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Bourbon is booming, and perhaps no distiller is riding the waves of the Bourbon boom more aggressively than Bardstown Bourbon Company. Over its first five years of production, it's expanded to the point where the distillery is now one of the ten largest distilleries in the United States and sought out by potential collaborators of all kinds. Those collaborators range from Hall of Fame distillers to winemakers, entrepreneurs, and musicians - including Brad Paisley's new "American Highway" Bourbon. The distillery's Dan Callaway joins us on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, there's a debate over who should be allowed to enforce standards for Irish Whiskey, while another British diplomat is leaving the world of foreign policy behind to join the Scotch Whisky Association. 

The grain used to make many of today's whiskies isn't always picked for its flavor, but that's not the distiller's fault. Blame the commodity grain system, in which the largest grain customers determine what types of rye, corn, wheat, and barley are most widely planted by farmers. It's the Golden Rule, in which the one with the most gold gets to call the shots...and distillers aren't the ones with the most gold. Because of that, many grain types distillers would love to use are consigned to "heirloom" status or forgotten entirely. That's what happened to Rosen Rye, a strain prized for generations by Pennsylvania distillers that almost disappeared completely - until a small band of mavericks brought it back to life. Earlier this month, a team of craft distillers gathered at George Washington's Distillery at Mount Vernon to make a batch of Rosen Rye, and we'll have that story for you on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, the whisky portfolio for South Africa's Distell Group is being split up in a merger with Hei

Stock car racing got its start when illicit whiskey makers took their souped-up cars to the track after outrunning the police at night, but Tom and Kim Carter Bard have flipped the script on that story. While they still go racing, they're also making whiskey at The Bard Distillery, and if that name sounds familiar, it's because Tom's ancestors founded Bardstown, Kentucky two centuries ago...though the family never made a drop of whiskey until the Bards opened their distillery in Western Kentucky's Muhlenberg County. We'll talk with them on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth as we celebrate the 16th anniversary of whisky's longest-running podcast series!

Much has been written, and done, about the impact of Scotch Whisky production on climate change over the last decade. Much less has been written about the potential impacts of climate change to Scotch Whisky makers, from distillery water sources drying up in periods of drought to reduced crop yields for barley farmers. As world leaders are gathered in Glasgow for the UN's COP26 climate change summit, a new study by University College London researchers looks at those potential impacts. We'll talk with Carole Martin, one of the lead researchers, and Daniel Sherry of Glengoyne and Ian Macleod Distillers, which funded the study. In the news, there's finally an end in sight for the European Union's retaliatory import tariffs on American whiskies following this weekend's G-20 Summit in Rome. Diageo is breaking ground on its first malt whisky distillery in China, and Scotch Whisky industry leaders are looking warily at the UK Government's new plans for taxing whisky and other spirits starting in 2023. We'll have th

Northern California is known for its wines, but distillers have been quietly making excellent whiskies there for many years. Now, Sonoma County's Redwood Empire Distillery is releasing its first bottled in bond whiskies: Grizzly Beast Bourbon and Rocket Top Rye, named for some of California's legendary redwood trees. Distillers Jeff Duckhorn and Lauren Patz join us on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth along with CEO Aaron Webb. In the news, the Heaven Hill strike is over after six weeks, and you'll hear from the union leader who led 420 workers out on strike and back to work starting this week. We'll have the latest whisky news, tasting notes, and another comparison between wine and whisky in our Behind the Label segment.

Independent bottlers buy casks of whisky and sell them under their own labels, and while they're common in Scotland and other parts of the world, independent bottlers are much less common in the United States. Last year, Nora Ganley-Roper and Adam Polonski gave up their day jobs to start Lost Lantern with a goal of bottling some of the best American whiskies available. So far, their whiskies have been a success, and they celebrated their first anniversary with a new release of five different whiskies from distilleries around the U.S. They'll join us on WhiskyCast In-Depth to discuss that early success, the difficulties in establishing an independent bottler, and working together as a couple during the pandemic. In the news, longtime Johnnie Walker master blender Jim Beveridge is retiring at year's end, and his successor will break new ground for the 201-year-old brand. Emma Walker will become the first woman to hold the title in Johnnie Walker's long history. Heaven Hill is hiring replacements for its strikin

Today's Buffalo Trace Distillery started out 164 years ago when Daniel Swigert started making whiskey on the banks of the Kentucky River. His distillery didn't really have a name back then, and the site's had many names over the years as part of its history...one that includes legendary names like Taylor, Stagg, Blanton, and Lee. F. Paul Pacult's latest book, "Buffalo, Barrels, & Bourbon" dives deeply into that history, and he joins us on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, tariff talks between the U.S. and the European Union are coming down to the deadline again, and that has Bourbon makers nervous. Distillers in Ireland are proposing to update the legal standards for Irish Whiskey, and the world's oldest whisky goes on the auction block. 

Springbank's Findlay Ross and Ranald Watson joined us from Campbeltown, Scotland on the latest Happy Hour Live webcast to answer your whisky questions. We also talked about plans for J&A Mitchell's third distillery to be built in Campbeltown, with a goal of having it open in time for Springbank's 200th anniversary in 2028. There are also new environmental initiatives in the works for Springbank and Glengyle distilleries, along with new whiskies and the return of Springbank's popular whisky school in 2022.

Master Blender Sandy Hyslop usually creates his whiskies and lets someone else worry about the packaging, but for the debut of the Royal Salute Couture Collection, he had the challenge of creating a 21-year-old whisky to match designer Richard Quinn's bespoke decanter. We'll discuss that challenge and the craft of whisky blending on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, longtime Laphroaig manager John Campbell is stepping down, while the Heaven Hill strike in Kentucky is now in its third week. We'll have those stories, along with the latest whisky news and a bit of advice: watch out for desk chairs...they can have a mind of their own!

Colby and Ashley Frey own and operate Frey Ranch Farmers + Distillers, a true "grain to glass" farm distillery in Fallon, Nevada. Not only do they grow all of their own grain, but the only thing the Frey family didn't build themselves was the still - a unique combination of column and pot stills custom-built by Vendome. The Freys did have to assemble the still, though...and that's one of the stories they shared on our Happy Hour Live webcast the other night. We're also joined by Aberfeldy's Gareth Howells and actor Beth Behrs, known for her roles on "The Neighborhood" and "Two Broke Girls." They'll tell us about Aberfeldy's #BarrelsAndBees program to protect and expand critically endangered honeybee habitat, along with Beth's own experiences in both whisky and beekeeping.

Bourbon fermenters are bubbling all over the United States because of unprecedented global demand for "America's Native Spirit." September is Bourbon Heritage Month, and there's a sound argument to be made that history will remember this as one of the brightest periods ever for Bourbon. We'll look at the business fueling that growth this week with Steve Beam of Limestone Branch Distillery in Kentucky, Trey Zoeller of Jefferson's Bourbon, and Craig Johnson of Pernod Ricard USA. His colleagues have been among the most active investors in Bourbon over the last five years, including acquiring Jefferson's 18 months ago. In the news, the U.S. will open its borders for whiskey tourism starting in November, while the Heaven Hill strike continues in Kentucky. In our Behind the Label segment, we'll look at two different methods of distilling whiskey...both involve grain, of course, but that's where the similarities end.

Live broadcasting is sort of like walking a tightrope...most of the time, it works. Then, there are those times when one's walking the tightrope while juggling chainsaws, and that's what happened during our #HappyHourLive webcast Friday night at the American Whiskey Convention. While the live video stream was plagued with technical glitches, our audio backup made this episode possible! Thanks to all of our guests who joined us Friday night, as well as those of you who watched the live video stream. 

Distillers like to say they're laying down whiskies for the next generation, but in many cases, it's their next generation who will be bottling those whiskies. That tradition is being passed on now in the Noe and Russell families, as Freddie Noe and Bruce Russell take on more and more responsibilities at the Jim Beam and Wild Turkey distilleries. Freddie is the eighth generation of his branch of the Beam family tree, and will eventually take over for his father Fred Noe as Beam's master distiller. Bruce is the son of Wild Turkey Master Distiller Eddie Russell, who had to work for decades under his father, the legendary Jimmy Russell...who celebrated his 67th anniversary at Wild Turkey this past Friday. We'll catch up with Freddie and Bruce on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, it's Kentucky Bourbon Festival week in Bardstown, but this year's festival is being hit by both Covid-19 and a strike at Heaven Hill that's forced that distillery to pull out of festival events.  We'll have those stories and

Four Roses is releasing its 2021 Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon this month, and Master Distiller Brent Elliott joined us on the latest #HappyHourLive webcast with the details. We're also joined by Darryl McNally. who stepped down as Master Distiller at Ireland's Dublin Liberties Distillery recently to start his own Limavady Irish Whiskey brand and revive his family's distilling heritage in Northern Ireland's County Antrim. Whisky Magazine editor Christopher Coates makes his first appearance on our Friday night webcasts, too. Join us each Friday at 5:00pm New York time for our live webcasts on the WhiskyCast YouTube channel, our Facebook page, Twitter, and Twitch!

On a cold, wintry Scottish day in February of 1940, one of Gordon & MacPhail's Sherry casks was filled with new make spirit at Glenlivet Distillery. That cask lasted through wars, recessions, and a couple of generations of Urquhart family members to become the oldest Scotch Whisky ever bottled: the Gordon & MacPhail Generations Glenlivet 80 Years Old. Stephen Rankin of Gordon & MacPhail joins us on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth to share the story behind this rare whisky...and we'll taste it, too! In the news, global shortages of glass bottles and packaging materials caused by the pandemic are about to result in higher whisky prices, while Diageo has opened its new Johnnie Walker experience in Edinburgh and Beam a new distillery in Kentucky. We'll also look at a unique way to add the character of a wood to whisky when it's impossible to actually make a cask from that wood.

Make sure your battery's charged for this one, since we spent nearly two hours talking the other night with longtime Scotch Whisky and Bourbon ambassdors Steve Beal, David Blackmore, and Ewan Morgan, along with Stranahan's head distiller Owen Martin. We covered everything from Steve's ongoing fight against pancreatic cancer to life on the road and Owen's latest distillery exclusive bottling for Stranahan's. Join us each Friday night for our #HappyHourLive webcast at 5pm New York time on the WhiskyCast YouTube channel, our Facebook page, Twitter, and Twitch.

Paul Hletko opened FEW Spirits in the Chicago suburb of Evanston, Illinois in 2011 as part of the explosion of small-scale distilleries around the United States. He became a leader in the craft distilling movement, and is celebrating FEW's 10th anniversary with the release of a commemorative four-grain Bourbon this week. We'll talk with Paul about balancing the art and commerce of making whisky on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, travel restrictions may be going back into effect that could affect whisky tourism, while the owner of a Kentucky distillery has now agreed to plead guilty to charges in the Operation Varsity Blues case and avoid a trial next month. We'll also have news on a new series of whiskies from The Macallan, and on Behind the Label, we'll explain why some distilleries use "The" in their names. 

If there's one thing that whisky teaches us, it's patience. Australians Vanessa Wilton and David Whittaker have learned that lesson over the last four years since they opened the Manly Spirits Company distillery in the Sydney-area beach resort of Manly. They had planned to release their first single malt whisky late last year, but of course, the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns delayed that plan. The Sydney area is back in lockdown again, but they've decided to go ahead and release that first whisky through a ballot that opens this week. I talked with Vanessa and David during a trip to Australia two years ago, and decided to wait until their first whisky was ready to share the interview with you. In the news, Jack Daniel's is doing something it hasn't done since Jack Daniel himself was alive...release a whiskey with an age statement. We have the details, along with an update on events being affected by the pandemic and the rest of the week's whisky news. 

Brian Nation is best known for his work as Master Distiller at Ireland's Midleton Distillery, and he shocked Irish whiskey lovers when he stepped down nearly a year ago to join the startup O'Shaughnessy Distilling Co. in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Covid kept him from making the move with his family until a couple of weeks ago, so he did much of his work remotely from Ireland with occasional trips to Minnesota. Now, the distillery is complete along with Brian's first batch of Keeper's Heart Irish + American Whiskey, a blend of Irish Single Pot Still and grain whiskies with American Rye whiskey. He joined us from the distillery for our #HappyHourLive webcast the other night, along with J. Rieger & Co. co-founder Ryan Maybee. The Kansas City distillery is releasing its first Bottled in Bond Rye Whiskey this week, and it's the first whiskey legally distilled in Kansas City since the end of Prohibition.