Dave Broom is one of the most prominent and influential voices in the world of whisky and over the course of his career he has written some of the most important books on whisky and spirits including The World Atlas of Whisky, Whisky: The Manual, A Sense of Place, and The Way of Whisky — works that have shaped the way both enthusiasts and professionals understand flavour, culture, and the people behind the glass.On the episode we delve into the all important sense of place — from the cultural terroir of Scotland to the artistry and craft of distilling, and how flavour finds its way into the glass. Dave takes us from Japan to New Zealand, from English farms to French stills, as we explore the global spread of malt whisky and why everyone seems to be making it.We also get into his writing: the discipline, the methodology, the architecture of narrative non-fiction, and the influence of mentors like Michael Jackson. Along the way, we talk music, art, storytelling, and the state of drinks journalism today.And we taste some stuff too — French sorghum whisky, Breton malts, German rye, and the genius of Chichibu, and a sneak preview of the whisky from my new project at Rosemaund Farm — each dram opening the door to wider conversations about style, strength, regionality and the shape of whisky itself.And we close with the big themes: whisky’s current bubble, the secondary market, daily drams, and favourite distilleries.

02:37 A Sense of Place - Terroir in Spirits, Scotch Whisky Cultural Terroir
10:02 Artistry & Craft in Whisky Making - Learning from Masters, Adapting Tradition, Economics and Law
15:07 How Do Flavours Find Their Way Into Whisky? The Way of Whisky and Japan
19:42 Whisky In New Zealand - Codrona, Burning Manuka Wood, Waiheke Distillery
22:17 Why is Everyone Making Malt Whisky?
23:59 Writing - Latest Project, Mixing American Whiskey, Untold American Whiskey History, Researching History
34:27 Dave’s Writing Process - Research, Poetry, Methodology - The World Atlas of Whisky: Influence, Practicality
39:48 Writing Narrative non-fiction - Road Trip Books, Telling Stories, Narrative Architecture, The State of Drinks Journalism, Content and distraction, Photography
52:17 The Arts & Spirits - Music, Art, Culture
56:47 Tasting Bows French Sorghum Whisky - The French Whisky Category, Regionality, Eau de Vie
1:02:07 *Dave’s Methodology for Assessing Whisky - Writing Tasting Notes, The Shape of Whisky
1:07:37 The Macbeth Whisky Series - Making Whisky Fun through Communication of Flavour
1:11:07 Tasting Rosemaund Farm 10 Year Old English Whisky
1:17:30 Whisky Bottling Strength - The English Whisky Category
1:20:42 Dave’s Early Career - Writing, Oddbins, Pubs, Becoming a Spirits Writer
1:25:37 The Influence of Michael Jackson - Writing Style, Beer, Writing for Consumers
1:28:57 Dave’s Writing Style - Poetry, Discipline, Trade Knowledge
1:32:42 Tone of Voice in Writing
1:34:07 Tasting Breton Whisky from Distillerie La Mine D'or ‘Galad’, Armorik Distillery, Development of French Whisky Market
1:37:12 *The Bursting of the Whisky Bubble - Overproduction, Lessons from the Past, Pricing, Perception of Whisky
1:48:47 Secondary Whisky Market - Auction House Bubble, Karuizawa, American Whiskey
1:51:42 Opening Rare Bottles, Buying Whisky, Daily Drams, Changing Preferences for Taste
1:57:27 Tasting Hardenberg German Straight Whisky - Leopold Bros.
2:00:09 Chichibu Tasting - The Genius of Ichiro Akuto, Malting, Barley, Mizunara
2:03:56 Quickfire Questions

Dave's site - https://thewhiskymanual.uk

Dave on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/davewasabi/

Liquid Antiquarian YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/c/TheLiquidAntiquarian

Rosemaund Farm Distillery - http://www.rosemaund.com📷 Follow me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tristanstephenson/📚 I've written quite a few books on spirits and cocktails - https://www.thecuriousbartender.com/