"Whisky is for everyone," declares Kristiane Westray, whisky writer, educator and judge. Her book Savour: A guide to tasting and exploring whiskies of the world, published by Bloomsbury, is out next month.But, Kristiane continues, there's still a misogyny around whisky. "I want to invite people into the whisky industry, but I do sometimes worry that I'm inviting people - particularly under-represented groups - into a space that might not be entirely safe for them.""I think everywhere there's misogyny," she tells John in this episode. "I think in male dominated industries especially there's misogyny. And I think in whisky, you have that, but you also have the layer of alcohol on top of it, which unfortunately, and it shouldn't do, can mean that filters come off or people behave in ways that they shouldn't because they are drunk or feel enabled in some other way".As a 37-year-old, openly gay woman, Kristiane says she has "a much easier time of it of late. But," she continues, "younger women in the industry who are maybe brand ambassadors, who are on the front line of events, or other writers will tell me stories of being harassed, being groped and all of this stuff, and I'm like 'No. We need to as an industry collectively work much harder at this.""It's horrible to say," Kristiane adds, "because I want to invite more women in and more non-binary people, more people from different ethnicities, more working class people..."That's why she's an advocate of "safe space whisky places" and greater diversity in the industry.But how did Kristiane get into the industry?"I was writing for a travel and retail magazine and I wanted to be a fashion and beauty journailst.That was the dream. And I remember my editor saying, 'You've got to go off to Sweden to cover the the Viking Line Whisky Fair.'"I was 24 and I was like, 'I don't like whisky. It's going to be full of drunk men' (which it was), but I had to go... and I tasted whisky for the first time and I fell in love with it."In this episode Kristiane tells John about her whisky journey. They discuss the different marketing strategies adopted by Johnnie Walker with Sabrina Carpenter and Glenmorangie with Harrison Ford; how you can improve your olfactory skills to appreciate whisky better; and how enjoying whisky is a "mix of art, science and storytelling."So pour yourself a dram - as it comes, or with ice or with water, or - as Kristiane recommends - ginger ale or soda or any other mixer - and tune in. After all, whisky is for everyone!Slàinte!-------Socials:@C2GWhisky@JohnRossBeattie Creator & producer: David HolmesArt work & design: Jess Robertson Music: Water of Life (Never Going Home)Vocals: Andrea CunninghamGuitars: John BeattieBass: Alasdair VannDrums: Alan HamiltonBagpipes: Calum McCollAccordion: Gary InnesMusic & Lyrics: Andrea Cunningham & John BeattieRecorded & mixed by Murray Collier at La Chunky Studios, Glasgow, ScotlandSpecial thanks: The Piper Whisky Bar, 57 Cochrane Street, Glasgow, Scotland Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Could Scotch whisky be exempted from US tariffs?In this episode, after his whirlwind visit last week to meet US President Donald J Trump at the White House, Scotland's First Minister John Swinney joins John Beattie to discuss the prospects of a deal on US tariffs on Scotch whisky.Ten percent US tariffs are costing the Scotch whisky industry £4 million a week, Mr Swinney says.But Scotland, he adds, imports $300 million worth of Kentucky bourbon barrels every year. And tariffs are having an impact on that trade too."I'd also had the fortunate position to meet with one of the cask producers in Kentucky before I met Mr Trump," Mr Swinney explains. "And he was telling me that he was already having orders cancelled from Scottish distilleries. So the real life effect of the tariffs is having an effect in America already."It's a story that's been picked up by The New York Times, which reported on 15 September 2025 that "if 10 percent tariffs persist, the United States will lose 3,300 jobs and the US hospitality industry would lose $300 million according to the Distilled Spirits Council [of the United States]."One of the Scottish distilleries The Times mentioned was Kilchoman Distillery on Islay (featured in Episode 8), which imports 60 percent of its barrels from Kentucky.So a deal, Mr Swinney says, would be "a win-win": "It's also not a deal that causes any other collateral implications because Scotch whisky can only be produced in Scotland. Kentucky bourbon can only be produced in Kentucky. So there's no transfer of trade that can be involved. But there is an economic benefit for both sides of the pond if we get this right."But what was it like pitching a proposal to the most powerful man on the planet in the most well-known office in the world?"I had to know my onions about my proposal because he was questioning me. It was a questioning experience."But in essence, Mr Swinney says, "I was saying, 'Here's a deal which will benefit the Scotch whisky industry, yes, but it'll also benefit the distilling industry in the United States'."So will there be a deal?"I think there's an attractive proposition there. The question is, will we pull it off? And well, we'll get an answer to that in due course."Slàinte!-------Socials:@C2GWhisky@JohnRossBeattie Creator & producer: David HolmesArt work & design: Jess Robertson Music: Water of Life (Never Going Home)Vocals: Andrea CunninghamGuitars: John BeattieBass: Alasdair VannDrums: Alan HamiltonBagpipes: Calum McCollAccordion: Gary InnesMusic & Lyrics: Andrea Cunningham & John BeattieRecorded & mixed by Murray Collier at La Chunky Studios, Glasgow, ScotlandSpecial thanks: The Piper Whisky Bar, 57 Cochrane Street, Glasgow, Scotland Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How much whisky is stored in warehouses across Scotland?"Nobody really knows," says Martin Purvis of Commercial Spirits Intelligence. He tried to find out from HMRC - the UK's revenue and customs office. But they wouldn't tell him; not even when he used freedom of information legislation to get an answer.But he fears there's too much stock in too many barrels in too many warehouses: "I joined the trade 20 odd years ago," he says, "and in that time all I've seen is warehouse building."It's not just a Scottish problem. Whisky or whiskey, it doesn't matter. "Everywhere is struggling," Martn says."For most brown spirits that are matured in barrels for a period of time, the biggest challenge right now is that there's too much maturing inventory versus current sales," he tells John Beattie in this episode of Cask to Glass.Martin and his colleague Duncan MacFadzean analyse the whisky industry. They study HMRC records. And his conclusion?"Malt whisky has really had a hard time of over the last couple of years. It's 40 percent off the top in terms of volume. And it's 12 percentage down over six months in year-on-year versus last year.""There's a lot of competition and drinkers are less loyal," he continues. "The trade has really done a good job of premiumisation - certainly single malt.""But," he adds, "it's still expensive. Ten years ago I would have been drinking the odd bottle of 18 year old single malt. These days I'd probably be given a row if I came home with a bottle of 18 year old single malt given the price point it's at."But he remains optimistic, concluding: "Good product well positioned and well priced with a good liquid will do well."Still he suggests, the industry needs a "reset".Join John and Martin as they discuss the state of the industry; the challenges it faces; the role of casks; and how Martin tries to reduce the Angels' Share..."I live down the road from a complex which has got probably 10 million barrels. The amount of evaporation that is taking place from that location is really high. If you reduce that by one percent it's a huge number. So incredible commercial value here."Tune in as Martin tries to predict the future of whisky.Slàinte!-------Socials:@C2GWhisky@JohnRossBeattie Creator & producer: David HolmesArt work & design: Jess Robertson Music: Water of Life (Never Going Home)Vocals: Andrea CunninghamGuitars: John BeattieBass: Alasdair VannDrums: Alan HamiltonBagpipes: Calum McCollAccordion: Gary InnesMusic & Lyrics: Andrea Cunningham & John BeattieRecorded & mixed by Murray Collier at La Chunky Studios, Glasgow, ScotlandSpecial thanks: The Piper Whisky Bar, 57 Cochrane Street, Glasgow, Scotland Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
"You'll know the game, John," admits Stephen Woodcock, head of Whisky Creation and Stocks for Glen Turner, makers of Glen Moray, Cutty Sark and many other fine whiskies and spirits. "You want to play slightly offside..."Slightly offside?Perhaps Stephen shouldn't be telling John this. But it's too late now. And besides what's done is done."We kind of brand ourselves as cask explorers," Stephen explains. "We're not feart to give something a go."It's Stephen's job to explore and innovate, and try to create something new out of something traditional and simple: "I'm very lucky because I've got the freedom to do that."But there's a downside, he continues: "We've been in trouble with the SWA a couple of times."Trouble for what?Trying to produce whisky in Champagne casks, cider casks and even maple syrup casks.Why would that upset the Scotch Whisky Association, which regulates what is and isn't Scotch whisky?Well for starters, Stephen confesses, "You don't actually get a Champagne cask. You only get white wine. It's not Champagne until you put it in a bottle and add yeast. So, into trouble for that. And cider isn't traditionally aged in oak barrels. So we got into trouble with the SWA for that. But we won't do it again."And maple syrup casks?"It wasn't whisky... It's a spirit drink. It doesn't say whisky on the bottle, I need to be clear about that... But the spirit was absolutely sublime. You almost get a kind of smoky bacon note to that. The whole piece was to have an American breakfast in a dram glass."Innovation aside, Stephen's job is to think 30 years ahead, and as he explains to John, work out how to get there.So join John, Stephen (and Stephen's dog Ron), as Stephen reveals how he and Glen Turner make something magical out of what is basically just water, cereal and a fungus, matured in very special wood.Slàinte!-------Socials:@C2GWhisky@JohnRossBeattie Creator & producer: David HolmesArt work & design: Jess Robertson Music: Water of Life (Never Going Home)Vocals: Andrea CunninghamGuitars: John BeattieBass: Alasdair VannDrums: Alan HamiltonBagpipes: Calum McCollAccordion: Gary InnesMusic & Lyrics: Andrea Cunningham & John BeattieRecorded & mixed by Murray Collier at La Chunky Studios, Glasgow, ScotlandSpecial thanks: The Piper Whisky Bar, 57 Cochrane Street, Glasgow, Scotland Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
When you think of whisky - Scotch whisky - where do you think of?Islay? Campbeltown? Speyside? Or, if you want to be more specific, Dufftown? Or Aberlour?But what about Glasgow?It's the largest city in Scotland. It's still the country's industrial heartland. So why not the capital of whisky too?Far-fetched as that may seem, Neill Murphy - who blogs about whisky as A Scot on Scotch - believes there's a barley grain of truth in the idea. "Glasgow," he says, "should be better thought of, really... We have a lot of whisky history in this city that's been forgotten about by most people. I myself included. I'm constantly researching and finding new things I didn't know about."The first Glasgow distillery - "that we know of" - he says, was founded in 1770. "And between then and 1903, there were something like 27 distilleries operating in the city of Glasgow."There was the Adelphi Distillery, Yoker Distillery and Dundas Hill, "which was up on the banks of the Forth and Clyde Canal." (In 1887, Alfred Barnard reported that Port Dundas produced "no less than 2,562,000 gallons" of whisky a year and generated £430,000 in duties. That's equivalent to £72 million in today's money.)"There's just so many," Neill continues. "And that's before you even take into account all the blenders and things. We had Teacher & Sons and Mackie & Co. So the Teacher's Highland Cream was a blend that came from Glasgow. The White Horse Blend came from Glasgow. There's so much history there. And, as I say, even the people of Glasgow have forgotten most of it."So, in November 2024, Neill and his business partner John McGuire, started Scottish Rogue, to put Glasgow "back on the whisky map." They provides distillery tours, whisky tastings and whisky bar walking tours around the city. They do, however, stretch the outskirts of Glasgow to include the Deanston Distillery in Perthshire. "But," Neill says, "it's only about maybe 45 minutes, 50 minutes away. And I think it's a bit of a hidden gem really."But, Neill insists, there are two great genuine Glasgow distilleries worth exploring: Clydeside Distillery on the River Clyde and The Glasgow Distillery in Hillington.Tune in as Neill tells John about his love of whisky, which was sparked at a Highland funeral (where else?) and his thoughts on the state of the industry.Slàinte!-------Socials:@C2GWhisky@JohnRossBeattie Creator & producer: David HolmesArt work & design: Jess Robertson Music: Water of Life (Never Going Home)Vocals: Andrea CunninghamGuitars: John BeattieBass: Alasdair VannDrums: Alan HamiltonBagpipes: Calum McCollAccordion: Gary InnesMusic & Lyrics: Andrea Cunningham & John BeattieRecorded & mixed by Murray Collier at La Chunky Studios, Glasgow, ScotlandSpecial thanks: The Piper Whisky Bar, 57 Cochrane Street, Glasgow, Scotland Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Kenny and Viktorija Macdonald like the word "mòr", Scots Gaelic for "big".Growing up, Kenny was known as Coinneach Mòr ("Big Kenny"). He and Viktorija met in the Glasgow pub Òran Mór ("big song") over a dram of Dalmore ("big meadow")."That whisky has a lot to answer for," Viktorija jokes...After they'd hitched up, they decided to start a whisky company called Dràm Mòr: Big Dram.Iniatially they acted as agents for other whisky producers, utilising Viktorija's contacts in her native Lithuania to export uisge beatha to the Baltic states and Ukraine, before expanding elsewhere into Europe.But before all that - and Viktorija - Kenny had "many different hats". And two jobs. He was a meat inspector for the Food Standards Agency and a nightclub bouncer for 27 years, where he says, "I have seen every form of stupidity the human race has to throw at me."So how did they get into the whisky industry?"It was Viktorija's fault," Kenny insists. "Let's be perfectly clear about that. So I came home from work one night and Viktorija said to me: 'Why do you do what you do? You obviously hate it'.""Well of course I hate it," Kenny says he replied. "It's my job." But, he continues, "Viktorija said, 'Some folk really enjoy what they do.' And you know, to my utter shame, I laughed at her."But Viktorija, Kenny says, persisted: "What would you love to do?"And then it dawned on him: "I love whisky."That's when they decided to start Dràm Mòr. And they eventually went from agents to independent bottlers.But how did they get there?In this episode Kenny and Viktorija tell John about their whisky journey; how they started Dràm Mòr; the markets they trade in; their thoughts on the current state of the whisky industry; and how they believe people in Ukraine and the countries neighbouring Russia - like the Lithuania and the other Baltic states - are, as Viktorija puts it, "drinking more of the good stuff because they don't know how long they're going to live."People in Ukraine, Viktorija tells John, are "living between hope and hell. Literally."Theirs is a sobering tale about the universality of hope over fear; and the simple pleasure that can be found, even in the worst of times, from a simple dram.So raise your glass to life, hope and fortitude. If you know your history, it's what Scotch whisky has always stood for.Slàinte!-------Socials:@C2GWhisky@JohnRossBeattie Creator & producer: David HolmesArt work & design: Jess Robertson Music: Water of Life (Never Going Home)Vocals: Andrea CunninghamGuitars: John BeattieBass: Alasdair VannDrums: Alan HamiltonBagpipes: Calum McCollAccordion: Gary InnesMusic & Lyrics: Andrea Cunningham & John BeattieRecorded & mixed by Murray Collier at La Chunky Studios, Glasgow, ScotlandSpecial thanks: The Piper Whisky Bar, 57 Cochrane Street, Glasgow, ScotlandFollow The Piper on Facebook to keep up to date about tastings and other events Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Three weeks ago, US President Donald Trump came to Scotland on a private visit. During the trip he met Scottish First Minister John Swinney at his golf course in Aberdeenshire, where the two men discussed trade, tariffs and whisky.In an exclusive interview for 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀, Mr Swinney reveals details from those discussions as well as his own affection for whisky, especially Aberfeldy and Glenmorangie.Of his talks with Mr Trump, Mr Swinney says; "I was making the pitch for the Scotch whisky industry and for Scotch whisky to be exempt from tariffs." Adding that he told Mr Trump the United States would also benefit if Scotch was exempted from tariffs because Scotland imports $300 million worth of bourbon barrels every year from the United States.And Mr Swinney says he reminded Mr Trump that Scotch whisky is like Kentucky bourbon: "Where Kentucky bourbon can only be produced in Kentucky, Scotch whisky can only be produced in Scotland."So does he think Mr Trump might now exempt Scotch whisky from the current 10% tariff which, according to the Scotch Whisky Association, is costing the industry £4 million a week?"I think President Trump has this on his radar now. I don't think he had it on his radar before he came to Scotland. I think he came to Scotland thinking that the US-UK trade deal was all concluded and that that was it."As well as telling John about his discussions with Mr Trump, Mr Swinney reveals that he gave Mr Trump a framed copy of the handwritten entry in a ledger from the parish of Tong on the Isle of Lewis recording the marriage of the President's great grandparents in 1853, along with "an extract from the 1921 census from Stornoway which includes, of course, for the first time in the census record, his mother, Mary MacLeod, at the age of nine."Aside from telling John about his meeting with Mr Trump, and discussing the significance of whisky to both Scottish identity and the Scottish economy, Mr Swinney, who doesn't drink "an awful lot of alcohol nowadays", admits he does have one or two particular whisky favourites: "I'm very fond of Aberfeldy whisky from my own constituency in North Perthshire. Also, I suppose habitually, I've probably been very fond of Glenmorangie. And that's been very special to me."So tune in for the whole interview.Slàinte!-------Socials:@C2GWhisky@JohnRossBeattie Creator & producer: David HolmesArt work & design: Jess Robertson Music: Water of Life (Never Going Home)Vocals: Andrea CunninghamGuitars: John BeattieBass: Alasdair VannDrums: Alan HamiltonBagpipes: Calum McCollAccordion: Gary InnesMusic & Lyrics: Andrea Cunningham & John BeattieRecorded & mixed by Murray Collier at La Chunky Studios, Glasgow, ScotlandSpecial thanks: The Piper Whisky Bar, 57 Cochrane Street, Glasgow, ScotlandFollow The Piper on Facebook to keep up to date about tastings and other events Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
"Ooh! Ooh! Ooh!"Remember Episode 14, when master blender Max McFarlane gave John what he calls "an off note whisky"?"Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Max!"It took John a while to the find words to describe what he was tasting. But he finally got there: "It tastes like... poison!"Well that was an extreme example. But what else can go wrong with whisky? And how can you spot a bad whisky on the nose before it gets anywhere near your tongue?In this episode, Max gives John a masterclass in how to spot bad whisky aromas with the aid of a few random samples from the Aroma Academy's Faults Aroma Training Kit. The kit's designed to help people develop "aroma recogntion skills". And, Max says, even master blenders do this kind of training.So stand by for descriptions like "solvent", "black tea with a peated note", "nail varnish", "your granny's old cupboard", and John's particular favourite "cheesy vomit"."You may not find all of them in a whisky," Max says, "but you're training your nose."And as an additional bonus, do you always have to spend £50 or £60 on a nice whisky?Producer Holmsey stopped by his local Lidl on the way to this recording and picked up two whiskies for under £20.So tune in to find out how John and Max get on at nosing artificially manufactured unpleasant aromas, and to get Max's verdict on Lidl's Glen Orchy 5 Year Old Blended Malt Whisky and its Balmuir 3 Year Blended Scotch Whisky.Which one do you think "wants to holiday in your palate", as Max puts it?Slàinte!-------Socials:@C2GWhisky@JohnRossBeattie Creator & producer: David HolmesArt work & design: Jess Robertson Music: Water of Life (Never Going Home)Vocals: Andrea CunninghamGuitars: John BeattieBass: Alasdair VannDrums: Alan HamiltonBagpipes: Calum McCollAccordion: Gary InnesMusic & Lyrics: Andrea Cunningham & John BeattieRecorded & mixed by Murray Collier at La Chunky Studios, Glasgow, ScotlandSpecial thanks: The Piper Whisky Bar, 57 Cochrane Street, Glasgow, ScotlandFollow The Piper on Facebook to keep up to date about tastings and other events Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In 1887, when Alfred Barnard published his seminal guide to the The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom, he catalogued 129 Scottish distilleries, 28 Irish ditstilleries and four English distilleries.There were no Welsh distilleries.And yet, says Sean Williams host of the Wisgi Wales Podcast and founder of Wales Whisky Fest and the Welsh Whisky Society, "distilling can allegedly trace its roots to Wales; to north wales; to a little place called Bardsey Island, where the monks - you know, in myth - distilled a distilate which was pretty much aqua vitae or new make spirit."That was in the fourth century AD."So it's been in our culture a long time," Sean adds, even if "we're a nation of beer drinkers historically."And aside from a distillery started in the late 19h century and closed in early 20th century, Sean says, it wasn't until the establishment of Penderyn Distillery in the 1990s that the Welsh whisky industry began to take shape.Today there are seven distilleries in Wales with "more in the pipeline." And Welsh whisky, or Whisgi Cymreig, now has its own GI or geographical indicator status.In this episode, Sean chats to John about the origins of the whisky industry in Wales; some of the distilleries leading the way; what makes Welsh whisky different from other whiskies; the widespread use of wine casks. And he introduces John to three different Welsh whiskies:Aber Falls Maderia cask - 47%Penderyn Copperopolis sweet red wine cask - 46% ABVAnglesey Môn Bourbon cask - 40%"If you've tried Welsh whisky, they're not seven of the same type. It is very varied and not one is like the other," Sean explains.But he continues, "They've all got a story to tell. From the stills to the people, they're completely different through Wales."Slàinte!-------Socials:@C2GWhisky@JohnRossBeattie Creator & producer: David HolmesArt work & design: Jess Robertson Music: Water of Life (Never Going Home)Vocals: Andrea CunninghamGuitars: John BeattieBass: Alasdair VannDrums: Alan HamiltonBagpipes: Calum McCollAccordion: Gary InnesMusic & Lyrics: Andrea Cunningham & John BeattieRecorded & mixed by Murray Collier at La Chunky Studios, Glasgow, ScotlandSpecial thanks: The Piper Whisky Bar, 57 Cochrane Street, Glasgow, ScotlandFollow The Piper on Facebook to keep up to date about tastings and other events Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Golf and whisky. Two of Scotland's great exports.They've gone around the world. Now the world rounds on Scotland to experience them both.And Hamish Malcolm brings them together..Aka The Dram Caddy, Hamish combines his role as a golf caddy with that as a whisky guide, providing whisky tastings to golfing tourists. Usually matching five drams to five courses from Dornorch in the north to St Andrews in the east.But nothing obvious. So no Macallans."I'm looking maybe for the dram less travelled. Some of the more underdog group brands. Because there's no point giving the visitors what they can get back home or in Duty Free," Hamish saysBy his own admission Hamish is "a bit of a late developer into whisky."For 38 years he worked in banking. But he gave it up and became a caddy at Castle Stuart, a golf course east of Inverness on the Moray Firth, and for three days a week a sales assistant at the Highland Whisky Shop in Inverness."After a few weeks, I stumbled upon maybe I could be quite good at doing the tastings." So he put two and two together - golf and whisky - and started The Dram Caddy."I'll never get tired of seeing people either taste whisky for the first time," Hamish says, "or taste peated whisky for the first time."Join John as he chats to Hamish about his new career, the whiskies he loves, and how he connects whisky and golf for overseas tourists.Slàinte!-------Socials:@C2GWhisky@JohnRossBeattie Creator & producer: David HolmesArt work & design: Jess Robertson Music: Water of Life (Never Going Home)Vocals: Andrea CunninghamGuitars: John BeattieBass: Alasdair VannDrums: Alan HamiltonBagpipes: Calum McCollAccordion: Gary InnesMusic & Lyrics: Andrea Cunningham & John BeattieRecorded & mixed by Murray Collier at La Chunky Studios, Glasgow, ScotlandSpecial thanks: The Piper Whisky Bar, 57 Cochrane Street, Glasgow, ScotlandFollow The Piper on Facebook to keep up to date about tastings and other events Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
"It's an extraordinary time in whisky's history," says Dave Bloom author of The World Atlas of Whisky; now in its 3rd edition but completely rewritten.Over 500 distilleries profiled; 480 whiskies sampled. No wonder Dave jokes: "I didn't have grey hair when I started."But why extraordinary?"Because there's never been such a period in whisky's history where so much has been made in so many different styles in so many different countries," he tells John. "If you think back to whisky's recent history, the last 100 years or so, essentially it's been dominated by Scotch and was dominated until very recently by Scotch blends.""So the world of whisky essentially belonged to Scotch. And now you have, I would say pretty much every country in the world where distillation is legal, making whisky.""There's probably too much whisky getting made," he continues. "But if you are a whisky lover, you have never had so much choice."But all that whisky presents problems for the industry, and Dave cautions, "There will be casualities."Like in Ireland, where the Waterford Distillery collapsed earlier this year."It's this perfect storm, " he explains. "You have low consumer confidence. You have political issues. You've got war. You have a generational shift that's taking place."Still it's happened before; "essentially every 20 years or so." But while Dave says there's "no magic bullet", he remains optimistic: "Whisky is resilient and whisky always has got out of these problems. And it will take some clever strategies, but it will get out of it."Sure young people aren't drinking traditional drams. And they're drinking less. But they are drinking highballs and whisky cocktails. Dave's seen it in his own local whisky bar, Cut Your Wolf Loose in Brighton.So while he admits he "might have been coming over as some sort of doommonger" in this episode, "there's a lot of positives out there," he insists.And a lot of innovation too. Who'd have thought there would one be at least two whisky distilleries in the Arctic circle or subtropical whiskies from India, China and Taiwan?That's "the joy of whisky", he concludes. "There is always something new coming through the door. And that keeps you alive and that keeps you interested and that keeps the energy going."So raise a dram, straight, iced, diluted or mixed, to "Scothland". Slàinte!-------Socials:@C2GWhisky@JohnRossBeattie Creator & producer: David HolmesArt work & design: Jess Robertson Music: Water of Life (Never Going Home)Vocals: Andrea CunninghamGuitars: John BeattieBass: Alasdair VannDrums: Alan HamiltonBagpipes: Calum McCollAccordion: Gary InnesMusic & Lyrics: Andrea Cunningham & John BeattieRecorded & mixed by Murray Collier at La Chunky Studios, Glasgow, ScotlandSpecial thanks: The Piper Whisky Bar, 57 Cochrane Street, Glasgow, ScotlandFollow The Piper on Facebook to keep up to date about tastings and other events Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
"I didn't set Nc'Nean up to appeal to women," admits Annabel Thomas, founder of Nc'Nean Distillery, "but you know, I think maybe because my story ends up being told, because we have equal parts men and women working at the company, we do get probably more attention from women than maybe other brands.""That being said," she continues, "more than half of our consumers are still men, which reflects the reality of the whisky industry today."And while Annabel insists "there's no logical reason" why women shouldn't drink or work in whisky, she's quick to point out there's a lot of "rebalancing to be done"; even "if you look at the industry and who the blenders are in some of the biggest and the smallest companies, [and you see] they're often women."Women like Diageo's Emma Walker, Master Blender for Johnnie Walker.Still when Annabel began her Nc'Nean journey in 2012, she "didn't want make a whisky that was traditional and like all the others.""I wanted to make a whisky," she says "that did something different and attracted a new crowd and could tell a different story." Most importantly she wanted to make a sustainable whisky, that's 100% organic: "Part of our mission, aside from making delicious whisky, is too do good for people and the planet."So Annabel built Nc'Nean on a parcel of land on the Morvern Peninsula overlooking the Isle of Mull on the west coast of Scotland.By her own admission, "It's very remote". Incredibly beautiful, but remote: after travelling north for two and half hours from Glasgow, past Loch Lomond and through Glencoe, almost as far as Fort William, "you take the little Corran ferry across the Corran Narrows."You're greeted with a double track road to begin with," Annabel continues, "but very shortly that turns into a single track road. And you drive for about an hour on a single track road up to the tip of the Morven Peninsula. And then the road runs out and you drive on a track for a mile and then you get to the distillery. And we have a nice barrel halfway along that track that says: 'Nearly there'."In this episode, Annabel tells John about:the founding principles of Nc'Nean ("be kind to the environment");experimenting with different yeasts "not originally designed for whisky distillation";breaking into new markets;the current business climate and its challenges;passing places and the etiquette of driving on single track roads in rural Scotland ("you must wave");and of course, Nc'Nean's whiskies like Huntress Lemon Meadow ("just the perfect summer whisky").Slàinte!-------Socials:@C2GWhisky@JohnRossBeattie Creator & producer: David HolmesArt work & design: Jess Robertson Music: Water of Life (Never Going Home)Vocals: Andrea CunninghamGuitars: John BeattieBass: Alasdair VannDrums: Alan HamiltonBagpipes: Calum McCollAccordion: Gary InnesMusic & Lyrics: Andrea Cunningham & John BeattieRecorded & mixed by Murray Collier at La Chunky Studios, Glasgow, ScotlandSpecial thanks: The Piper Whisky Bar, 57 Cochrane Street, Glasgow, ScotlandFollow The Piper on Facebook to keep up to date about tastings and other events Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Whisky's about time and place and company for Gordon Dundas, Brand Development and Advocacy Director of Ian Macleod Distillers.One of Gordon's best whisky experiences was at an awards dinner in Edinburgh.He was sitting beside a colleague from Ian Macleod and his good friend Julian Van Winkle of Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery -- "before Van Winkle had gone really silly pricewise and rarity and scarcity". There was, he says, a bottle of Balblair 38 on the table. "So we poured this Balblair 38. And at that moment in time, prbabaly an hour or so, and the chat, the everything, and that Balblair 38 did not last very long."A year on, Gordon continues, he was visiting the Van Winkles at their home in Louisville, Kentucky. "I'm sitting on their porch," he recalls, "and out comes a Balblair 38. I think it's the only distillery he'd ever been to in Scotland. It's the only single malt he's really ever drunk and enjoyed... and we go: 'Do you remember that night?'""Whisky for me, that's what it's about."Time. Place. And company.Beyond that Gordon has no rules when it comes to whisky: "I'm an advocate of cocktails. I'm an advocate of straight. I'm an advocate of ice. I'm an advocate of anything.""As long as people are drinking whisky in whatever way they want to, I'm very happy."Single malt or blend... it doesn't matter. "Whisky is just whisky now," Gordon insists."Twenty years ago," he says, "a blend was an old man's drink, in a general sense. Single malts were still a discovery for people."But he reminds us, the diversity in Scotch whisky and the range of single malts exist because of the blended market, which is why he likes to go on the auctions to by blended whisky from the 1970s and 80s.Listen in as Gordon talks to John about his 20-plus years in the whisky industry, eight of them at Ian Macleod's, a family owned drinks company, famous for its Glengoyne, Tamdhu and Rosebank distileries, and -- dare we say it? -- its gins. And there's a fourth Scottish distillery on its way: Laggan Bay on the Isle of Islay, opening in three months' time.Ian Macleod also owns Una Distillery in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, in the foothills of the Himalayas, which, Gordon says, will be releasing its first single malt in two years' time.So settle down, pour yourself a dram -- or with Gordon's permission and encouragement, a highball with with some ginger ale or tonic as its summer in the UK and we need something cold and refreshting -- and tune in.Slàinte!-------Socials:@C2GWhisky@JohnRossBeattie Creator & producer: David HolmesArt work & design: Jess Robertson Music: Water of Life (Never Going Home)Vocals: Andrea CunninghamGuitars: John BeattieBass: Alasdair VannDrums: Alan HamiltonBagpipes: Calum McCollAccordion: Gary InnesMusic & Lyrics: Andrea Cunningham & John BeattieRecorded & mixed by Murray Collier at La Chunky Studios, Glasgow, ScotlandSpecial thanks: The Piper Whisky Bar, 57 Cochrane Street, Glasgow, ScotlandFollow The Piper on Facebook to keep up to date about tastings and other events Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
"It's a really challenging time in Scotch whisky at the moment," admits Graeme Littlejohn, Director of Strategy & Communications at the Scotch Whisky Association. "I guess we'd call it an inflexion point for the industry."That's a view we've heard from several contributors on the podcast in our previous 21 episodes.For instance, in Episode 15 Andrew Symington of Edradour Distillery told John the industry was facing "headwinds". Andrew identified the cost of living crisis; the effects of Brexit; global supply chain issues; international competition; and over production and over pricing. Whisky writer Charles Maclean also identified over production in Episode 7. He described it as a "whisky ocean".And in recent weeks there have been announcements of job losses and investments being postponed. So are we in a slow down?Perhaps.But while Graeme acknowledges that "Scotch whisky is under a lot of pressure in the global market place" and some smaller producers are "really struggling right now", he insists there's a "great deal of resilience" in the industry.There are, he says, over 150 Scottish distilleries producing 22,000 different "expressions of whisky" and exporting them to 168 markets worldwide at the rate of 44 bottles a second. It's a £7 billion plus industry, and £5.4 billion come from exports. Scotch whisky makes up 25 percent of UK food and drink exports. And the industry supports nearly 70,000 jobs.It's also a long-term game, with producers thinking 10, 20 even 30 years ahead. And with developing markets in India, China and South America to be cracked, Graeme says we might discover we don't have enough whisky to meet demand if we get it right.Join John as he chats to Graeme about the challenges and opportunities facing the Scotch whisky industry; the SWA's vision for the sector over the next couple of decades; the "symbiotic relationship" between Scotch and American whiskey; and what the UK and Scottish governments can to do to support the industry.Slàinte!-------Socials:@C2GWhisky@JohnRossBeattie Creator & producer: David HolmesArt work & design: Jess Robertson Music: Water of Life (Never Going Home)Vocals: Andrea CunninghamGuitars: John BeattieBass: Alasdair VannDrums: Alan HamiltonBagpipes: Calum McCollAccordion: Gary InnesMusic & Lyrics: Andrea Cunningham & John BeattieRecorded & mixed by Murray Collier at La Chunky Studios, Glasgow, ScotlandSpecial thanks: The Piper Whisky Bar, 57 Cochrane Street, Glasgow, ScotlandFollow The Piper on Facebook to keep up to date about tastings and other events Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
"There's a whisky for everyone," says former Scotland rugby international Ryan Grant and independent bottler with Unkiltered."Including the Welsh," he adds.Aye! You can pick a Scottish rugby player for the British and Irish Lions, but you can't take away the Home Nations rivalry.Ryan was on the last Lions tour to Australia, back in 2013. And as the 2025 Lions get set to embark on their latest tour down under, Ryan joins John, who toured with the Lions to South Africa in 1980 and New Zealand in 1983, for a 6 Nations vs Australia whisky tasting under the watchful eye of Master Blender and rugby referee Max McFarlane.Seven whiskies. One winner. All picked by Max himself.And the the line up?Coperies Single Malt French WhiskyPunic 4 Year Old 2012 Italian Blended WhiskyPendyren Madeira Finish Welsh WhiskyStarwood Nova Australian WhiskyEast London Liquor Company London Rye English WhiskyTullamore D.E.W Irish WhiskeyThe Famous Grouse Gold Reserve 12 Year Old Deluxe Scotch WhiskyBut what order will they finish in?Settle down with your favourite dram, and prepare yourself for descriptions like butterscotch, cream soda, Drumstick Squash Ems, fresh tar, damp tent, and popcorn; as well as a bit of rugby chat along the way.Slàinte!PS: No national rivalries influenced the making of this podcast. At least none that we are conscious or unconscious of. Honest!-------Socials:@C2GWhisky@JohnRossBeattie Creator & producer: David HolmesArt work & design: Jess Robertson Music: Water of Life (Never Going Home)Vocals: Andrea CunninghamGuitars: John BeattieBass: Alasdair VannDrums: Alan HamiltonBagpipes: Calum McCollAccordion: Gary InnesMusic & Lyrics: Andrea Cunningham & John BeattieRecorded & mixed by Murray Collier at La Chunky Studios, Glasgow, ScotlandSpecial thanks: The Piper Whisky Bar, 57 Cochrane Street, Glasgow, ScotlandFollow The Piper on Facebook to keep up to date about tastings and other events Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Legendary whisky maker Max McFarlane is sought out the world over as consultant by other whisky producers.For over 25 years, Max was the Master Blender and later Keeper of the Quaich at Edrington. As such his nose provided the quality control for some of the best selling whiskies in the world: Famous Grouse, Highland Park, Cutty Stark, Bunnahabhain, and The Glenrothes. He's now the Master Blender for Ardgowan Distillery which officially opens on 20 June 2025.But is his whisky knowledge a match for his nose?In this episode John challenges Max to answer some of the most commonly Googled questions about whisky:When was whisky invented?What is whisky made from?What's the difference between whisky and whiskey?Where was Whisky Galore filmed?What's the best whisky for an Old Fashioned?Can you make whisky ice cubes?What should you take with your whisky?Which whisky is best for summer?And a few others to boot...Spoiler alert: you might want to ignore some of Max's answers and look them up yourself, especially when he tells John: "You can take your whisky standing on your head."But there are some top tips as John and Max try to outmatch Google.Somehow along the way they end up celebrating the Isle of Arran - "Scotland in miniature" - off the west coast of Scotland in the Firth of Clyde.In the nineteenth century there were at least 53 illicit stills in operation on Scotland's seventh largest island. Today there are two very legal, licensed distilleries. And the island is now populated with "honesty boxes" rather than moonshiners and bootleggers.So pour yourself a dram, tune in and match your wits against those of John and Max.Slàinte!-------Socials:@C2GWhisky@JohnRossBeattie Creator & producer: David HolmesArt work & design: Jess Robertson Music: Water of Life (Never Going Home)Vocals: Andrea CunninghamGuitars: John BeattieBass: Alasdair VannDrums: Alan HamiltonBagpipes: Calum McCollAccordion: Gary InnesMusic & Lyrics: Andrea Cunningham & John BeattieRecorded & mixed by Murray Collier at La Chunky Studios, Glasgow, ScotlandSpecial thanks: The Piper Whisky Bar, 57 Cochrane Street, Glasgow, ScotlandFollow The Piper on Facebook to keep up to date about tastings and other events Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
"It was like a revelation," Dave Alcock recalls the moment he really got into whisky.The retired sports psychologist and self-styled "whisky dramalista" had always "liked a drop". But then one Christmas, after he'd "prepped the veg", he unwrapped the present his wife had bought for him.It was a bottle of Port Ellen third edition."I could feel it in my toes when I sipped it," he tells John in this episode. "It was just something else. I didn't know whether to sniff it or drink some more."A passion was ignited.And today some 20 years on, Dave now has more than 200 bottles in his "downstairs collection" - from "sherried drams" to Islays; to bourbons and Irish and Japanese whiskies.For him whisky's about friendship, connection, grounding, sharing, and being around other passionate people.Listen in as he and John talk about the psychology of whisky; whisky and memory; the power of passion; the price and value of whisky; the application of performance techniques to the role of whisky ambassadors; and why Dave spoilt himself with a Glen Grant 1958.Slàinte!-------Socials:@C2GWhisky@JohnRossBeattie Creator & producer: David HolmesArt work & design: Jess Robertson Music: Water of Life (Never Going Home)Vocals: Andrea CunninghamGuitars: John BeattieBass: Alasdair VannDrums: Alan HamiltonBagpipes: Calum McCollAccordion: Gary InnesMusic & Lyrics: Andrea Cunningham & John BeattieRecorded & mixed by Murray Collier at La Chunky Studios, Glasgow, ScotlandSpecial thanks: The Piper Whisky Bar, 57 Cochrane Street, Glasgow, ScotlandFollow The Piper on Facebook to keep up to date about tastings and other events Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
It all began with Edradour for Desiree Reid, founder and managing director of the award-winning Cardrona Distillery in the Cardrona Valley on New Zealand's South Island.For her 21st birthday, she and her mother backpacked around Scotland. (Both sides of her family came from here way back when.) But something about that whisky in one of Scotland's oldest distilleries in Highland Perthshire (featured in Episode 15), ignited a spark."I can't say that I sat there with that dram and thought that I'm gonna open a whisky distillery one day. But that is certainly where the seed was sown," Desiree tells John in this episode.Had something in her bloodline been awoken?Maybe. For as Desiree admits, her great, great, great grandfather had been an illicit whisky producer in Applecross, historically an isolated peninsula in north west Scotland that looks out onto the Isle of Raasay and beyond that Skye.However Desiree didn't know that at the time.Fast forward several years, and Desiree, now a very successful diary farmer, was looking for a career change, and... well it's her story. So lets let her tell it.But suffice it to say she, with the help of her teetotal parents, founded Cardrona, an award-winning distillery 600 metres above sea level producing traditional single malt whisky ("our three year old was rated as one of the top 50 malts that Whisky Magazine had ever reviewed"), vodka, gin and liqueurs.Along the way Desiree was mentored by Dave Pickerell, the founding father of American craft distilling and the master blender behind rock band Metallica's Blackened Whiskey.Today Cardrona is part of the International Beverage Group, owners of Old Pulteney, Speyburn and Balblair.So pour yourself a dram and tune in.Slàinte!-------Socials:@C2GWhisky@JohnRossBeattie Creator & producer: David HolmesArt work & design: Jess Robertson Music: Water of Life (Never Going Home)Vocals: Andrea CunninghamGuitars: John BeattieBass: Alasdair VannDrums: Alan HamiltonBagpipes: Calum McCollAccordion: Gary InnesMusic & Lyrics: Andrea Cunningham & John BeattieRecorded & mixed by Murray Collier at La Chunky Studios, Glasgow, ScotlandSpecial thanks: The Piper Whisky Bar, 57 Cochrane Street, Glasgow, ScotlandFollow The Piper on Facebook to keep up to date about tastings and other events Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
"Nothing will get between a man and his whisky," insists Fred Maitland of East Coast Whisky.Fred's a psychotherapist.But he also provides whisky tastings and runs tours to distilleries around Scotland. And he believes whisky keeps us connected."It's about friendship and hobby," he tells John in this episode. "It's an incredible stimulant for conversation, for good feelings, for community, for warmth. And I've seen it time and time again."But it must be respected, he adds. It's not for "chugging back."Fred's tasted three to four thousand whiskies over the last ten years. Though he says: "I certainly haven't owned them all. But it's been an amazing adventure."So what does he recommend? "I always rate a Talisker 10, because I think it tells you everything about whisky."Of course there's also Highland Park, Glenfiddich, Springbank 10, Clynelish 14, Lindores (featured in episode 12)... And if he can get it Brora. Definitely Brora.And don't forget, he says, whisky goes well with food: scallops, oysters, venison. "You can pair a whole range of different foods with whisky of different kinds."So put you feet up. Pour yourself a dram. And tune in.Slàinte!-------Socials:@C2GWhisky@JohnRossBeattie Creator & producer: David HolmesArt work & design: Jess Robertson Music: Water of Life (Never Going Home)Vocals: Andrea CunninghamGuitars: John BeattieBass: Alasdair VannDrums: Alan HamiltonBagpipes: Calum McCollAccordion: Gary InnesMusic & Lyrics: Andrea Cunningham & John BeattieRecorded & mixed by Murray Collier at La Chunky Studios, Glasgow, ScotlandSpecial thanks: The Piper Whisky Bar, 57 Cochrane Street, Glasgow, ScotlandFollow The Piper on Facebook to keep up to date about tastings and other events Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
They're all about The Draam at Isle of Raasay Distillery.It's their signature single malt, based on a six-cask recipe created by founder and Master Distiller, Alasdair Day. It's 80% of what they produce."We wanted to make a Hebridean whisky," Alasdair tells John in this episode.Hebridean?"Something lightly peated," Alasdair explains. "So not unpeated, not heavily peated. But somewhere in between.""A rugged windswept island off an island, you need that peaty characteristic," he continues.But Alasdair and co-founder Bill Dobbie also wanted a "dark fruit character", like Bowmore from the 1960s and early 1970s.So Alasdair decided to produce both peated and unpeatead spirit, and to mature these individual spirits separately in rye whiskey casks, virgin Chinkapin oak casks and Bordeaux red wine casks and then vat them together. Having designed the whisky, they designed the process to the make it, "and then gave the design to the architect to put the building round the process."In 2017, the first licensed distillery on Raasay began production.Establishing a distillery on a tiny island east of the Isle of Skye on Scotland's west coast was far from what Alasdair envisioned when he first went into the whisky business."My great grandfather had been a whisky blender in Coldstream," he says.Now Coldstream's a small town on the Scottish border with England, not known for any whisky tradition. But in 2009, Alasdair inherited his great grandfather's cellar book which contained recipes for blended whisky dating from 1899 to 1916 and he decided to recreate some, buying casks of fully mature whisky to blend together...But why don't you let Alasdair tell the story himself?Pour yourself a dram - or Draam - and listen in as Alasdair tells John the story of Isle of Raasay Distillery; explains the different flavours imparted by all the different barrels they use; and extols the beauty of one of Scotland's lesser known islands.Oh and by the way, Alasdair claims Raasay Distillery has the best distillery view in the world... well maybe. But when you've heard his claim, you can be the judge.Slàinte!-------Socials:@C2GWhisky@JohnRossBeattie Creator & producer: David HolmesArt work & design: Jess Robertson Music: Water of Life (Never Going Home)Vocals: Andrea CunninghamGuitars: John BeattieBass: Alasdair VannDrums: Alan HamiltonBagpipes: Calum McCollAccordion: Gary InnesMusic & Lyrics: Andrea Cunningham & John BeattieRecorded & mixed by Murray Collier at La Chunky Studios, Glasgow, ScotlandSpecial thanks: The Piper Whisky Bar, 57 Cochrane Street, Glasgow, ScotlandFollow The Piper on Facebook to keep up to date about tastings and other events Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.