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Since so many people are working from home, "self-isolating" or more because of the coronavirus crisis, we've decided to produce some extra content to help you pass the time. Earlier this month during DramFest 2020 in Christchurch, New Zealand, WhiskyCast's Mark Gillespie took part in a panel discussion on "the past and future of whisky" with veteran whisky writer Charles Maclean, Michael Fraser Milne of the Whisky Galore shop in Christchurch, and moderator Dave Broom. Their hour-long discussion is a bit too long for one of our regular episodes, but we thought you might enjoy listening to it on its own. The panel covered everything from the collapse of the Scotch Whisky industry in the early 80's to what the future holds given the combination of a growing craft distilling movement, global politics, and climate change. Thanks to Michael and Stella Fraser Milne of Whisky Galore and DramFest 2020 for helping to make this special episode possible, along with the sound crew at Christchurch Town Hall and the staff

Louise McGuane wants to revive a key part of Irish Whiskey's past, but she keeps wrestling with its present-day form in a bid to change the future of Ireland's whiskey industry. The Chapel Gate Whiskey Co. founder has become one of Irish Whiskey's most outspoken voices in recent years and recently spoke at the World Whisky Forum in Seattle. WhiskyCast is the only place where you'll be able to hear her comments on this St. Patrick's week...a week in which the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic has forced Ireland's legendary pubs to close, along with bars and distillery visitor centers around the world. We'll have the details in this week's news, along with updates on whisky festivals and other events cancelled or postponed by the pandemic. We'll also honor longtime Bruichladdich legend Duncan McGillivray, who passed away this past week.

This week, we're on location at Whisky Galore's DramFest 2020 in Christchurch, New Zealand! They've been making whisky in New Zealand since the first Scottish settlers arrived, but after the country's one remaining distillery closed in the early 90's, New Zealanders had to import almost all of their whisky. That changed a few years ago with the growth of a farm-based distilling industry that's a return to the days when farmers turned their crops into whisky.  We'll take a look at this resurgence on WhiskyCast In-Depth, taste a few local whiskies, and get some perspective from whisky lovers in Your Voice. In our Behind the Label segment, we'll meet a Christchurch businessman with a unique hobby - he's amassed one of the world's largest collections of Jim Beam memorabilia!

If you just needed a whisky-related reason to visit Iceland, we have one for you on this week's episode. Eimverk Distillery grew out of the dreams of two brothers who just wanted to be farmers, but found it was cheaper to import grain for cattle feed than grow it themselves. There was also some whisky involved, as Eimverk production manager Eva Mariá Sigursbjörnsdóttir explains on WhiskyCast In-Depth. There were also some sheep involved in at least part of the process, since one of Eimverk's whiskies is smoked not with peat - but with sheep dung! We'll have tasting notes for it, too. In the news, the coronavirus outbreak could cost Diageo as much as £200 million in profits this year and other whisky makers are preparing for losses of their own. The University of Kentucky is not only building an on-campus distillery in Lexington, but a million-dollar donation this week will fund construction of a new barrel "dormitory" as well. We'll have that story and look at how the mavericks at Brewdog are already ruffling

There's an old saying that "sometimes, you choose the whisky business...and sometimes, it chooses you." That could be said for Victoria Eady-Butler, who retired last year after 31 years in federal law enforcement. As it turns out, the great-great granddaughter of Nathan "Nearest" Green inherited some of her ancestor's talent. She was the first member of the Green family to pick barrels for the Uncle Nearest 1884 Small Batch whiskey last year, and was so good at it that she's started a second career as the master blender for Uncle Nearest. She's also made a place for herself in the history books as the first African-American woman to serve as master blender for an American whiskey brand. In the news, another milestone in whisky collecting has fallen with the first million-dollar bid for a whisky in an online auction. We'll have the details, along with highlights from this week's World Whisky Forum in Seattle, the Distilled Spirits Council's conference in Louisville, and a bunch of ba-a-a-ad puns around Ardbeg'

This week on WhiskyCast, we're sharing a special story of strength. Not the kind of strength one can build in the gym, but the inner strength that comes from within. Una Green is the West Coast brand ambassador for the Dewar's single malts, and a year ago last week, she received the kind of news no one ever wants to hear from a doctor - a diagnosis of breast cancer. That inner strength - and the support from her friends and co-workers - helped her manage the pain of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and all of the side effects. Now cancer-free, she's preparing to return to work after spending this week in Denver for the latest round of Speed Rack's ninth season. Una took part in the national bartending competition for women a couple of years ago, and has made it her goal to help support Speed Rack and its mission of raising money for breast cancer programs. We'll talk with her on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, the Trump Administration is holding firm on single malt Scotch Whisky tariffs for now

World leaders will be in Glasgow later this year for the United Nations COP26 Climate Change Conference, and Scotch Whisky industry leaders plan to be ready. Not with drams, but with plans for a second decade of adapting whisky production to the needs of the changing climate while not ruining the whisky. The Scotch Whisky Association released its first environmental progress plan in 2009, and is now reviewing progress over the last decade with a goal of setting even more ambitious targets for the future. We'll talk with CEO Karen Betts as part of our year-long look at the impact of climate change on whisky around the world. In the news, the coronavirus outbreak in China is starting to have an impact on whisky-related events and travel - and there are fears that it could lead to lower whisky sales in the Asia-Pacific region. Ian Macleod Distillers has unveiled the first new Rosebank single malts since plans to reopen the distillery were announced. We'll have the details and an update on construction at the dis

The whisky industry has become collateral damage in the ongoing trade dispute between the U.S. and the European Union, with tit-for-tat trade tariffs making life miserable for whisky companies on both sides. This week, the Scotch Whisky Association estimated annual lost exports from the U.S. tariff on single malts could reach £100 million, and industry leaders are presenting a united front to demand that politicians on both sides work toward resolving the dispute. We'll have an in-depth report on this week's WhiskyCast, along with the rest of the week's news. We'll also announce  February's Whisky Club of the Month and take a look at why some whiskies can smell like burned matches on Behind the Label. 

Is making whisky an art or a science? In "The Amber Light," filmmaker Adam Park makes the argument that Scotch Whisky is an art as important to Scottish culture as writing, music, and other creative endeavours. Park worked in collaboration with veteran whisky writer Dave Broom, who stars in the film and wrote the screenplay. He joined us for this week's WhiskyCast from Santa Barbara, California, where "The Amber Light" had its North American premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. In the news, no new tariffs this week - but the aftermath of Brexit later this week could create even more concerns for whisky lovers. For Australian whisky makers, fires and drought remain very real concerns that make politics look minor - and Aussie distillers are teaming up to help rural communities affected by that country's devastating bush fires. We'll have details on the upcoming Aussie Spirit Auction and how you can take part. “The Amber Light” Brings Scotch Whisky to the Big Screen”

This week, we're in Victoria, British Columbia for one of the world's best whisky festivals, the 15th annual Victoria Whisky Festival! This year's event also included the 10th anniversary of the Canadian Whisky Awards, and we'll hear from some of the top winners along with other highlights from Victoria on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, whisky industry leaders from Scotland and the U.S. spent much of the week in Washington trying to persuade Trump Administration officials to ease off on a trade tariff targeting whisky imports from Scotland and Northern Ireland. We're already starting to see some of the initial impact from the tariff on Scotch Whisky producers, with word that some smaller companies may be pulling out of one of the world's largest export markets because of the trade dispute between the U.S. and the European Union. That's just one of the stories we'll bring you on this special episode of WhiskyCast from the Victoria Whisky Festival.

Over the course of this year, we'll be looking at the many ways climate change could affect whisky makers - and whisky lovers. Since whisky always starts with the grain, that's where we'll start - and grain farmers are clearly seeing the impact of climate change. So-called "100-year floods" are now an annual occurrence for farmers in the U.S. Midwest's grain belt along the rivers that flow into the Mississippi River, which is already approaching flood stage from Missouri to Louisiana this week. We'll talk with Dr. Chad Lee of the University of Kentucky's College of Agriculture, who's tracking crop and climate change issues affecting whisky makers and the world at large. In the news, this could be a pivotal week for whisky makers hoping to avoid an escalation in the trade dispute between the U.S. and the European Union. We'll have that story, along with details on the first new whiskies of 2020 and much more. 

The last decade was one of progress for women in the whisky industry, with more women than ever working as distillers and blenders. The real change is that women distillers are rarely viewed as a novelty now compared to the past, and we'll hear from three of them this week. Recently retired Michter's master distiller Pam Heilmann, Jeptha Creed's Joyce Nethery, and Widow Jane's Lisa Wicker were panelists at a recent Bourbon Salon discussion with Bourbon Hall of Fame historian Michael Veach at Louisville's Oxmoor Farm, and we'll have part of their conversation on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, local officials have given the green light to Diageo's plans for reviving the Port Ellen Distillery, while the backers of another proposed Islay distillery went back to the drawing board to overcome local objections to their project.

There was no Australian Whisky industry to speak of in 1992 when Bill Lark persuaded the government to give him a license to distill whisky in Hobart, Tasmania. Today, Australian whiskies are found around the world, and Bill Lark has become revered as the "Godfather of Australian Whisky." While he's retired from making whisky himself, he still works with distillers in Tasmania and on the Australian mainland, and he'll join us on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Kentucky Bourbon has lost one of its leaders with the death Christmas night of Four Roses veteran Al Young, and we'll remember his legacy on this week's episode. We'll also have details on the fine levied against Beam Suntory by Kentucky regulators for environmental damage from last July's warehouse fire and a look at the top whisky stories of the year on this final episode for 2019. 

Dhavall Gandhi could have been a highly sought after mergers and acquisitions expert, but he set that potentially lucrative career aside to pursue his passion for making whisky. After a stint at The Macallan, he's now in charge of production and blending at The Lakes Distillery in northwestern England. The distillery celebrated its fifth anniversary this month, and both of Gandhi's two new "Whiskymaker's Reserve" single malts released this autumn are nearly sold out. We'll find out how his career path took him from India to the United States, Scotland, and England on WhiskyCast In-Depth - and have tasting notes for one of his new whiskies. In the news, U.S. distillers are breathing easier after Congress and the Trump Administration approved a one-year extension of a federal excise tax break that has kept many small-scale distillers in business, while industry leaders are gearing up to fight a potential expansion of U.S. tariffs on imported whiskies. We'll also have some of your holiday whisky wishes, too!

Holyrood Distillery became Edinburgh's first malt whisky distillery in nearly a century when it fired up the stills for the first time last September, but to trace its origins, you'd have to travel more than 4,000 miles across seven time zones to Calgary, Alberta. That's where Holyrood co-founder Rob Carpenter makes his home, and where he and his wife Kelly run the Canadian chapter of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. Rob Carpenter's spending most of his time in Scotland these days, and that's where we caught up with him for this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, a tentative budget agreement in Washington means no government shutdown for federal liquor regulators, while another agreement could lead to the end of China's tariffs on American whiskies. That's 2 out of 3 for the industry, but in this case, 2 out of 3 could lead to a worst-case scenario for many small-scale distillers unless Congress can agree this week to extend their federal excise tax cut.

Nicole Austin can be excused for walking on Cloud 9 the other night at Whisky Advocate's WhiskyFest in New York City. The George Dickel master distiller had just received the magazine's Whiskey of the Year award for her George Dickel Bottled in Bond Tennessee Whiskey the day before. We'll have her reaction and other highlights from the evening on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, the threat of U.S. tariffs on more European whiskies is back. Trump Administration officials are looking at raising the tariffs already in effect on single malts from Scotland and Northern Ireland, while Congress has less than a month to extend the tax break small-scale distillers have been pushing for over the last two years. 

There's an old saying that "form follows function." It's the idea that a building's design should fit its intended purpose, and over the years, that's been the way whisky distilleries were designed by architects like Charles Doig - who developed the pagoda-like chimney vents that are a sure clue you're looking at a distillery in the distance. There's a boom in distillery construction around Scotland, and architects are taking cues from the past while designing contemporary distilleries that could be around for the next 100 years or longer. Gareth Roberts is one of those architects, with credits that include Ardnamurchan, Lindores Abbey, and Dartmoor distilleries. We'll talk with him on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, we'll have the details on this year's International Wine and Spirit Competition-winning whiskies, along with the rest of the week's whisky news. We'll also share some of the things you're most thankful for during the holidays and answer some of your whisky questions on Behind the Label.

This week, we're in Fredericton, New Brunswick for the 24th annual New Brunswick Spirits Festival! We'll talk with one of the leading lights in Canadian Whisky, Canadian Club's Tish Harcus, on WhiskyCast In-Depth. She's in her 32nd year at Canadian Club, and plays multiple roles for the brand from serving as its global ambassador to maintaining 161 years of CC archives and helping lead new product development. For instance, the new Chronicles 42-year-old whisky and the entire Chronicles series came from her insistence on finding a special home for some vintage barrels instead of just blending them away. She's also one of the founders of Women Who Whiskey, and has been a role model and mentor for many of her colleagues industry-wide. In the news, a short-term spending agreement in Washington this week headed off a government shutdown that could have caused problems for whisky makers, while there's still no progress on extending a federal excise tax break for small-scale distillers that expires at midnight on N

Scotch whisky history was built on the backs of farmers who worked their fields three seasons of the year and spent the winters turning their grain into whisky. While distilling is a full-time job today for most distillers, Francis Cuthbert does things the old way at Daftmill Distillery in Fife. He and his brother Ian opened the distillery at the family's Daftmill Farm in December of 2005, but Francis is a full-time farmer and only makes whisky when time allows. They waited 12 years before giving the world a taste of the single malt whisky distilled from their own farm's barley, and have received rave reviews so far. Now, Daftmill's single malt is coming to the U.S., and we'll talk with Francis Cuthbert on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. We'll also have details on a lawsuit over the word "Magnus," the week's tasting notes, and on Behind the Label, the back story behind an antique still at George Washington's Distillery that dates back to Washington's time!

  15 years ago, two Indian entrepreneurs took a few bottles of their single malt whisky to Glasgow, just to see if it would stand up to blind tastings by Scotch Whisky lovers. Rick Jagdale and Ashok Chokalingam survived those initial taste tests, and today, Amrut single malt whiskies can be found all over the world. Now, they're in charge of Amrut's future...Rick Jagdale as managing director and Ashok Chokalingam as the distillery manager. We'll talk with Ashok on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth, and we'll also have highlights from this weekend's George Washington Whisky Festival at Virginia's Mount Vernon - where most of this episode was recorded. In the news, whisky and politics are still intertwined as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson pleaded with U.S. President Donald Trump to remove the new 25% import tariff on single malt whiskies from Scotland and Northern Ireland. We're also celebrating WhiskyCast's 14th anniversary this week as Mark gets the tables turned on him!