On the Road at the 2026 Kentucky Bourbon Festival

This week, we're on the road at the 35th Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown, Kentucky. We'll have highlights from the weekend throughout this week's podcast. In the news, President Donald Trump is dropping the hammer on Canadian whiskies with a complete ban on imports set to take effect later this month. Trump also gave Irish whiskey makers a boost by dropping the U.S. import tariff on Irish whiskies.

September is shaping up to be a busy month at George Washington's Distillery at Mount Vernon in Virginia, with weekend tastings and discounts on Washington's Rye whiskey at the Mount Vernon shops. It's not taught in schools, but Washington was one of the nation's leading whiskey distillers after he left the Presidency, and the restored distillery makes whiskey the same way it was done back then. Mount Vernon's Jeremy Ray joins us to discuss both the present and the past at the distillery on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Brown-Forman reported a slight drop in sales during the last quarter, with a slowdown in used barrel sales blamed for much of the decline. Diageo is preparing for layoffs at its North American headquarters in New York City, and we'll have the details in the week's news update. 

John Little and John Foster built their reputations around Smooth Ambler before selling the distillery to Pernod Ricard several years ago. After serving out a three-year non-compete agreement, they're back with Little and Foster Whiskey. It's as much a passion project as it is a business venture, with a goal of bringing fun back into the whiskey business. They've just released their first whiskey, A Marriage of Mashbills, and join us on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Saskatchewan plans to impose its own reciprocal tariff on American whiskies next week after the U.S. imposed a 50% tariff on Canadian whiskies last week. We'll have the details and the rest of the week's whisky news on this week's WhiskyCast.

Light Whiskey is an obscure type of whiskey that's distilled to higher proofs than is legally allowed for Bourbons and many other types of whiskies. It was developed in the 1960's as a way for distillers to fight the trend toward vodka and other lighter spirits, but never really reached mainstream acceptance. Now, three retired Austin tech executives are betting that their light whiskies will catch on with consumers. We'll talk with Austin Craft Spirits co-founder Tom Buchsbaum on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth and taste a couple of his whiskies as well. In the news, the trade conflict between the U.S. and Canada is turning into an all-out trade war with tariffs on both sides of the border. We'll have all of the details and the rest of the week's whisky news, too. 

Bruichladdich Distillery on Scotland's Isle of Islay is marking 25 years since its resurrection in 2001 by a hardy band of whisky makers led by Mark Reynier, Jim McEwan, and Duncan McGillivray. Adam Hannett was a teenager on Islay watching the distillery come back to life, and joined the team as a warehouseman in 2004. Now, he's the master blender at Bruichladdich, and has created three new whiskies this year to mark the anniversary. We'll talk with Adam on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, trade talks between the U.S. and Canada are heating up ahead of this week's deadline for new U.S. tariffs on Canadian imports, and whiskies are a key stumbling block. We'll have the details, and on this week's Behind the Label, scientists have figured out why some whiskies smell like mangoes and others don't. 

2026 is the year of innovation at Four Roses, which was sold earlier this year to E&J Gallo for more than $700 million dollars. The work actually started two years ago under Kirin's management, and Master Distiller Brent Elliott tells us Gallo is doubling down on the desire for innovation at Four Roses. For instance, the familiar ten recipes for Four Roses Bourbon have been expanded with the addition of two experimental recipes. Brent Elliott joins us to discuss the innovations on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, drastic cuts are coming at Diageo, which is also in trouble with food safety regulators in India over flavorings added to its Indian whiskies, and a third discrimination lawsuit has been filed against Bardstown Bourbon Company.

Sam Filmus started importing whiskies into the United States in the 1990's, bringing Signatory and Edradour whiskies to thirsty Americans. Over the years, his ImpEx Beverages has added brands like Kilchoman, the Glenallachie, Ardnamurchan, Nc'Nean, and M&H to the range. Five years ago, he added his own independent bottlings of world whiskies under the ImpEx Collection label, with each annual edition focusing on a specific theme. We'll talk with Sam about the impact of tariffs, his company's history, and taste a couple of his whiskies on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Sazerac makes another play for Brown-Forman, and a major distributor of whiskies and other spirits enters Chapter 11 bankruptcy. 

Dewar's celebrates its 180th anniversary this year, going back to 1846 when John Dewar opened his wine and spirits shop in Perth, Scotland. Jacqui Seargeant is the keeper of the Dewar's archives, along with overseeing other archivists working within parent company Bacardi, and her work has helped inspire new Dewar's releases and add context to the family history. She'll join us on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, trade tariffs are back in the headlines as President Donald Trump threatens to impose a 50% tariff on Canadian whisky and other goods to retaliate for the provincial boycotts of American alcohol. We'll have all the details, as well as the upcoming closure of Moonshine University in Louisville. 

Glengoyne recently released a Mizunara Oak-matured single malt as part of its Oak Masters Series. We'll taste it and talk about it with distillery manager Robbie Hughes on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Brown-Forman is looking for a new CEO after Lawson Whiting announced his retirement plans this week. Maker's Mark is launching a new travel retail exclusive series, and we'll have details on the week's new whiskies.

"Taigh" means "home" in Scots Gaelic, and it's the name for the newest expression from Torabhaig Distillery on the Isle of Skye. It's a precursor to the first 10-year-old Torabhaig single malt expected late next year, and we'll learn more about Taigh and the distillery from Torabhaig's Bruce Perry on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, the receiver in the Uncle Nearest case is blaming the bank for failing to do its own due diligence before loaning millions of dollars to Uncle Nearest, Ian Macleod Distillers cuts back on production at Glengoyne and Rosebank distilleries, and the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame announces its class of 2026.