The Spirit of Independents

Scotland’s GlenDronach Distillery has released a new collection of three no-age-statement single malts created by master blender Dr. Rachel Barrie, including a rare peated GlenDronach. We’ll talk with Rachel about the collection, along with her comparison of a whisky blender to a symphony conductor, on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, India and the UK have finally reached an agreement to reduce India’s whisky tariffs. Another craft distillery has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and Campari’s first-quarter sales left analysts disappointed. 

Independent bottlers take sourced casks of whisky, mature them, and then bottle them under their own brand names. It’s a practice that’s been commonplace in Scotland for generations, and has expanded to the U.S. with independents like Single Cask Nation and Lost Lantern. Greg Swartz is the co-director of Independent Spirits, a new documentary series highlighting independent bottlers, and he’ll join us on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, a cask investment firm with an estimated $80 million in casks has gone into administration, while Moet Hennessy plans to lay off 1200 workers and return headcount to pre-pandemic levels.

Deep below the Johnnie Walker Princes Street experience in Edinburgh lies Dr. Emma Walker’s personal playground. The Johnnie Walker master blender curates around 500 of the more than 10 million casks of maturing whisky in Diageo’s inventory in the Vault. If you have the means, she’ll create a bespoke blend that takes your personal likes and dislikes into account. It’s a long way from the council estate where she grew up, and she’ll share her journey on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, U.S. whiskey exports fell during 2024 in what was otherwise a record year for American-made spirits. Suntory’s CEO has a warning for the Trump Administration, and we’ll have a fish story from Buffalo Trace.

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. In the news, Kentucky’s Garrard County Distilling has gone into receivership, while The Macallan is demolishing its old distillery and The Glenturret is looking for some whisky thieves. 

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 new whisky…one that’s not a Bourbon. 

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 worldwide. 

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 and Icons of Whisky Awards.

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 an explosion. 

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 spirits and wines at 200%, and spirits producers on both sides of the Atlantic are concerned. We’ll have the details, along with the story of a New Jersey man’s unusual find along the beach — 11 bottles of Prohibition-era whiskey. 

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.