Remembering Jim Cryle

This week, we'll mark the passing of longtime Glenlivet master distiller Jim Cryle, who ran the Speyside distillery from 1991 until his retirement in 2006. We'll listen to an interview with Jim recorded shortly after his retirement, in which he talks about his history in the business, what makes a good single malt whisky, and his choice for that "last dram." In the news, more Scottish distilleries are pausing production because of lower demand, while U.S. whiskey production has hit its lowest level since 2018. 

The latest collection of American Single Malts from Lost Lantern Whiskey is dubbed the "Scotch Lover's Collection," not because there are any inferred links to Scotland, but because Lost Lantern founders Nora Ganley-Roper and Adam Polonski crafted them to appeal to a Scotch lover's palate. We'll talk with Nora and Adam on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Brown-Forman reports a 14% decline in quarterly profits, while Bourbon industry leaders are getting nervous about the long-term impact of Canada's boycott of American whiskies. We'll also pay tribute to singer-songwriter Robin Laing, who died this weekend at the age of 72. 

Mitch Bechard is a longtime Scotch Whisky brand ambassador, with years of service at Diageo and Glenfiddich. Now, he's written a rollicking memoir of his tales from the road, along with more serious takes on the improving role of women in whisky and the growth of world whiskies. Mitch joins us on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, we'll have the latest on the Uncle Nearest receivership saga and Bruichladdich's Black Art moving to travel retail. We'll also have tasting notes for new releases from Wild Turkey, Willett, and Glen Grant.  

With no signs of an end to the U.S.-Canadian trade war in sight, the widespread boycott of American whiskies in Canada had an impact on this week's New Brunswick Spirits Festival. No American whiskies on the stands, and no Bourbon master classes. We'll talk with festival organizers and attendees about the impact of the boycott on this week's episode. In the news, Diageo has paused production at its massive Roseisle Maltings in Scotland, while a Scottish distillery has been saved from bankruptcy.

This week, we're celebrating the 20th anniversary of the very first WhiskyCast episode in 2005. We'll hear from some longtime listeners, and chat with Tamdhu distillery manager Sandy McIntyre on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. Tamdhu recently released a 21-year-old single malt as part of its core range, and we'll taste it with Sandy and share tasting notes in the What I'm Tasting This Week Department. In the news, Diageo has a new CEO, while Irish distilleries report visitor traffic has returned to pre-pandemic levels. 

13 Danish distillers have laid the groundwork for what they hope will eventually be geographical indicator status for Danish whisky. They started with a manifesto defining Danish whisky — including a requirement that Danish grains be used and mandatory disclosure if imported grain is used. We'll talk with one of the Manifesto's architects, Mosgaard Distillery master distiller Kim Moller-Elshøj, on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Diageo has revised its earnings estimates following a flat first quarter, while an Ardbeg legend is taking on a new challenge on Islay. Finally, we're looking for your help as we get ready to celebrate the 20th anniversary of WhiskyCast next week!

Scotland's Tullibardine Distillery has been around since 1947, but has come into its own in recent years under the ownership of France's Picard family. We'll talk about the distillery's history and taste three of its single malts in a WhiskyCast In-Depth conversation with head blender Stacy Longworth and marketing director Ros Frame. In the news, Campari's fortunes take a positive turn on higher sales of Wild Turkey, while Remy Cointreau suffers another down quarter. 

Portland, Oregon-based Westward Whiskey filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last April seeking to restructure its finances. At the time, CEO Tom Mooney told us the future was still bright for Westward, which makes American Single Malts. Now, Westward is poised to emerge from bankruptcy after a group of the distillery's original investors bought its assets. Tom Mooney re-joins us this week on WhiskyCast In-Depth to explain why his original optimism still holds. In the news, Four Roses is reportedly up for sale, with a price tag estimated at $1 billion. Sazerac is planning another billion-dollar expansion project in Kentucky, while the federal government shutdown is delaying approvals of new whiskies and distillery permits. 

Seattle's Westland Distillery welcomed more than a thousand people this weekend hoping to get their hands on a bottle of the distillery's first 10-year-old single malt, the 10th Anniversary Garryana. It's largely matured in Garry Oak casks from the Pacific Northwest, and this year's release is more scarce than usual - after thieves stole a semi-trailer with nearly half the year's production of Garryana last month. We'll talk with Westland master distiller Shane Armstrong and managing director Jason Moore on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Portland's Westward Distillery has been saved by investors after filing for bankruptcy, and sales  are down again for Pernod Ricard and Moet Hennessy.

Kentucky's Bourbon distillers are in a conundrum…the industry set a new record for barrel inventories in 2024 and the number of distilleries is at an all-time high. However, domestic sales are slumping and exports are down significantly from previous years. Eric Gregory of the Kentucky Distillers Association joins us on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth to explain the state's latest whisky production report and what it means for the future. In the news, another new report shows U.S. spirits exports are down for the second quarter of this year, with sharp declines across most key trading partners.