WhiskyCast

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

The Scotch Whisky industry is roaring along, setting new records for sales every year as the global demand for whisky continues to grow. The last "golden age" for Scotch Whisky is generally considered to be the late 1800's, when distilleries flourished all over Scotland. That begs the question: are we in a new golden age for Scotch Whisky? Veteran whisky writers, historians, and consultants Charles Maclean and Ian Buxton take on that question and other key issues in an extended WhiskyCast In-Depth conversation this week. In the news, a Pacific Northwest malting house has left distilleries and brewers in the lurch after suddenly closing this week, while Speyside Distillers is being questioned about the location of casks sold to investors more than 20 years ago.

Westland Distillery co-founder Matt Hofmann is leaving the Seattle distillery at the end of the month to pursue new adventures. With no specific plans for the future, Matt and his successor as production manager, Tyler Pederson, join us on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth to discuss Matt's move and how the distillery will ensure continuity going forward. We'll also have tasting notes for Westland's new Colere American single malt and the new Clermont Steep American single malt from Beam. In the news, the company administering Scotland's controversial Deposit Return Scheme is on life support, while The Dalmore is preparing to double production capacity with a new stillhouse. We'll have the details and much more on this week's episode of WhiskyCast!

Wyoming Whiskey marked its 10th anniversary last December, and this April, Edrington took majority ownership of the Cowboy State's first distillery. That ended the run of David DeFazio as Wyoming Whiskey's president, but he remains the brand's global ambassador and a part-owner of the distillery. We'll talk with him about the changes since then, along with what the future holds, both for him and the brand. We'll also catch up with Wyoming Whiskey's first master distiller, Bourbon Hall of Famer Steve Nally and master blender Nancy Fraley on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth, too. In the news, the drinks industry is mourning the death of Diageo CEO Sir Ivan Menezes this week, while Brown-Forman has won a trademark lawsuit challenge at the U.S. Supreme Court.

With some parts of Scotland facing another long, dry summer, distilleries are making plans to cope with expected water shortages from the lochs and rivers that provide essential water for distilling. Wick's Old Pulteney Distillery has already announced plans to shut down production for eight weeks this summer after losing much of the last two summers to drought. We'll talk with distillery manager Malcolm Waring on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Balmenach Distillery has received a £4 million upgrade to make the distillery more energy-efficient, a bottle of the rare 81-year-old The Reach from The Macallan is up for grabs in British Columbia, and there's a host of new whiskies being released in time for Father's Day.

At one time, Campbeltown was Scotland's whisky capital with more than 35 distilleries. That number dwindled to just three over the years, but now, planning approval is being sought for up to three new distilleries. The latest project is the Witchburn Distillery to be built on the former RAF Macrihanish site, and we'll talk with project manager and master distiller Andrew Nairn on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. We'll also hear from Beam Suntory's Daryl Haldane following the auction Friday of a one-of-a-kind Bowmore single malt to raise money for projects on Islay. In the news, Stirling Council has rejected plans for the proposed Wolfcraig Distillery for a second time, Scotch Whisky Association leaders continue their push to reserve an excise duty hike planned for August, and Jack Daniel's lost a trademark infringement case in the U.K. to a pair of comedians.

Whisky lovers around the world celebrated World Whisky Day Saturday. The holiday was created a dozen years ago by whisky writer and consultant Blair Bowman, and we'll check in with him on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. He's been involved in several major controversies affecting the Scotch Whisky industry, from protesting the planned Deposit Return Scheme now scheduled to take effect next March to fighting a proposed series of marketing and advertising restrictions for whiskies and other alcoholic beverages. In the news, we'll have an update on new whiskies released for World Whisky Day, while the owners of Justins' House of Bourbon have paid $3,000 in fines to settle charges brought by Washington, DC liquor regulators. We'll also have tasting notes for new whiskies from Jack Daniel's, Michter's, and Glenglassaugh.

Blended American Whisky has been ignored by connoisseurs for many years, largely because the category has been dominated by cheap blends using grain neutral spirits. Now, there's a new era for Blended American Whisky as blenders explore the flexibility the category offers, from being able to blend Bourbons and Ryes with other styles of whisky to being able to use whisky matured in used barrels. We'll talk with master blender Ari Sussman about the trend in this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Australian distillers are in a dispute over what should be called a "single malt," Russian officials raid a factory producing counterfeit Scotch Whisky and other spirits, and we'll learn what not to do when your golf bag catches on fire. In our Behind the Label segment, we'll look at what researchers say is the proper amount of water to add to your whisky, and our latest Community poll asks whether you'd prefer to try a 50-year-old whisky or a 10-year-old bottled in 1920.

Bourbon's construction boom in Central Kentucky is raising concerns in Nelson County, home to Bardstown, the "Bourbon Capital of the World." County officials have reached a compromise with whiskey makers for a 90-day moratorium on planning approval for new warehouses in agricultural zones. Nelson County Judge Executive Tim Hutchins wants a review of current ordinances allowing virtually unfettered development of warehouses without public input, while allowing projects in areas zoned for industrial use to move forward. We'll talk with Judge Hutchins on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth about the moratorium and the impact of losing millions of dollars in barrel tax revenue in the coming years. In the news, Sazerac CEO Mark Brown is stepping aside in a long-planned succession, while Scotland's Parliament has approved new rules to make it easier for whisky makers to borrow against their stockpiles of maturing whisky. We'll also have details on a host of commemorative whiskies celebrating the coronation of King Charles III, along with the rest of the week's whisky releases.

Rye hasn't been widely used by Scotch whisky distillers for decades, but Inchdairnie Distillery is doing something different for its first release: A Scottish single grain distilled from 53% malted rye and 47% malted barley. The distillery contracted local farmers to grow the rye grain, and released its first batch of RyeLaw this week. Inchdairnie managing director Ian Palmer joins us to explain the reasons for starting with a Scottish rye whisky. In the news, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says no to reconsidering a whisky tax hike set for August, while Diageo is joining the growing list of whisky makers eliminating cardboard gift boxes from its whiskies.

Dr. Bill Lumsden has been experimenting at both Ardbeg and Glenmorangie distilleries. His latest Ardbeg release, Heavy Vapours, involved taking part of the distilling system out of the picture just because he wanted to see what would happen if he did. At Glenmorangie, he has a whole year's worth of projects for his experimental Lighthouse distillery. We'll catch up with whisky's mad scientist on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Scotland's controversial alcohol marketing restrictions have been sent back to the drawing board, while the equally controversial deposit return scheme for bottles has been pushed back to next March. We'll also have details on a new distillery in Kentucky...that was quietly built six years ago.

We're celebrating a major milestone this week with the 1000th episode of WhiskyCast! To mark the occasion, Mark went back through the archives to pick some memorable moments and interviews from the past 18 years for this special episode. You'll hear from legends like the late Parker Beam and Michael Jackson, along with Jimmy Russell, Jim McEwan, Maureen Robinson, Fawn Weaver, and Richard Paterson...just to name a few. This episode is a lot longer than usual, and there's plenty more that we could have included. In the news, Scotch Whisky Association leaders are hoping to persuade Parliament to reject a tax increase on whiskies and other distilled spirits, while local officials in Kentucky are looking at moratoriums on new distillery construction following the phaseout of the state's barrel tax.

Many have tried, but the Glencairn whisky glass remains the preferred choice of whisky blenders and savvy whisky lovers. There's more to Glencairn Crystal than just its iconic glass, though, and we'll talk with Glencairn founder Raymond Davidson on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Campari is investing $160 million to build a second distillery at Wild Turkey in Kentucky. We'll have details on that and the rest of the week's headlines, and in our Behind the Label segment, we'll explain why some whiskies can taste soapy and what causes it.

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is marking its 40th anniversary in 2023, and we'll talk with founder Pip Hills on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. The 82-year-old Hills started the Society as a cask-share scheme with his friends...and their friends...and so on, until now, the Society's membership stands at 37,000 whisky lovers worldwide. In the news, Diageo CEO Ivan Menezes is retiring, Kentucky state lawmakers have passed the barrel tax phaseout bill into law, and Whisky Magazine handed out its annual awards this past week.

There's very little Dennis Malcolm hasn't seen in his 62 years of making whisky, and the longtime Glen Grant distillery manager joins us on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth to answer some of your whisky questions. Dennis was in New York City for the global launch of the new Glen Grant 21 Years Old, and we'll have tasting notes for it as well. In the news, Kentucky lawmakers are running out of time to pass a bill ending the barrel tax this year, while the U.S. Supreme Court held oral arguments on a trademark case involving Jack Daniel's...and dog poop.

1983 was a very bad year to be in the Scotch Whisky business. Sales had dried up in the face of changing consumer tastes and economic woes, and the industry was sitting on a "whisky loch" of millions of gallons of whisky no one wanted to buy. That led to the permanent or temporary closings of 14 distilleries, along with blending and bottling plants throughout Scotland. 40 years later, the industry has recovered - but have the lessons from 1983 been remembered? We'll talk with historians Charles Maclean and Dr. Nick Morgan about the circumstances that led to mass closings back then, and what's different today. In the news, UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has slapped Scotch Whisky with a 10.1% increase in excise duty, and industry leaders are fighting back claiming broken promises. Kentucky state lawmakers are trying to get a bill passed in the next few days that would phase out the state's barrel tax on maturing whiskey, and David Beckham is reported to be stepping away from his bespoke whisky brand.

Mark Kent left the UK's diplomatic service 14 months ago to become the new CEO of the Scotch Whisky Association, and admits he didn't know much about Scotch when he started. With the industry in a state of flux over issues ranging from a potential marketing and advertising ban in Scotland to free trade and climate change, it's been a busy 14 months for Kent. He'll join us on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth to discuss the state of the Scotch Whisky industry and those key issues it faces. In the news, Islay distillers are scrambling to find new sources of peated malt after Diageo's Port Ellen Maltings stopped supplying outside customers. We'll also look at record U.S. spirits exports, even though some key markets are still recovering from the impact of trade tariffs, and on this week's Behind the Label, we'll look at the role enzymes play in mashing and why many distillers use a small amount of malted barley in their mashes.

Melissa Rift's career path is anything but traditional for a whisky maker. She started out as a family therapist before discovering her passion for Bourbon, and it's led her to become the new master taster for Old Forester. We'll explore her journey and her passion for whisky on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Jack Daniel's has been ordered to stop work on one of its new barrel houses after a neighbor sued over whisky fungus problems, while Kentucky distillers are hoping a bill pending in the state legislature could mean the end of the "barrel tax."

There are literally hundreds of whisky clubs around the world, with more being formed all the time. This week on WhiskyCast, we'll hear from some club founders on how they started their clubs, along with advice for those thinking about forming a whisky club. In the news, Russia is planning "grey market" imports of some key whisky brands to evade trade sanctions, while Scotland's controversial bottle deposit program may be in trouble. We're also announcing the launch of the new WhiskyCast Community mobile app this week, too!

Bourbon and many other whiskies must be matured in new barrels by law, but distillers are finding a shortage of available barrels. Cooperages are keeping up with existing demand, but are facing their own supply chain issues with raw logs and can't keep up with distillery expansions across the industry. It all amounts to "the barrel problem," and we'll look at the issue on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Scottish government officials want public comments on whether the sale of peat should be banned, including the whisky industry's use of peat for malting barley. There's a scandal in Oregon, where state liquor board officials diverted bottles of rare Bourbon for their own use, and two veteran distillers join Whisky Magazine's Hall of Fame.

Last month's raid on the Justins' House of Bourbon stores in Kentucky brought a multi-state and federal investigation into the spotlight. Now, authorities in the District of Columbia and at least two other states are investigating potential violations of interstate shipping laws, according to a report this week in the Lexington Herald-Leader. The Herald-Leader's Janet Patton broke the story and joins us this week on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, distilled spirits sales outpaced beer for the first time during 2022, while Scotch Whisky exports set a new record.

It's hard to believe, but the iconic New York City pub The Dead Rabbit is celebrating its 10th anniversary this month. In that time, it's built a reputation as one of the world's best cocktail bars. We'll talk with co-founder and managing partner Jack McGarry about the first ten years and what the future holds for The Dead Rabbit - including expansion to Austin, New Orleans, and other cities. On Your Voice, listeners like you tell us what makes a pub great, and in our Behind the Label segment, we'll answer a question about the difference between a peaty whisky and a smoky one.

Distillers like to claim the "authentic" label for their whiskies, but how does one define "authenticity" in whisky? Is a "grain to glass" whisky more authentic than one that's mass-produced? Stanford business professor Glenn Carroll and Tulane business professor Cameron Verhaal teamed up to study just what whisky drinkers consider to be authentic, and they join us on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth to discuss their findings. In the news, Irish Whiskey tourism rebounded strongly during 2022 with a 425% gain over the pandemic-affected year of 2021. Diageo shares took a plunge on softness in U.S. Scotch Whisky sales, and a small North Carolina distillery hopes to send barrels of whiskey where no barrels have gone before.

This week's episode comes from the Victoria Whisky Festival in Victoria, British Columbia...where a small Vancouver distillery shocked the Canadian whisky world the other night. Sons of Vancouver won Canadian Whisky of the Year honors at the Canadian Whisky Awards with their "Palm Trees and a Tropical Breeze" rye whisky. It was the highest-scoring whisky in the competition, and it wasn't even close. We'll talk with the distillery's Jenna Diubaldo, James Lester, and Max Smith on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth, along with Canadian Whisky Awards founder and chairman Davin de Kergommeaux. In the news, an explosion rocked Alberta Distillers in Calgary this week, while a long-running legal saga has come to an end in Vancouver.

Sarah Burgess has held a lot of different positions during her 25-plus years in the whisky industry, from serving as a seasonal tour guide to running three different distilleries and being a whisky maker for The Macallan. Now, she's taking on a new challenge as the lead whisky maker for The Lakes Distillery in England. We'll talk with Sarah on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, a Scottish government consultation on alcohol sales and marketing has the Scotch Whisky industry crying foul, while Irish Whiskey exports set a new record during 2022.

Whiskies are being released at staggering prices with an eye to investors as well as collectors, but what is the market for these rare whiskies? Duncan Taylor & Co. has just released a £75,000 1969 Macallan, and we'll talk with Peter Currie of Shand Imports about this whisky and its intended market on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth.

Distillers are known for helping each other out, but the team at the Bardstown Bourbon Company is taking that collaborative spirit to new levels. The distillery not only makes its own whiskies, but works with more than 30 other brands to produce their whiskies using 54 different mashbills. Now, Bardstown Bourbon is releasing its own mature Bourbon and Rye whiskies for the first time with the Origin Series. We'll talk with VP of Product Development Dan Callaway about the new whiskies and that collaborative process on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Britain's King Charles is honoring Diageo CEO Ivan Menezes and Islay's Jim McEwan on the New Year's Honours List, Buffalo Trace celebrates a milestone, and we'll have some of your final drams of 2022 and first drams of 2023, too!

We'll wrap up the year with a look at the Irish whiskey industry from both the macro and micro views this week with Denis O'Flynn. He's the former managing director of Pernod Ricard UK, and since 2017 has been a non-executive director of Clonakilty Distillery. That gives him a unique perspective on the state of the Irish Whiskey industry, and he'll share his opinions with us on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, the marriage between Wild Turkey and actor Matthew McConaughey has split up, with both sides remaining friends. We'll have that story and much more in our final episode of 2022.

Eddie Russell has been making whiskey for 42 years, and is a Bourbon Hall of Fame member. Still, to many people, he'll always be known as "Jimmy Russell's son." That's what happens when you work alongside a legend, and now that he's established his own legacy, he's passing it on to his son Bruce, and as Eddie put it during our WhiskyCast In-Depth interview this week, "what goes around, comes around." We'll talk with Eddie about his two most recent releases, the Master's Keep Unforgotten edition and the Russell's Reserve Single Rickhouse edition, and how he's still learning on the job after 42 years.

Is Sweetens Cove a whiskey company with a golf course, or a golf course with its own whiskey brand? That's something the Sweetens Cove team is trying to figure out for themselves, but while they ponder that question, they've released the third edition of their Tennessee Bourbon. We'll talk with Sweetens Cove master blender Marianne Eaves and CEO Mark Rivers on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, we'll have details on two new Kentucky distillery projects valued at nearly $350 million and a look at the latest data on the boom in craft distilling.

Six years ago, the wildfire known as "The Beast" devastated Northern Alberta, forcing the evacuations of 88,000 people in the area around Fort McMurray. At the time, Wood Buffalo Brewing & Distilling had to leave behind a pallet of peated malt to escape the fire, but firefighters managed to save both the distillery and the malt, which had absorbed a lot of smoke from the fire. The distillery pre-sold bottles of "The Beast" whisky made from that malt to raise more than $100,000 for local charities in the months following the fire, and while the distillery later closed its doors, distillers Bryce Parsons and Spike Baker returned to Fort McMurray this weekend to deliver on the promise made six years ago. We'll catch up with them on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth.

During the golden age of Irish Whiskey, Belfast-based Dunville's was one of the biggest brands on the market. While the brand was almost lost to history, it was revived a decade ago by the family-owned Echlinville Distillery in Northern Ireland. Using vintage sourced whiskies, the Dunville's brand has been preserved for new generations of Irish Whiskey fans. We'll talk with Echlinville's Jarlath Watson about the Dunville's heritage and building new traditions as the distillery prepares to release its own whiskies starting in 2023.

Bigger isn't necessarily better, and we have proof of that this week with our podcast recorded on location at the New Brunswick Spirits Festival in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The festival punches well above its weight class to deliver an outstanding event every year, and celebrated its 25th anniversary this weekend. We'll talk with founder and chairman Frank Scott to find out his secrets for success on WhiskyCast In-Depth, and we'll also catch up with another old friend. Martine Nouet has been organizing the festival's food and whisky lunches for years, but is scaling back her whisky work to pursue other passions. In the news, Diageo's venture capital unit has taken a stake in England's Oxford Artisan Distillery, while Canadian Club is out with another record-setting vintage whisky. Finally, Corby's Dr. Don Livermore has coined a new word for whisky lovers, and he'll share it with us on Behind the Label.

With the holidays coming up, whisky books may be on your gift list. We'll talk with two noted whisky writers who have new books out this holiday season. Ian Buxton is the author of "101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die," and Dave Broom's latest book "A Sense of Place" looks at whisky's place in Scottish culture. We'll have tasting notes for a Christmas whisky from Paul John and the new American Single Malt from Jack Daniel's…and Lochlea's John Campbell helps us explain how the strength of peated whiskies is measured on this week's Behind the Label.

Nick Offerman has entertained millions of people with his film and television career, but it's his whisky career that he's sharing with us this week. From the early days of featuring Lagavulin on Parks and Recreation to his dozens of Tales of Whisky videos for the brand, Offerman has become synonymous with Lagavulin. He'll join us on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth to discuss his Lagavulin origin story, working with blender Stewart Morrison, and cutting peat on Islay with the legendary Iain "Mr. Pinky" McArthur. We'll also have details on the sales of Wilderness Trail and Balcones distilleries, this week's tasting notes, and meet a distiller who's worked on six continents…so far.

Colum Egan had a unique challenge when presented with the opportunity to build a new Bushmills distillery that would complement the venerable existing distillery: take the best technology of today while making the whiskey taste the same way the old distillery has been producing it for decades. The €37 million project went into production a year ago, but few visitors have been allowed inside to take a look at the new distillery. You'll get a first look inside with Colum Egan on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Irish Whiskey exports rose in 2021, but will be pressed to meet that goal in 2022. We'll have the details along with an exclusive interview with former Maker's Mark whisky makers Denny Potter and Jane Bowie, who are now ready to disclose their plans for a new distillery in Kentucky.

Much has been made of the boom in Irish whiskey over the last decade, but one industry veteran says that boom is only the foundation for greater growth in the future. Walsh Whiskey Company founder Bernard Walsh believes the industry still has some growing pains to go through before the "renaissance" really begins, and he'll share his views with us on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. We're in Dublin this week for a series of distillery visits sponsored by the Irish whiskey Association and Tourism Ireland, and we'll also have a crypt keeper's story to share on Behind the Label.

Unless you're drinking a single cask bottling, every whisky you drink has been prepared by a team of blenders. That goes for single malts, too, and Stewart Morrison is the blender behind Lagavulin's latest release: the Offerman Edition Charred Oak. Morrison teamed up with actor and Lagavulin lover Nick Offerman to create the third release in the Offerman Edition series, and he'll join us on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Islay's distilleries may soon run short of peated malt supplies to meet the island's growing demand, while U.S. whisky exports are rising following the removal of European and UK tariffs.

There are at least 774 malt whisky distilleries around the world, according to the 2023 edition of the Malt Whisky Yearbook. We'll hear from some of the emerging malt whisky makers, including Dhavall Gandhi of The Lakes Distillery in England and Desiree Reid of New Zealand's Cardrona Distillery, on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. Number 775 could be Jack Daniel's, which unveiled plans this week to release an American Single Malt next June. We'll also take a look at a group of whisky lovers that need special attention from whisky show organizers...those who need wheelchairs to get around.

This week, we're on location in London for The Whisky Exchange's annual Whisky Show at Old Billingsgate. We'll have interviews from throughout the weekend on WhiskyCast In-Depth, including Diageo's Colin Dunn, Oliver Chilton of Elixir Distillers, and Tomatin's Scott Adamson. Tomatin took home top honors at this week's International Wine and Spirits Competition Awards, and we'll have that story in our news segment along with details on a new record for Kentucky's growing Bourbon barrel inventory. We'll also have tasting notes from the weekend, and in our Behind the Label segment, we'll explain the difference between rejuvenated casks and "STR" casks.

Until now, Alfred Barnard's classic book "The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom" was the benchmark guide for whisky historians. Now, a collection of 120 distillery profiles first published between 1922 and 1929 has been published in a Barnard-esque book by James Eadie Ltd. The Distilleries of Great Britain & Ireland is a worthy sequel to Barnard's original book and fills a critical need for whisky history from the early 20th century. We'll talk with Eadie's Leon Kuebler and writer Tom Bruce-Gardyne, who compiled the profiles and wrote the introduction, on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, the UK's new Chancellor is freezing whisky excise duties as part of a pledge to cut taxes, and a Virginia ABC employee has pleaded guilty to charges of leaking information on rare bourbon allocations at state run liquor stores. We'll also hear some critical feedback following our interview with Phil Steger of Brother Justus Distilling two weeks ago on Your Voice.

The Cabrach region of Scotland's Highlands has a distilling history that goes back centuries, but The Cabrach has been left behind as other parts of Scotland developed. Now, The Cabrach Trust hopes to create jobs and infrastructure for the region with a single malt distillery, with the profits from its whisky going to fund affordable housing and other projects. We'll talk with the Trust's CEO, Jonathan Christie, and longtime distiller Alan Winchester, who's working as an advisor on the distillery, on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, we'll hear from Stoli Group CEO Damian McKinney as work begins on the Kentucky Owl Park distillery development in Kentucky. We'll also have details on the induction of the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame's Class of 2022 and much, much more.

Phil Steger distills his single malt in the Scottish tradition at Minnesota's Brother Justus Distilling, but he's an outlier in the American Single Malt community. That's because he believes the TTB's proposed standards for American Single Malts would keep him from making his whisky the way he thinks is best. He'll tell us why on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth, and he'll also explain his unique process for "cold-peating" his whiskies. In the news, Ireland's Midleton Distillery is expanding again with a new €250 million distillery adjacent to the current facility. We'll also explain what happens to the royal warrants held by several whisky makers following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

September is Bourbon Heritage Month, and while Bourbon can be made anywhere in the U.S., Kentucky is known as "the state of Bourbon." Bourbon makers generate millions of dollars annually for the state's economy, and their taxes help pay for local services and public education. The unprecedented growth of the industry hasn't come without its growing pains, though...and we'll look at some of the issues facing the "state of Bourbon" with Janet Patton of the Lexington Herald-Leader. In the news, Maker's Mark has lost two of its top leaders as Denny Potter and Jane Bowie leave for a new venture, while Blue Run Spirits is planning a new $51 million distillery. We'll have all of the week's whisky news, tasting notes, and look at what may be the world's toughest whiskey trail to visit.

The Scullys of County Cork have been farming the same land for nine generations over 350 years, but only in the last few years have they started distilling whiskey from their own grain at Clonakilty Distillery. While their whiskey has now reached three years of age, it'll be a couple of more years before that whiskey sees a bottle. We'll talk with Sean Scully and head distiller Oisin Mulcahy on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Kentucky's Bourbon community has raised nearly $1.5 million dollars to help the victims of recent flooding in Eastern Kentucky. Scotch Whisky distillers are being hit hard by inflation, and that could mean higher whisky prices in the short-term future. We'll also have details on the week's new releases and look at a rare cask swap between Kentucky and Scotland on Behind the Label.

Actors Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder discovered their friendship and a mutual love of Bourbon on the set of "The Vampire Diaries" television series. Once the show ended, they decided to launch their own Bourbon brand, Brother's Bond, and it's become one of the fastest-growing new Bourbon brands on the market over the last 18 months. While Wesley's acting career now has him portraying the iconic character of James T. Kirk on "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," Somerhalder is practically a full-time whiskey blender. The Bourbon "brothers" join us on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame's Class of 2022 has been unveiled, while the state's Bourbon distillers are raising more than a million dollars to help Kentucky flooding victims through a series of auctions and special bottlings. We'll also explain what "a fifth" means in whiskey terms on Behind the Label, too.

Andrew Welford is described as a "truffle hunter" for whisky history, but his best find to date didn't sell for a penny. In fact, he donated an original John Walker & Sons shares ledger from 1944 that he found on eBay to Diageo's corporate archive in Scotland. We'll talk with him and Isabel Graham-Youll of Whisky.Auction, who helped bring together the book with its new home. In the news, the Kentucky Bourbon Benefit auction to help the state's flooding victims is underway with bidding already exceeding $250,000. We'll have that story and much more, including a Major League Baseball team owner's entry into the whisky business.

Scotland's Isle of Islay is known for its distilleries, and construction will begin soon on the island's 12th distillery near the shores of Laggan Bay. The Islay Boys, Donald MacKenzie and Mackay Smith, plan to build the new Laggan Bay Distillery across from Islay's airport on the site of a former RAF World War II barracks. MacKenzie and Smith also own the island's lone brewery, and plan to make Islay Ales part of the Laggan Bay development. We'll catch up with Donald MacKenzie on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Kentucky's Bourbon community is coming together again to help fellow Kentuckians in need following this month's floods. We'll have that story and check in with one distiller affected by the flooding.

Forty Creek master blender Bill Ashburn celebrated his 35th anniversary in the whisky business this week, and he's one of those blenders content to stay out of the spotlight most of the time. Ashburn and John Hall put Canadian Whisky on a new course in 2000 when they released the Forty Creek Barrel Select and Three Grain whiskies, and Ashburn's whiskies have won countless awards since then. He'll join us on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, we have details on the U.S. government's proposal to create an official definition for American Single Malt whiskies, along with Beam Suntory's plans to invest $400 million to expand production at the Booker Noe Distillery in Kentucky.

Alcohol has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries, even when the healers of history didn't always know they were distilling alcohol when they made their potions. Some of those potions even sound a lot like today's cocktails, and drinks writer Camper English has been studying the links between alcohol and medicine for his new book Doctors and Distillers. We'll explore some of that history with him this week on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, the American Craft Spirits Association has handed out its annual awards, and we'll have the details. We'll also get a preview of this September's Kentucky Bourbon Festival, and on Behind the Label, we'll answer the question "What's in a (distillery) name?"