and growing, and a Swiss hotel has given a Chinese tourist a full refund after the $10,000 dram of whisky he bought there in August turned out to be a fake.

Distillers from around the United States gathered at Virginia's Mount Vernon this week to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the restoration of George Washington's Distillery at his historic estate, and of course, they celebrated by making some whiskey. The restored distillery has been producing rye whiskey using Washington's original recipe to raise money for Mount Vernon's educational programs, including those on the slaves who worked in the distillery from 1797 until shortly after Washington's death in 1799. We'll look at the past ten years of distilling at Mount Vernon and Washington's legacy on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Buffalo Trace and the Van Winkle family have decided to skip a year...for one of the prized Van Winkle rye whiskies. Tullamore D.E.W. has added a new set of grain whiskey stills at its distillery in Ireland, and Beam has blended American and Canadian rye whiskies together again...this time for the new Basil Hayden's Dark Rye. We'll look at some travel tips for Bourbon Country and taste four Irish whiskeys for this week's tasting notes, too.