Time for a chapter from the WhiskyCast Book Club...back in 1930, a Scotsman going by the name of Aeneas MacDonald wrote the first book on whisky aimed at whisky drinkers. "Whisky" was a groundbreaking book for its time, and many of MacDonald's comments are still true today. Now, Ian Buxton has solved the mystery of Aeneas MacDonald, and Canongate Books has released a new edition of "Whisky" for a new generation of whisky lovers. Ian gives us the details, along with readings from the book on this episode of WhiskyCast!

It's the first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, and many whisky lovers are thinking of their summer vacations. More Scotch distilleries are taking the tourism business seriously, with at least half a dozen distilleries upgrading or opening new visitors centers this year. We'll hear from Sarah Bottomley at Glengoyne and Ian Millar of Glenfiddich about their new centers and tours, including a new tour at The Balvenie. In the news, Scotch Whisky Association leaders are touting their new code of practices, Highland Park prepares to release a new Ambassador's Cask, and a new whisky festival is in the works to celebrate Celtic and Cajun heritage in Louisiana.

Whisky and charity often go hand in hand, as whisky lovers raise thousands of dollars for those in need every year. In this episode, we'll hear from Inver House's Nial Mackinlay, who led a team of his colleagues on the UK's Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for Children First, the Royal Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. What is the Three Peaks Challenge? Climb the highest peaks in England, Scotland, and Wales...and do all three in under 24 hours. In the news, Cooley Distillery releases a new single grain Irish whiskey, and blogger/author Kevin Erskine's new edition of "The Instant Expert's Guide to Single Malt Scotch" has just been published...

It's easy to stick to the official distillery bottlings of whiskies, but a visit to specialty shops may pique your curiosity with independent bottlings. Many come from very familiar distilleries, but some bottlings are so rare that they may be the only way to find out what a distillery's single malt whisky tastes like. We'll hear from Euan Shand of Duncan Taylor & Company, Lorne Mackillop of Mackillop's Choice, and Malt Advocate's John Hansell plays devil's advocate for us. In the news, Pot Still owner Ken Storrie is standing up to Glasgow regulators, Chivas Brothers takes on a Chinese newspaper, and another woman cracks the whisky world's glass ceiling...it's a new month, and time for another new episode of WhiskyCast!