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Chapter 11: Doom and Gloom or Saving Grace

Release Date: 04/14/2025

WhiskyCast

Robert and Walter Pattison were among the most successful whisky brokers of the 1890’s, a golden era for Scotch whisky. However, their empire collapsed because of bad loans, fraudulent cask sales, and an accounting scheme that inflated the company’s profits. When the Pattisons finally fell, they took other whisky merchants down with them, just as the industry’s overproduction ended the golden era. Justine Hazlehurst spent four years researching the Pattisons for her new book “Opening the Case: The Affairs of Pattisons’ Whisky,” and she joins us on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth....

Chapter 11: Doom and Gloom or Saving Grace

WhiskyCast

Oregon’s Westward Whiskey filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this week, as the House Spirits-owned distillery tries to reorganize its business and keep the stills running. CEO Tom Mooney joins us this week in his first in-depth interview since the filing, and explains why Chapter 11 doesn’t automatically mean going out of business. In the news, the Trump Administration has set a 10% import tariff on all whiskies and most other exports for at least 90 days while talks continue with U.S. trading partners. Buffalo Trace is cleaning up after massive flooding, while Maker’s Mark is introducing a...

Rye or Rye Not?

WhiskyCast

Europeans have been making rye whisky for generations, but a 20-year-old treaty between the European Union and Canada is affecting their ability to call their whisky what it is…rye whisky. The treaty restricts the use of “rye whisky” to Canadian ryes, even though there’s no requirement that Canadian Rye whisky be made with rye. We’ll talk with Stauning Whisky’s Alex Munch about the bureaucratic nightmare that was only recently discovered. In the news, flooding has hit Kentucky distillers hard, while tariffs are going into effect this week that will affect whisky makers...

Stone Toasting: A New Way to Toast Whisky Casks

WhiskyCast

Coopers have used everything from torches to infrared lamps to toast the inside of barrels. Now, a technique pioneered by the wine industry is making its way into whisky: the use of heated Icelandic magma stone formed by volcanic lava. It’s said to provide a more consistent toasting than other methods, and Dewar’s is the first to use the technique in whisky. We’ll talk about it with Dewar’s master blender Stephanie Macleod on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, more tariffs on whisky could be coming this week, while Whisky Magazine hands out its annual World Whiskies Awards...

Taiwan's First Malt Whisky Distillery

WhiskyCast

King Car Group’s Kavalan Distillery in Yilan, Taiwan marks its 20th anniversary this year. Kavalan has won numerous awards for its single malts, including the “World’s Best Single Malt” in the World Whisky Awards. We’ll talk with Kavalan’s David Chen about the distillery’s history and its growing global following on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, the European Union delays a return to tariffs on American whiskies until mid-April, while Laphroaig Distillery is undergoing repairs after a pressure issue with a boiler led to a loud “bang” that had Ileachs fearing...

In Depth with Michter's President Joe Magliocco

WhiskyCast

Joe Magliocco didn’t found Michter’s Whiskey…but he is the modern-day father of the brand. Magliocco uncovered the lapsed trademark for Michter’s nearly 30 years ago that led to the brand’s revival. He’ll join us on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth to discuss everything from the history of Michter’s to today’s concerns over tariffs and overproduction. In the news, the European Union has joined the trade war with the U.S., and will impose a 50% tariff on Bourbon and other American whiskies April 1. The U.S. has responded with a threat from President Donald Trump to tax European...

From Wine to Whiskey: Tara Lindley's Journey

WhiskyCast

Tara Lindley started out in the wine business before joining High West Distillery nine years ago. Now, she’s the director of sensory analysis and new product development for High West’s owner, Constellation Brands, and her latest project is the 2025 release of High West’s Bourye, a blend of Bourbons and Rye whiskies. We’ll talk with Tara on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, the North American trade war heats up as Canada retaliates for U-S tariffs on Canadian imports by pulling American whiskies off retail shelves.

25 Years of the Ardbeg Committee

WhiskyCast

The Ardbeg Committee was one of whisky’s first online affinity groups, and celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. We’ll talk with Committee chair Jackie Thomson about the early days of the group, as well as the new Ardbeg Eureka release that marks the anniversary. In the news, the threat of U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports is back this week. Diageo is defending its lackluster earnings as a cyclical phenomenon, while Jack Daniel’s is introducing its oldest whiskey in more than a century.

Elixir: San Francisco's Best Whisky Bar

WhiskyCast

San Francisco’s Elixir dates its history back to 1858, when it opened in the city’s Mission District along a plank road at the corner of what is now 16th and Guerrero. The bar still has its Gold Rush-era look and feel, thanks to careful restoration work led by owner H. Joseph Ehrmann. We’ll talk with head bartender Nick Madden and general manager Shea Shawnson on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, English Whisky is a step closer to getting its own geographical indicator status, though not without some objections. Campari is considering layoffs because of declining Cognac...

A View from the Corner Office

WhiskyCast

Dan Leese wears two hats: one as CEO of the importer and distiller Hotaling & Co., and the second as the current chairman of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. Mark Gillespie sat down with Dan Leese to discuss the state of the whisky industry and the threats posed by trade tariffs, legal cannabis, and other challenges. In the news, the Trump Administration gets a victory as India agrees to reduce its tariffs on American whiskies, while new data shows declining sales as consumers switch to less-expensive whiskies.

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