WhiskyCast
The cask-strength podcast on whiskies from around the world, including Scotch, Bourbon, Irish, and Canadian whiskies. Listen for the latest whisky news, interviews, tasting notes, and much more! To find out more about WhiskyCast, visit us at WhiskyCast.com.

Categories

podcasts
general

Archives

2024
March
February
January

2023
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2022
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2021
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2020
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2019
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2018
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2017
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2016
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2015
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2014
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2013
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2012
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2011
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2010
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2009
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2008
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2007
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2006
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2005
December
November

April 2020
S M T W T F S
     
      1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30

Syndication

With tens of thousands of bar and restaurant workers around the world laid off because of mandatory bar and restaurant closings due to the Covid-19 pandemic, some bar owners are resorting to drastic measures to support their teams during the crisis. Bill Thomas of Washington, DC's Jack Rose Dining Saloon and his partners have been selling off the whiskey bar's legendary library of nearly 3,000 bottles - either by the full bottle or single-serving drams - while they evaluate their persona collections to see what makes the cut for the bar's wall when it reopens. We'll talk with Bill on WhiskyCast In-Depth, along with Meredith Meyer Grelli of Pittsburgh's Wigle Whiskey. She's performing the typical small business owner's chainsaw juggling routine of switching from distilling and a tasting room to e-commerce sales while trying to find out why her bank dropped the ball on processing Wigle's paperwork for a federal small business relief program. In the news, the rash of coronavirus-related whisky event cancellations is spreading to Kentucky, where some of this fall's major Bourbon events have already been cancelled while the Kentucky Bourbon Festival's new CEO is hoping to go ahead with Bardstown's big party. Bourbon Street in New Orleans will be quieter this July with the cancellation of Tales of the Cocktail, and in Scotland, police are investigating an attack by hackers that targeted a major online whisky auction this week.

Direct download: WhiskyCast_20200426.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 1:59am EDT

The demand for Japanese whiskies has far outpaced the supply over the last five years, and entrepreneurs are taking advantage of a loophole in Japanese law big enough to sail a tanker ship through - as in a tanker ship full of whisky. There's nothing to stop a clever whisky maker from buying bulk whisky from distillers in other countries and shipping it to Japan, then bottling it as "Japanese Whisky." It's been a common - but not widely discussed - practice among Japan's whisky makers for many years, but with their reputations now on the line, industry and government are discussing how to implement a legal definition for Japanese whiskies. Liam McNulty, who blogs as "Whisky Richard" about Japanese whiskies, broke this story recently and will join us on WhiskyCast In-Depth with an explanation. In the news, we'll have the latest on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on whisky makers, including one who lost out on help from the U.S. government when its bank dropped the ball. 

Direct download: WhiskyCast_20200419.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 12:17am EDT

This is another in our series of special episodes during the coronavirus pandemic to help bring whisky lovers together while staying home, and comes from our live webcast on April 15, 2020. We revived the WhiskyCast Tasting Panel format for this webcast, and our panelists come from the world of IndyCar racing - where there are a number of Bourbon connoisseurs in the paddock. "Off Track with Hinch & Rossi" podcast hosts James Hinchcliffe and Alexander Rossi have had great success on the race track, where Rossi made his mark in history by winning the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 in 2016. Together with their "Off Track" podcast producer Tim Durham, they joined Mark for a tasting of the vintage Ancient Ancient Age 10-year-old, Jim Rutledge's Cream of Kentucky 11.5-year-old, the Elijah Craig 21-year-old single barrel, and a Wyoming Whiskey single barrel bottled especially for the British Columbia provincial liquor stores.

Direct download: WhiskyCast_20200415.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 6:57pm EDT

While we're all raising our glasses to honor the health care workers, first responders, and other essential workers risking their lives during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, Uncle Nearest Tennessee Whiskey founder Fawn Weaver is doing something else to help them. For the last couple of months, she's been spending thousands of dollars to buy much-needed N95 respirator masks on the open market at highly inflated prices - and giving them away to those essential workers around the United States. Shipping those masks has kept all of her workers employed, and she's also hiring new employees that have been laid off by other companies. She'll explain her reasoning on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, major whisky companies are projecting sharp sales declines worldwide because of the pandemic, while more events are being pushed back until later this year or cancelled outright. We'll have the details, and we'll also pay tribute to a longtime friend we lost this week.

Direct download: WhiskyCast_20200412.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 12:25am EDT

Spain's tonelerias supply the Sherry-seasoned casks that help give some whiskies their unique character, but those casks are increasingly in demand by whisky makers worldwide. Rafa Cabello is a second-generation master cooper and the CEO of his family's Toneleria del Sur cooperage in Montilla, Spain - and he's become the go-to supplier in Spain for many American craft distillers. One of his clients is Seattle's Westland Distillery, and we spent some time with Rafa Cabello there during the recent World Whisky Forum. You'll hear our conversation on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, the unions representing many Scotch Whisky workers are fighting attempts to restart production while the UK remains in a COVID-19 lockdown, while the one state that shut down liquor sales during the pandemic is having problems bringing online sales...well, on line. We'll also have the winners of two recent whisky competitions and name this month's Whisky Club of the Month.

Direct download: WhiskyCast_20200405.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 12:09am EDT