WhiskyCast

Michael Urquhart is retiring from Gordon & MacPhail in September, but the leader of the family-owned business calls it a natural "changing of the guard." However, his successor is the first person from outside the Urquhart family to lead Gordon & MacPhail in its 120-year history. We'll talk whisky and family with Michael and Ewen Mackintosh on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, there's another retirement as Bruichladdich's Duncan McGillivray wraps up his 40-year career, the Bourbon Capital of the World is getting another new distillery as the Bardstown Bourbon Distillery brings a Bourbon Hall of Famer home, and we'll catch up with the guys from Seattle's Westland Distillery as they spread their wings with a new distribution deal.

Distilling is serious business, and safety is paramount. Brianna Bailey of The Oklahoman can testify to that...she was an eyewitness to an explosion inside Twister Distillery in Moore, Oklahoma on Friday, June 13. Distiller Jeff Thurmon was critically burned after an open propane flame ignited the stream of alcohol spraying from his still. Bailey and the distillery's owner escaped unhurt. She shares the story of that day with us on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth, and Scott Harris of Catoctin Creek Distillery explains why distillers have to make safety their top priority. Even if you never plan to work in a distillery, you may visit one someday, and we all need to keep safety in mind. We also have updates on new distilleries and expansion projects in Scotland, Utah, and Kentucky...the latest on new whiskies from Maker's Mark, Crown Royal, and Bowmore...and the kickoff of the Summer Whisky Challenge.

David Blackmore spends most of his year on the road as the brand ambassador for Glenmorangie and Ardbeg, and was in Taipei for Ardbeg Day 2014 in what he describes as one of his most interesting road trips yet. He'll share stories from the road with us on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth during a brief break from his travels. In the news, we have word on new whiskies from Maker's Mark, Crown Royal, GlenDronach, and Kilchoman. Diageo wins a legal battle with Tennessee regulators, and a sad story from Oklahoma is proof that craft distilling isn't without its risks. This week's tasting notes have a Hollywood feel, as we'll look at a couple of whiskies with famous names...if not whisky pedigrees.

Humans have been drinking alcohol for centuries, but there are still many things we don't understand about it...basic things like the chemistry behind fermentation and the biology behind the effect it has on us. Wired Magazine's Adam Rogers has been studying the science of alcohol for his new book "Proof: The Science of Booze" and "distills" it into layman's terms for us on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, UK regulators want the public to weigh in on the sale of Whyte & Mackay, Campari completes its acquisition of Canada's Forty Creek Distillery, and Australia's Tasmania Distillery is on the move. We'll continue the science focus in this week's tasting notes with a look at the latest Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection Bourbons.

Tokyo's whisky bars are legendary, but so hard to find that they're often compared to Prohibition-era speakeasies. Hidetsugo Ueno owns Bar High Five in Tokyo's Ginza district, and shares his stories of Tokyo bar life with us on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Diageo announces plans for a new $115 million distillery in Kentucky, while the drinks giant's CEO is warning of problems if Scotland breaks away from the United Kingdom. Robb Report names Redbreast 21 its "Best Of The Best" among spirits, and Ardbeg kicks off its World Cup-themed Auriverdes single malt not on Islay, but just outside Boston. This week's tasting notes include Auchentoshan's new American Oak single malt, Tomatin's new 14-year-old, and the Buchanan's Master blended Scotch.

Seiichi Koshimizu has been making whisky at Suntory for 41 years, and became the company's chief blender in 1991. Over the years, he's been responsible for the Hibiki range of blended whiskies, along with the Yamazaki and Hakushu single malts. With help from interpreter Ayami Nakao, he'll share his story with us on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. The Islay Festival of Malt & Music kicks off this weekend, and we'll have updates on several of this year's Feis Ile bottlings along with a new Laphroaig, experimental Bourbons from Buffalo Trace, and more in the week's news. This week's tasting notes include the Hibiki 17, Orphan Barrel Rhetoric, Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey, and Armorik Double Matured from France.

The old saying goes "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade." Dan Garrison's life was full of lemons back in 2003, and he decided to make lemonade...or in this case, Bourbon. His Garrison Brothers Distillery in the Texas Hill Country helped spark the Texas whiskey boom, and Dan Garrison shares his story with us on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, the third Orphan Barrel Bourbon from Diageo is on the way, along with another batch of Buffalo Trace's Single Oak Project Bourbons...we'll get a preview of Bunnahabhain's Feis Ile whiskies, and Scotch Whisky Association leaders are expressing more concerns about September's independence referendum.

Mark Brown heads up Buffalo Trace and its parent company, Sazerac, and he's known for speaking his mind even when it goes against the rest of the Bourbon industry. These days, he's expressing concerns about an ongoing shortage of Bourbon that can't meet today's demands, let alone the potential demand in years to come. Not only is aged Bourbon in short supply, but the new oak barrels Bourbon producers depend on are also in short supply. Brown says distillers, cooperages, and forest owners need to start working on a strategy for the future. In the news, Whyte & Mackay sells for $724.5 million, Suntory's moving quickly to get more Japanese whisky into the US market after closing its deal to buy Beam, and a Speyside golf club now has whiskies from every one of the area's distilleries in its clubhouse.

Most distillery startups these days come from entrepreneurs looking for a new challenge in life, and Ken Lewis is no different. His New Riff Distillery in Newport, Kentucky is literally a "new riff" after 38 years of running The Party Source, one of the largest liquor stores in the Cincinnati area. New Riff is scheduled to distill its first spirit this week, and Ken joins us to discuss his reasons for switching from selling whisky to making it on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Suntory closes its $16 billion deal to acquire Beam, Edrington opens the doors on its new US division, Louisville looks to build on the boom in Bourbon tourism, and at a time when no-age-statement whiskies are fashionable, Heaven Hill adds one to its Bernheim Wheat Whiskey.

Whisky has inspired many musicians over the years, but Copper Dogs is turning that around. Four whisky industry veterans have turned to performing, though Sam Simmons, Cat Spencer, Rob Allanson, and Simon Roser won't be giving up their day jobs any time soon. They're performing at Balvenie Castle during the upcoming Spirit of Speyside Festival, and Sam Simmons joins us to discuss music and whisky on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. We have plenty of new whiskies to talk about this week from The Balvenie, Aberfeldy, Tomatin, The Glenlivet and more, while Kavalan's Taiwanese single malts are finally available in the US, Suntory's acquisition of Beam is almost complete, and Sullivan's Cove French Oak -- dubbed the World's Best Single Malt in last month's World Whiskies Awards -- is completely gone.

Whisky has a place in the kitchen as well as the bar, and Bourbon may well be one of the most versatile spirits chefs can experiment with. It adds a special touch to sauces, desserts, and meat as well as cocktails, and Charlotte Observer food editor Kathleen Purvis explores all of them in her new cookbook, "Bourbon". She joins us for this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, three top Beam executives are planning new careers once Suntory takes control of the company, Asia's whisky boom may be turning into a bubble, Scotch whisky gets new protection against fakes in Australia, and four craft distillers are collaborating on a new Bourbon that hits Chicago this coming week. We'll have tasting notes for Four Kings Bourbon, along with Bulleit and Jim Beam's new single barrel Bourbons.

Craft distillers took center stage during Whisky Live New York on Wednesday evening, and we'll hear from several of them on this week's episode. Chip Tate of Balcones and Mike Reppucci of Sons of Liberty both won World Whiskies Awards last month for their whiskies, while Daric Schlesselman of Brooklyn's Van Brunt Stillhouse was making his Whisky Live debut with a four-grain American whiskey and a single malt. There's also plenty of news this week, as David Beckham takes some flak for teaming up with Diageo and Simon Fuller on the Haig Club single grain Scotch, the Scotch Whisky Association reports flat export numbers for 2013 and expresses concerns over Scotland's independence referendum, and Kentucky's Bourbon distillers help Gov. Steve Beshear pay off his NCAA basketball wager with Connecticut's governor.

Many of Scotland's historic distilleries have faded into history, to be remembered only by archivists and the occasional whisky lover. While the actual malts from Auchnagie, Stratheden, and others no longer exist -- a group of whisky lovers and entrepreneurs are trying to keep the names alive, and replicate those old malts as best they can using present-day whiskies. We'll find out more about The Lost Distillery Company's whiskies on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, we have word on new whiskies from Glenglassaugh, Bowmore, and Buffalo Trace, along with a new look for Benromach, this year's Maker's Mark Keeneland commemorative bottle, and the inside scoop on just what whisky Queen Elizabeth presented to Pope Francis this week at the Vatican.

James Espey has created some of whisky's legendary brands during his career, along with the Keepers of the Quaich, and was named an Officer of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II last year for his services to the whisky industry. Now, he's busy with a brand of his own...and his own brand. The Last Drop is a boutique whisky brand he and his longtime friends created, and his story of personal brand-building is the subject of his new book "Making Your Marque." He'll share his story on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth, and you'll have a chance to win a signed copy, too.

Dave Broom has written and edited many books on whisky and other spirits, but none quite like his latest book. "Whisky: The Manual" is for whisky drinkers who just want to enjoy a dram without having to know everything about it. He'll explain the logic behind his new book on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Australia's Sullivan's Cove French Oak scores an upset win in the World Whiskies Awards as the "World's Best Single Malt", and we'll hear from distillery manager Patrick Maguire. There's more to talk about in the noisy debate over what the definition of a "Tennessee Whiskey" should be, and word of a compromise proposal that's being floated at the state Capitol in Nashville. This week's tasting notes include two of the World Whiskies Awards winners, along with a special version of Jameson for St. Patrick's Day...and the other 364 days of the year.

Bruichladdich expressions come and go...sort of like the waves on Loch Indaal do. Laddie fans are lamenting a decision to pull the Laddie Ten, Sixteen, and Twenty-Two single malts out of retail, but Bruichladdich's leaders say short supplies and global demand gave them no choice. We'll chat with CEO Simon Coughlin, Production Director Jim McEwan, and Commercial Director Douglas Taylor on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Campari moves into Canadian whisky with its acquisition of Forty Creek, Brown-Forman and Diageo square off in Nashville over standards for Tennessee Whiskey, and might Dad's Hat Pennsylvania Rye want to re-brand itself "Dad's Beret" for its debut in France?

Graham Eunson has seen a lot during his career in the Scotch whisky industry. He shed a tear or two when he was assigned to close Scapa and Glendronach distilleries, burned with pride when Glenglassaugh's stills were fired up for the first time in more than two decades, and now manages Tomatin Distillery southwest of Inverness. In Tomatin, the distillery manager isn't just the boss, but the mayor...since the village was built around the distillery and its workers live in company-owned homes. We'll talk with Graham about life in Tomatin and taking over for the previous manager/mayor, 53-year Tomatin legend Douglas Campbell, on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. This week's episode was recorded on location at the Philadelphia Flower Show, where Jim Rutledge of Four Roses was signing bottles of a limited single barrel release for Pennsylvania's state-owned liquor stores. Jim shares the story behind that release, which he thinks is one of his best, along with details on the soon-to-be-released 2014 Four Roses Limited Edition Single Barrel. We'll also get details on Scotland's newest distillery, which is now being built on the Isle of Harris with a goal of not just creating good whisky, but good jobs.

Maker's Mark celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, and the distillery is about to undergo a $70 million dollar expansion that will increase capacity by 50% to meet future demands, along with changes to make it easier for distillery workers and thousands of visitors to get around the complex. Maker's Mark President Rob Samuels explains the project and plans for marking the anniversary on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, there are more distillery projects planned in Scotland, details on the third Orphan Barrel Bourbon, and a new Scotch whisky from The Last Drop. We'll also answer a listener question about the history of Speyside distilleries, and this week's tasting notes include the new 25th Anniversary edition of Booker's Bourbon.

Alwynne Gwilt couldn't stand whisky...hated it, in fact. That is, until a former boss in London dragged the Canadian expat to a media tasting. It's not quite the same transformation Peter Parker had following his encounter with a radioactive spider, but that evening turned Alwynne into "Miss Whisky". Now, she's on her own blogging, freelance writing, and leading whisky tastings...and joins us for this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Diageo plans to open Stitzel-Weller Distillery in Louisville to the public, but there are still no official plans to restart production...yet. Beam loses a preliminary battle in its legal fight over Irish whiskey supplies, Teeling Whiskey gets more distribution in Latin America, and The Glenrothes uncovers a single cask from 1969.

There have been many more questions than answers about Diageo's new Orphan Barrel range of whiskies...until now. Diageo's Ewan Morgan answers our questions about the origins of Old Blowhard and Barterhouse Bourbons, hints at the next release in series, and explains what distilleries often mean when they talk about "discovering" old casks of whisky in a warehouse. In the news, Whyte & Mackay is officially up for sale now, a Houston bar may be the only one in the world with a bottle of Glenmorangie 1963, and they're preparing for DramFest 2014 in Christchurch, New Zealand - three years after a massive earthquake devastated the city.

Whisky's brand ambassadors roam the world, racking up tens or hundreds of thousands of frequent flier miles every year and spending up to half their nights away from home, while pouring more drams than some full-time bartenders. We'll hear some of their tales from the road -- good and bad -- during this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, US whiskey exports hit a new high during 2013, while Irish whiskey exports could double by 2020. We'll hear from supporters and critics of the UK's new Scotch Whisky certification program, and this week's tasting notes include four vintage Bourbons.

Kilchoman became Islay's newest distillery in 2005, about the same time Jean Donnay started making whisky at Glann ar Mor on France's Brittany Coast. Fast forward 10 years to 2015, when Donnay is scheduled to open his new distillery on Islay's Gartbreck Farm and claim the title of Islay's youngest distillery. Gartbreck received planning permission this week, and construction is expected to begin this May. Jean Donnay joins us on WhiskyCast In-Depth to discuss his longtime dream of distilling on Islay and his plans for Gartbreck Farm. In the news, the TSA relaxes its rules on carrying duty-free whiskies on board flights for international passengers, Dublin officials give Teeling Whiskey the green light to start construction on its new distillery, and the Kentucky Bourbon Affair's "golden tickets" sold out in little more than a week.

Colin Scott is celebrating two anniversaries -- his 40th anniversary in the whisky business and 25th anniversary as the Master Blender for Chivas Regal and Royal Salute whiskies. His latest release is a tribute to Royal Salute's ties to the world of professional polo, and Colin took his inspiration for the blend from working with his family's polo ponies. He'll discuss his blends and working with whiskies that were just being distilled when he started his career on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Suntory denies reports that it's bidding for Whyte & Mackay and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail sets a new visitor record. We'll also have reaction to a moment in this week's WhiskyCast HD interview that caught Richard Paterson off guard, along with tasting notes for the Dalmore expression he created with Chef Daniel Boulud.

More coverage of the Victoria Whisky Festival in this bonus edition of WhiskyCast, with details on new and upcoming releases from Springbank, Duncan Taylor, Tomatin, and Glenfarclas. In the news, Whyte & Mackay's Richard Paterson discusses his concerns over the future of the company in an exclusive WhiskyCast interview, the world record price for a single bottle of whisky sold at auction has been shattered, and Barry Wilde of Alberta's Highwood Distillers updates us on the recovery from last summer's massive flooding that shut the distillery down for weeks.

This is the first of two episodes from this weekend's Victoria Whisky Festival in British Columbia, where Canadian whisky was featured on opening night with the presentation of the 2013 Canadian Whisky Awards. Corby's Lot No. 40 ended Forty Creek Distillery's three-year run as Canadian Whisky of the Year, but by the slimmest of margins. We'll hear from the winners, as well as the equally pleased runners-up. In the news, Suntory's $16 billion deal to acquire Beam is drawing fire from some critics, Wild Turkey will honor Jimmy Russell with a special bottling to mark his 60th anniversary at the distillery this year, and Clynelish will be the latest Diageo distillery in Scotland to get an expansion. Mark also offers a commentary on the Suntory-Beam merger and why it's good for whisky lovers.

London and Seattle have a few things in common: reputations for foggy, rainy weather...a vibrant cultural scene...and now, craft distilleries. Seattle's had them for several years, and the guys at Westland Distillery are actually on their second one, having moved from their original distillery to a brand-new one just south of downtown Seattle. London had whisky distilleries until 1905, but Darren Rook's London Distillery Company has just started making its first experimental batches of whisky in Battersea using one of the UK's smallest distilleries. We'll find out more on both distillers in this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth...in the news, the UK is implementing a new plan to certify the authenticity of Scotch Whisky, there's talk that the UK may cut whisky taxes ahead of the Scottish independence referendum, and Louisville's about to announce a major Bourbon event for this May.

Southern California isn't the place you'd normally think of for a Bourbon to call home, but Steve Gertman picked the wine country of Santa Barbara County to locate his Ascendant Spirits Distillery and produce Breaker Bourbon. Gertman joins us for this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth, and explains why he gave up a career most guys would dream of: producing TV shows featuring some of the world's hottest cars. We'll also look at a new Scottish Government report on the impact of Scotch Whisky exports, the latest release from Bowmore, and tasting notes for a 60-year-old Glenfarclas single malt.

The classic Irish pub is becoming an endangered species, thanks to a combination of progress and the economy. There are some pubs that still cling to tradition, and the Tap Tavern in Kinsale, County Cork, is a classic example. The Tap's been owned by four generations of the same family since 1886, and Mary O'Neill has been in charge since she inherited the pub from her aunt in 1974. We'll meet Mary and her son Brian on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, the whisky industry loses two legends, another potential bidder may enter the contest for Whyte & Mackay, and Whisky Advocate announces its annual year-end awards.

Think of Belgium and drinks, and beer is usually the first thing that comes to mind. However, Belgians are quite fond of whisky as well, and Etienne Bouillon is trying to satisfy their passion with Belgium's first single malt whisky. The Owl Distillery has been making whisky since 2004, and sells almost all of its production within Belgium, including a 5-year-old single cask bottled this year at a whopping 76.1% ABV. In the news, an industry panel sides with critics of the controversial Dewar's "Meet The Baron" video, Diageo runs into another bump for control of India's United Spirits, and Jim Beam is making plans for a single barrel Bourbon that will even be sold by the barrel.

Dewar's was forced to remove an online video promotion from the Internet this week after a social media-fueled protest campaign over the portrayal of women in its "Meet the Baron" video. Canadian whisky blogger Johanne McInnis was one of the leaders of the protest, and joins us to discuss the controversy in this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. McInnis has filed a complaint against Dewar's with the Distilled Spirits Council accusing the ad of violating the group's Code of Responsible Practices, and Frank Coleman of DISCUS will explain just how the code works. In the news, Kentucky distillers are working through a weather-related shortage of barrels, we'll have the latest on new whiskies, and Ardbeg's hitting the road with a new three-wheeler.

The Malt Maniacs announced the results of the 11th annual Malt Maniacs Whisky Awards this week, and a 1973 Karuizawa single cask from Japan ended GlenDronach's three-year reign as the overall champion. This year's competition was one of the toughest ever, with only four gold medals out of nearly 200 entries. Maniacs Oliver Klimek and Keith Wood join us to discuss this year's competition on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, there's a $10,000 reward being offered in the Pappy Van Winkle thefts, The Macallan's David Cox updates us on the US launch of M and the distillery's £100 million expansion project, and Glenmorangie's David Blackmore explains how 50 bottles of the Glenmorangie 1963 were discovered in a warehouse. This week's tasting notes include the latest batch of Aberlour A'Bunadh and the Jack Daniel's Sinatra Select.

There's one question Diageo's whisky team has been asked for years -- why can't we have more Mortlach single malt bottlings? The Dufftown distillery has been prized by blenders for decades because its malt whisky adds depth and texture to their blends, but we're about to see what Mortlach can be on its own. Diageo is investing millions of dollars to make Mortlach the next major single malt Scotch whisky, in what's being described as the company's biggest single malt venture since the launch of the Classic Malts range 25 years ago. We'll tour the distillery and discuss the expansion with managers Steve McGingle and Sean Phillips, and go through the four new Mortlach expressions to be launched in 2014 with Dr. Matthew Crow. In the news, The Macallan is getting a major investment of its own -- a $245 million distillery expansion scheduled to begin in late 2014. We'll also have more of your comments on age statements in Your Voice, along with tasting notes for a couple of the new Mortlachs and the latest Blue Hanger release from Berry Bros. & Rudd.

Gavin Hewitt is stepping down next month after ten years as the chief executive of the Scotch Whisky Association, balancing the needs of member whisky companies with the industry's overall best interests as Scotch whisky sales have exploded globally. On this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth, he'll go through the highlights of the last ten years and a few things he would have done differently. In the news, Diageo says it doesn't need to make a bid for Beam to succeed in the Bourbon business, Wild Turkey brings back its 101-proof Rye whiskey, and we'll have a complete roundup of new whiskies hitting the market this week.

Dr. Matthew Crow of Diageo is one of Scotch Whisky's up-and-coming blenders. Working under Dr. Jim Beveridge, he helped create Johnnie Walker Double Black and worked with Jim last year on the £120,000 John Walker & Sons Diamond Jubilee whisky to mark Queen Elizabeth's 60th anniversary on the throne. In the past year, he's helped create three new Talisker releases, and joins us on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth to discuss the subtle differences in blending Single Malts versus Blended Scotch whiskies. In the news, Heaven Hill opens the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience on Louisville's Main Street, Glenfiddich releases a special whisky to support wounded warriors, and we'll take a look at the 2014 Malt Whisky Yearbook with editor Ingvar Ronde.

This week, we'll take a tour of a distillery very few people ever get to visit, Beam's Alberta Distillers facility in Calgary, Alberta. 80% of the distillery's whisky is sold in bulk to clients around the world, which means if you've tried all but a few Canadian whiskies, the chances are pretty good Rick Murphy and his team had something to do with them. The remaining 20% is bottled under the Alberta Premium and Alberta Springs labels for the Canadian market, along with the Tangle Ridge label available in the US and a few other markets. The distillery is on the edge of the Canadian Rockies, which means high altitude, low humidity, and lots of cold and snow. One of their innovations is a unique "straddle loader" to move barrels of whisky around without the risk of using a forklift in extreme weather. In the news...still no arrests in the Pappy Van Winkle theft, Diageo opens a new Scotch whisky warehousing complex in Fife, and Jim Murray names his whisky of the year for the 2014 Whisky Bible.

This week, we're in Banff, Alberta for a very special Bowmore weekend in the heart of the Canadian Rockies. The "Bowmore on the Rockies" weekend featured a dinner with the entire 1964 Bowmore Trilogy series of Black, White, and Gold Bowmores, the 1995 release of the original Black Bowmore, and the 1964 Bowmore Fino Sherry Cask. Morrison Bowmore's Master of Malts, Iain McCallum, joins me to discuss the newest releases from Bowmore, Auchentoshan, and Glen Garioch, along with some of the issues facing the whisky business today. In the news, the man wanted for questioning in the Pappy Van Winkle theft turns out to be Bardstown High School's principal...who told investigators he was trying to buy some Pappy, not sell it.

Ireland's Kilbeggan Distillery is said to be the world's oldest whiskey distillery, and it's now being run by what may well be one of the youngest head distillers. Andrina Fitzgerald grew up a few miles from Kilbeggan, and was promoted to head distiller shortly after Beam acquired Kilbeggan as part of the Cooley Whiskey deal. We'll hear from this rising star in the whiskey business on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, the latest from Kentucky on the Pappy van Winkle theft, along with an update on the Teeling family's plans for a new distillery in Dublin. This week's tasting notes include the "hottest" whisky in the world right now, this year's Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 20-year-old Bourbon.

The most secure jobs in the whisky business may be the coppersmiths at Forsyth's of Rothes in Scotland, since almost all of the major distillery construction projects underway worldwide are buying their stills from Forsyth's. We got word of two more new distilleries this week...the Morrison family's Glasgow Whisky Distillery to be built on the Queen's Dock along the River Clyde and Bernard Walsh's new distillery in County Carlow, Ireland. Tim Morrison and Bernard Walsh join us to discuss their plans on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, the search is on for the "Pappy Pilferer", two whisky auctions this week raised tens of thousands of dollars for charities, and if you're feeling a cold coming on, this week's tasting notes may have just the answer.

With 28 malt whisky distilleries and two grain whisky distilleries in Scotland, Diageo almost always has something going on. Dr. Nick Morgan is head of whisky outreach for the world's largest whisky producer, and we sat down in New York City this week with drams of Talisker Storm to discuss the malt's U.S. debut, this year's special releases, and more for this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth segment. In the news, plans for another malt distillery in Scotland are getting clearer, Arran releases its Millennium Casks, and WhistlePig unleashes The Boss Hog. We'll also hear WhiskyCast listeners venting their frustrations (and singing their praises) in this week's Your Voice.

Baker Beam comes from one of Kentucky's legendary Bourbon families. However, the grand-nephew of Jim Beam and cousin to Booker Noe, Fred Noe, and Parker Beam doesn't often get the spotlight. If his name sounds familiar, it's because he's the namesake for Baker's Bourbon from Beam's Small Batch Collection, and that makes him one of the few living distillers with a Bourbon that bears his name. He'll share his history in distilling and memories of working with Booker Noe on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, the U.S. government shutdown is affecting whisky makers, but plenty of new whiskies beat Washington's budget clock in time to hit the market this week.

This week's WhiskyCast comes from Forty Creek Distillery's annual Whisky Weekend in Grimsby, Ontario. Forty Creek's John Hall makes his whisky differently from any other distiller, and we'll deconstruct Forty Creek Barrel Select on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth during a Whisky Weekend tasting session with John, Davin de Kergommeaux, and Johanne McInnis. In the news, a WhiskyCast exclusive -- Diageo's supply of whiskey for Bulleit Bourbon from Four Roses will be cut off next spring, and that could force Diageo to make a decision on the future of the long-closed Stitzel-Weller Distillery in Louisville.

In the second of two episodes from this weekend's Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown, we'll hear from the newest members of the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame. Fred Noe is the 7th generation member of the Beam family at Jim Beam, and Tom Blincoe's Buzick Construction has been responsible for most of the state's major distillery construction projects over the last several decades. In the news, Whisky Magazine announces the winners of this year's U.S. Icons of Whisky Awards, Jimmy Russell explains just what happened when his team made a mistake that led to Wild Turkey's new Forgiven, and Mike Veach tells us about the Filson Historical Society's Bourbon Challenge next month.

Parker Beam surprised everyone the other night at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown. He wasn't expected to attend the Kentucky Distillers Association's All-Star Sampler event with master distillers from all of the KDA member distilleries, but he came and spent the entire evening signing bottles and meeting Bourbon lovers. We'll hear from Parker about his battle with ALS on the first of this weekend's two episodes from the Kentucky Bourbon Festival.

Ger Buckley is the fifth-generation cooper at Ireland's Midleton Distillery, but had no one to pass the torch to. In fact, there hadn't been an apprentice cooper at any Irish distillery for nearly four decades...but Ger was able to convince Irish Distillers that the tradition needed to be kept alive for another generation. 21-year-old Killian O'Mahony has just signed on for a four-year apprenticeship...he and Ger join us for this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, we pay tribute to the late Lincoln Henderson, Buffalo Trace plans to keep honoring the late Elmer T. Lee, and the latest on this year's Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. This week's tasting notes include Wild Turkey's new Forgiven...an accidental blend of Rye and Bourbon.

There was a changing of the guard at Ireland's Midleton Distillery this week, in addition to the housewarming party for Midleton's massive distillery expansion. Brian Nation officially replaced Barry Crockett as Master Distiller for Ireland's largest distillery, and it's the first time in almost 70 years that a Crockett family member won't be at the distillery. We'll meet the man charged with carrying on the legacy of names like Jameson, Power, and Crockett on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth, and get the details on the distillery expansion in our news update. There's also word on this year's special releases from Diageo, and Fred Laing tells us about the new Douglas Laing's Old Particular range of single cask bottlings. In this week's tasting notes, there's a little-known Irish whiskey from Midleton, Glen Grant's Five Decades single malt honoring longtime Master Distiller Dennis Malcolm, and a new Dalmore bottling from Single Cask Nation.

Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve Bourbons may well be some of the hardest whiskies to find, and hundreds of people call the Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery office in Louisville every year begging to get just one bottle. Celebrities, ordinary people with a special occasion, and the most ardent Bourbon lovers all get the same answer from Preston Van Winkle and his father, Julian Van Winkle III: "We can't help you, now, but if you check with your local retailer in October, they might be able to find you a bottle." Preston Van Winkle joins us for this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth to discuss "Pappy-Mania" -- and he'll tell us why this year's 23-year-old Pappy may well be the last of its kind. Ryan Maloney of Julio's Liquors in Massachusetts explains why he and his colleagues have to resort to lotteries to allocate their few bottles of Pappy each year, and Benjamin Lee will tell us about his quest to explore all 59 U.S. national parks (and a few distilleries) by motorcycle.

When Kentucky was still a wilderness in Colonial days, Pennsylvania was a hotbed of whiskey distilling. Back then, the Keystone State was known for its rye whiskies. Over the last several decades, though, Pennsylvania's distilling industry dried up and withered away. Herman Mihalich and John Cooper are trying to revive the tradition with their Dad's Hat Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey, producing it themselves at a converted wool mill in the Philadelphia suburb of Bristol. We'll hear their story on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Jack Daniel's is expanding, John Teeling's been pulled back into the Irish Whiskey business, the new Parker's Heritage Collection Bourbon has a mission of raising funding -- and awareness -- for ALS research, and this week's tasting notes include one of whisky's Holy Grails, the Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 23-year-old Bourbon.

Utah's High West Distillery & Saloon crams a craft distillery and high-end restaurant into two historic buildings in the ski resort's downtown area. James Dumas, a James Beard Award-nominated chef and partner in High West, takes us on a tour of the distillery for this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth, and it's often hard to tell where the distillery begins and the restaurant ends. Dumas didn't learn to appreciate what whisky offers until he started working with High West founder David Perkins, but now, he's a complete convert, as he showed us during the tour. In the news, Tomatin takes top honors at the Whisky Fringe for the second year in a row. We'll also have the latest on new whiskies from Tullamore Dew, Single Cask Nation, and a new series of Jameson bottlings...along with a reason to skip the duty-free shop if you're flying on Ryanair.

Last December, Wyoming Whiskey made its debut with thousands of whiskey lovers descending on the tiny town of Kirby, Wyoming. Kirby's quiet again, but the state's namesake Bourbon is still selling as fast as the distillery can produce it. This week, we'll catch up with Wyoming Whiskey co-founder David DeFazio and talk with the guys from Bin 21 in Jackson Hole about the demand for this unique whiskey. In the news, plenty of new Bourbons are coming from Elijah Craig, Four Roses, Buffalo Trace, and Old Forester. We'll also visit with Bob and Barbara Townsend of the Miner's Delight Inn in Atlantic City, Wyoming. Would you believe some people think they're on the Jersey Shore instead of high in the Rockies?

Keith Batt never dreamed of distilling whisky when he and his family bought the Nant Estate in Tasmania, but the farm had lots of barley and lots of water, along with a 120-year-old grist mill. Now, the Nant Distillery is celebrating its fifth anniversary, getting rave reviews for its whiskies, and Keith's 10-year-old son is already asking questions about the business. Keith joins us for this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Diageo's profits are up and the world's largest whisky maker is looking for more acquisitions, a legendary Chicago whisky bar is getting its own Compass Box whisky and sharing it with the world, and we'll get the latest on new whiskies from around the world.