Paul Hletlko is one of the leaders in North America's craft distilling movement, and the founder of FEW Spirits is in the middle of a distillery expansion that will triple his annual spirits production - in the heart of what was once the capital of America's temperance movement. We'll talk with Paul Hletko on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth, and look at some of the highlights from this week's Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America convention and Independent Spirits Expo in Las Vegas during the news. Finally, we'll listen as one of today's hottest country music stars - and a budding whisky entrepreneur - pays tribute to Prince shortly after the music icon's death this week.

Japan's Hombo Shizu has been making whiskies off and on since 1949, and the company's whisky heritage claims a critical link to Masataka Taketsuru, the "father of Japanese whisky." Now, Hombo Shizu's Mars whiskies are back for good, and the company is beginning construction of a new distillery on the site of its original Kagoshima distillery on the southern tip of Japan while producing whisky full-time at its Shinshu distillery near Nagano. Mars whiskies are now starting to reach the US market, and will be available soon in Europe ... we'll discuss these developments with Hombo Shizu's Saki Umemara and Eric Swanson of Tokiwa Imports on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Kentucky's governor has signed a new law that loosens up some of the limits on the state's distillery visitor centers, Diageo is releasing several new North American whiskies, and there's no Canadian content in a Canadian celebrity's new whisky! We'll also share a special moment with you as a new Keeper of the Quaich finds out about his nomination!

The Whisky Sponge has been puncturing egos and tweaking the Scotch Whisky industry with impunity - and relative anonymity - for nearly three years, but on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth, the Sponge publicly reveals his true identity for the first time. We don't want to spoil the surprise, but it's not "Jill Bumsden" and especially not "Dark Mollesty"! In the news, Luxco's plans for another Bourbon distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky have been confirmed as the longtime blender and bottler tries to lock in whiskey supplies for the future ... Crown Royal's distillery strike could last well into the summer ... and we'll look at the results of two recent whisky competitions.

A lot of trends come out of Portland, Oregon...and while the craft distilling movement didn't originate there, Portland's House Spirits helped jump-start the industry when Christian Krogstad started making gin, aquavit, and whisky in 2004. Last November, House Spirits moved into an all-new distillery with a goal of making its Westward Oregon Straight Malt Whisky a leader in the emerging American Single Malt category. Tom Mooney is president of House Spirits, and is also wrapping up a year as president of the American Craft Spirits Association. We'll talk with him on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Islay is mourning the passing of Kilchoman Distillery's John MacLellan, legislation to ease some of the restrictions on visitors centers at Kentucky's distilleries is headed for the Governor's desk, and we'll have details on a single malt matured in a cask first used for chili pepper sauce. No, it's not an April Fool's joke!