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155 afleveringen, van nieuw naar oud
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Selling Drams - A true love story with Tom Whitham and Monique DePace
14 november 2024 · 2 uur
Another 'whisky couple' joined us for this episode. Lees meer
Tom and Monique met while working in The Whisky Shop in Edinburgh.
Tom from Australia and Monique from Canada both found themselves bonding over their new love of whisky and needing a job while they stayed in Edinburgh.
Monique is still working in The Whisky Shop, but Tom is now working for Scotland's oldest Independent Bottler Cadenheads.
Both of them have great whisky stories and between them both, they've shared some great drams and experiences.
We even managed to squeeze in a few couple whisky games.
This was a great laugh to record and I hope you enjoy it.
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Indy Bottlers Spotlight No.3 - Finn Thomson Whisky
7 november 2024 · 1 uur 41 min
What a night we had recording this episode! Lees meer
The Thomson family goes so far back, it's hard for Finn to work out which great great great great Grandfather he's referring to.
Finn didn't just bring some fantastic whisky with him for us to enjoy, he brought along loads of cool old bottles, decanters, sample bottles and pictures which highlight the history behind his family and the whisky industry.
It was great having another live audience who chipped in with their own thoughts, questions and wanky tasting notes.
I hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed recording it.
Cheers
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Episode 52 - What a year
31 oktober 2024 · 1 uur 36 min
This episode was all about sitting in the same room where it all began, drinking the same whisky we shared for episode one and looking back on what has been an incredible year for the Whisky Stories Podcast. Lees meer
Enjoy
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A Taste of Malt - Atom Whisky Brand Ambassador Boutique-y Dave
24 oktober 2024 · 1 uur 54 min
Dave Worthington has had some week travelling up to Scotland with a bag full of whisky and loads of people to see. Lees meer
Thankfully he had some time to pop into Diggers to have a chat and share some amazing drams with us from around the world.
Dave is another whisky geek who has landed a dream job travelling, meeting people and talking about whisky.
Atom Brands own Master of Malt as well as loads of other spirits and drinks brands. But they also have That Boutique-y Whisky Company and Dave spends his time showcasing their ranges.
They've bottled 75 whiskies out of the 95 established distilleries and also bottle whisky from all over the world.
Dave started out writing about whiskies he enjoyed on Facebook to his own friends and family. This led to him starting his own blog and now he represents and works with a really exciting bottler who are always pushing the limits.
Enjoy
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The Edinburgh Whisky Festival 2024 - One year full circle
17 oktober 2024 · 1 uur 34 min
This felt like a big moment for the podcast. Lees meer
We got a last minute call up to exhibit at the Edinburgh Whisky Festival at Murrayfield and jumped at the opportunity.
We met so many people and chatted with former guests, friends of the pod and some of our amazing listeners.
For more videos and content, keep an eye on our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@WhiskyStoriesPod
In this episode we chat to:
Vikki Elliott
Laurie Black from Bevvy
FIB and MND
Podcast fan Nadia
Mike McGinty from John Dewars & Sons
There was so much that we couldn't fit everyone in but the full interviews are available on the YouTube channel.
Enjoy
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Around the world with Chuck Kerr - The long lost Chuck returns!
10 oktober 2024 · 2 uur 8 min
Chuck has become a well known trope on the podcast for his unique (wanky) tasting notes, his unknown whereabouts, and Big Cam having to tell him to call his mum through the podcast. Lees meer
But he's back in Edinburgh and who knows for how long.
This was an incredible episode to record. His stories mixed with his whisky knowledge was great to listen to.
I think this will be our longest episode so far, but it's well worth a listen.
Enjoy!
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Indy Bottlers Spotlight - Ola and Ryan from Tri Carragh
3 oktober 2024 · 1 uur 43 min
Back by popular demand we had our second Indy Bottler Spotlight with Ola and Ryan from Tri Carragh. Lees meer
A great bunch of whisky fans squeezed into the snug in Diggers to listen to us and enjoy some amazing drams presented by Ola and Ryan from their Tri Carragh brand.
And what a lineup it was!
We were treated to some great whisky which has been so popular that it's now all sold out as well as award nominated liquid.
🥃 North British 33 YO
🥃 Glen Garioch 11 YO
🥃Aultmore 16 YO
🥃 Macduff 13 YO
🥃 Ardmore 17 YO
It was a great laugh and we loved hearing how it all started for Ola and Ryan and their journey into whisky.
Enjoy
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Hunter Laing and Ardnahoe Brand Ambassador - Paul Main
26 september 2024 · 1 uur 45 min
Paul didn't start his career in whisky as a Brand Ambassador until he'd retired from his first career in the police. Lees meer
Despite only working in whisky for the last 3 years, he's been a whisky geek since the early 90's and travelled around the countries visiting distilleries = long before Ross was just a twinkle in his fathers eye.
Starting out as delivering small private tastings for friends and charity occasions, Paul went from attending Hunter Laing tasting events to delivering and hosting them.
From there, he is now representing Hunter Laing and their exciting new distillery Ardnahoe at trade events and whisky shows all over Europe.
Paul has been part of the Ardnahoe story from the very beginning and was kind enough to bring in some great drams for us to enjoy during and after this really fun recording.
Paul reached out as a keen listener to the podcast on Instagram and was kind enough to travel through from Glasgow to do this recording.
It was great to hear about his story and the work that he's doing.
Enjoy
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Annandale Distillery - Global Brand Ambassador Ben Callow
19 september 2024 · 1 uur 39 min
One day Ben decided he wanted to work in whisky. And six years later, he is the Global Brand Ambassador for Annandale Distillery. Lees meer
Ben knows absolutely everything there is to know about the distillery having worked through the ranks as a tour guide.
Annandale are a very unique distillery who have been producing since 2014. What makes them more different from the rest is that all of their releases are single cask.
Ben has some great stories to tell from his journey in whisky with the distillery and gave us so much insight and information on all the really cool things happening down in Annan at the distillery.
Enjoy.
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Talking Parrots, Pub Pumas and Whisky Festivals - Justine Hazlehurst from Kask Whisky
12 september 2024 · 1 uur 29 min
Justine went from teaching French in high school to delivering tastings, tours and co-founding the amazing Fife Whisky Festival. Lees meer
In this episode we talk about absolutely everything from the huge role Leith played in the Scotch Whisky Industry, the work Justine putting into her book on the infamous Pattison Brothers and how she came about co-founding the Fife Whisky Festival and all the amazing stories and lessons that she's picked up on the way.
As ever, this was another great laugh to record with loads of interesting and funny stories and Graeme's new 'dad jokes'...
Enjoy
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Our FIRST Indy Bottler Spotlight with Woodrow's of Edinburgh
5 september 2024 · 1 uur 26 min
When we came up with the idea of doing a live podcast recording, we had no idea how it would work. Lees meer
When we came up with the concept of bringing in Independent Bottlers, we thought it would be something new and different to try.
We were worried that it would descend into chaos and we weren't wrong.
But what a great night we had at the Kilderkin with Woody and Megan from Woodrow's of Edinburgh taking us through an incredible lineup in front of a 'live studio audience' of 20 guests.
It was a good laugh and something we want to do more of.
Thanks to everyone for coming along and thanks to Woodrow's of Edinburgh for providing us with some amazing whisky.
🥃 The Blend
🥃 Longmorn 14
🥃 Mortlach 10
🥃 Teaninich 10
🥃 Strathmill 33
🥃 Inchfad 5
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Jake Adcook has the best job in the world - Blending Assistant for Ian Macleod Distillers
29 augustus 2024 · 1 uur 21 min
If there's one episode Angus is going to be gutted to miss, it's this one. Lees meer
Jake Adcook didn't start his whisky journey until Covid hit, since then he's become one of a team of 3 who craft, create and blend whisky for Ian Macleod Distillers.
And as Jake put it himself, he has the best job in the world.
Sampling and tasing whisky every day must be a good way to make a living.
Jake has some great chat and also brought in some incredible samples for us to try.
Another great night recording and enjoying some drams.
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Making Yummy Whisky - Peter Allison from Woven
22 augustus 2024 · 1 uur 56 min
This was a belter of an episode to record. Lees meer
This episode could have gone on and on and on with all the great whisky chat we had with Peter from Woven.
Is there a better job than tasting and blending whisky to make unique and yummy flavours?
That's what Peter does as one of the founders of Woven.
Being able to craft flavours from a huge diverse range of whisky is a real skill and the whisky that Woven produce speaks for itself.
As well as this we welcomed Ross back and gave him his wedding gift as part of the challenge we were set by Duggie from Royal Mile Whiskies and we also tried a new feature called 'Sniff it, Sip it Score it - 60 second whisky reviews'... It's a work in progress.
Enjoy
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The Whisky Fringe Edition - Loads of Drams and Podcast Pals
15 augustus 2024 · 1 uur 47 min
This was an epic episode to record. Lees meer
On Sunday, Angus, Vikki and I were treated to the final day of the Whisky Fringe Festival in Edinburgh thanks to our good friends Royal Mile Whiskies.
We got early access to the venue and a chance to chat to exhibitors and some pod pals who were there enjoying the amazing whiskies on offer.
We had so much fun and were out to the test by Duggie Liddle at the end of the show for a special challenge for our wee pal Ross Barr who's still over in the States.
Thanks to everyone for giving us the time and their drams.
Enjoy
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The Wedding Episode - Mr & Mrs Barr tie the knot and we celebrate from Diggers
8 augustus 2024 · 1 uur 44 min
Congratulations to Ross for marrying his new current wife over in the States today as this episode has been released. Lees meer
To celebrate the special occasion, Angus and I got together some of our previous guests to enjoy a dram or two and share some Ross Bar Whisky Stories.
Enjoy...
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Team Slanj - Edinburgh and Clackmannanshire Whisky Festival
1 augustus 2024 · 1 uur 25 min
Team Slanj aka Graeme and Serena don't do things by half measures. Lees meer
After getting into whisky, there's only one thing for it, to start your own whisky festival.
And 5 years on from their first ever Clackmannanshire Whisky Festival, they are now running 2 each year - Clackmannanshire and Edinburgh Whisky Festival.
To have the drive and courage to go all out and put together a festival takes a lot of hard work and a strong team and that's exactly what Graeme and Serena are.
Not only did they bring some great chat, but they also brought us some free merchandise!!
Another great episode with loads of laughs in the Kilderkin pub.
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Worm Tubs and Copper Contact at Rosebank - Vikki Wikki Elliott (Whisky Stories Superfan)
25 juli 2024 · 1 uur 32 min
Vikki has listened to every podcast episode and was even there when Graeme lost his whisky tasting host virginity. Lees meer
Having fallen in love with whisky and decided that she wanted to work in the industry, Vikki set out to learn as much as she could and is now Distillery Ambassador at the re-opened Rosebank Distillery in Falkirk.
This was a great laugh and included a lot of Glengoyne White Oak chat as well as an interesting tasting from Greame's infinity cask and some Rosebank new make.
Enjoy!
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Blind Summit Whisky - James Zorab and Jamie Dawson Indy Bottlers on the side
18 juli 2024 · 1 uur 28 min
James and Jamie have been old pals for years and having worked and lived together throughout their friendship, they are now co-owners of Blind Summit Whisky. Lees meer
Both James and Jamie have shard a passion for whisky and worked within the industry in many different roles and positions.
Like a well balanced blend, the pair compliment each other brilliantly with their knowledge, expertise and experiences.
Jamie has spent a large part of his career in the sales and trade part of the industry while James has spent time understanding flavours and production.
Jamie is currently working for the Cork and Cask shop in Edinburgh and Jamie runs the Lowland Bond in Fife which is owned by Edinburgh Whisky.
This was good fun to hear how the guys got to know each other and start their own independent bottling.
Enjoy
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Our What3Drams Lineup with Hamish Rankine
11 juli 2024 · 1 uur 27 min
New kid on the block Hamish Rankine was our last minute call up for this week's episode. Lees meer
With the holidays and so much going on, we thought we might have struggled to get an episode out this week.
But we mucked in and somehow managed to clobber something together.
A look back at some of our highlights from the What3Drams since we started recording as well as hearing about Hamish's journey into the wonderful world of whisky.
Enjoy.
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The Little Bear from Rome - Dario Orsili Top Bartender and why Glen Grant is so popular in Italy
4 juli 2024 · 1 uur 28 min
Another Balmoral Scotch Whisky Bar connection joined us this week in the Dugoot in Diggers. Lees meer
Dario claims he should have been Scottish instead of Italian. And his Italian passion shines through whenever he talks about anything to do with whisky.
Having owned his own bar in Rome, packing it up and heading out to see the world, he ended up in Edinburgh and it didn't take long before he was mesmerising people with his gift for creating incredible cocktails and talking about whisky.
Dario is now the Head Bartender at the new 100 Princess Street Edinburgh which is a luxury hotel with an exclusive whisky bar for residents and members only.
Dario is curating and growing the whisky collection as well as offering his skills in serving great drinks.
Fair play to Dario, he also brought in two bottles for us to have a dram from for his What3Drams!
A great laugh, brilliant chat and amazing drams.
Cheers,
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Dramming and Drawing in the garden - Sketch & Scotch event at The Glasshouse, Edinburgh
27 juni 2024 · 1 uur 8 min
This was our first outdoor recording event as well as our first attempt at behaving ourselves in the very nice and fancy Rooftop Garden at the Glasshouse Hotel in Edinburgh. Lees meer
A big thank you to Nacho for inviting us along to this very nice and different whisky tasting with a twist.
Liana Moran was the artist on hand to explain how we should sketch out what was in front of us and the whisky was provided by Adelphi.
We bumped into Woody and Megan from Woodrows and got chatting to a few other guests for the evening.
Angus surprised us all with his incredible artistic skills. If you want to see just how good his art is, it won't be long until his picture is hanging up on the wall in Diggers somewhere.
Enjoy
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GERMANY DRAMS - Peter Klas Scotia Spirits - A dram for every goal Scotland concede
20 juni 2024 · 1 uur 26 min
We're over in Germany for the Euros enjoying the amazing German Hospitality. Lees meer
We made sure to tie our trip in with a podcast recording and found the amazing Scotia Spirits in Cologne.
Peter Klas was hosting a tasting with Kenny Macdonald of Dram Mor and we enjoyed their company along with the resident musician Ciaran Whyte.
We enjoyed some great drams and great chat. And even had our largest recording audience (about 6 people..)
Enjoy
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Milan to Edinburgh with 300 bottles - Edoardo Candida on serving whisky the right way
13 juni 2024 · 1 uur 25 min
Edoardo has only been in Edinburgh for a week and we managed to get him on for a podcast to hear about his exciting new adventure with Scotch at the Balmoral in Edinburgh. Lees meer
We've nearly interviewed everyone who's either worked or still working behind the bar at Scotch. But Edoardo is the first person we've had on who hasn't even started yet.
Growing up in Italy, it took Edoardo some time before he moved to London and fell in love with the wonderful world of whisky. He's spent time working at the world renowned whisky bar - Milroy's - where he was the General Manager, started his own whisky tasting company, and spent some time as a 'Master Blender'.
This was a great fun to record and we had some lovely drams to go with it.
Cheers
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The Brand Ambassador Doyen - Mark Thomson - 3 time winner of Whisky Ambassador of the Year
6 juni 2024 · 1 uur 43 min
Mark has been mentioned on the podcast plenty of times since we began recording. Lees meer
Having previously worked as Glenfiddich, Mark is now Private Client Manager for Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky.
But most importantly, Mark knows how to tell a good story over a dram or 2.
In this episode we look back over his career which has seen him working in women's fashion to managing some of the top bars and restaurants in the country.
Now Mark travels the world selling exclusive bottles and casks of some of the finest whisky available.
As always, this was a lot of fun to record and enjoy a good few drams while we chatted.
Enjoy
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Inverness to the Cayman Islands - Charlie Hume from The Malt Room
30 mei 2024 · 1 uur 50 min
It's not a well trodden path but Charlie Hume and others from The Malt Room will be venturing over to the Western Caribbean from Inverness to open up a whisky bar in Cayman. Lees meer
Charle had some incredible stories and drams to share with us when he came in a few weeks ago.
We talked about his journey into whisky and the amazing adventure he's about to embark on.
There was also some BIG news from Angus as well as some fantastic stories and laughs.
Enjoy
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Whisky and Cigars with Hector Maclean - Jeffrey St Whisky and Tobacco
30 mei 2024 · 1 uur 36 min
What makes whisky and cigars work so well together? Lees meer
Well thankfully Hector Maclean was on hand to explain it all to us.
Having co-owned the Jeffery St Whisky and Tobacco shop in Edinburgh since he was just 22, Hector was able to explain to us some of the best ways to enjoy a cigar with the right whisky.
Hector has some fantastic whisky stories (some which include his cousin Charles Maclean..) as well as incredible insights from the world of cigars and whisky.
This was a lot of fun to record.
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The Isle of Harris Hearach - Blair Sterrick talks all about selling and marketing whisky
16 mei 2024 · 1 uur 34 min
Blair Sterrick has worked in selling booze and whisky for most of his professional life. Lees meer
Having worked for the likes of Diagio and Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers, he now works for the Isle of Harris Distillery selling their new whisky The Hearach and their extremely popular and iconic gin.
In this episode we talk about the success of the distillery which has created a huge amount of local employment on the island and the interesting batch system used by the distillery for the whisky releases.
Blair was also kind enough to bring in a couple of generous samples and glasses for us to try the different batches and releases.
Enjoy
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The Jolly Topper - Mark Davidson talking tastings and selling whisky
9 mei 2024 · 1 uur 39 min
Mark Davidson has spent over 20 years working in whisky. Lees meer
When teaching maths and engineering didn't cut it, he began working behind the bar to help out at the original Scotch Malt Whisky Society bar in Leith.
From there he ended up spending the next 20+ years working in retail and delivering his own unique tastings.
It was great having Mark on and he had some great knowledge and stories to tell.
His blind tastings are legendary and very regular in and around the Edinburgh area and he can be found in the Royal Mile Whiskies shop on the Royal Mile most days if you want to buy some whisky from him.
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/jollytopertastings/?locale=en_GB
Enjoy
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Bottling, Blending and Distilling - Thomas Cuthbert from Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers
2 mei 2024 · 1 uur 39 min
Thomas wanted to get into working in whisky to be around his pals and to learn more about the industry. Lees meer
Having spent some time working with our own Ross Barr at Scotch in the Balmoral in Edinburgh, it didn't take long for Tam to gain a real insight into the wonderful world of whisky.
Since then he's started his own lockdown business and now works as Brand Ambassador for Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers representing their brands - Carn Mor, Old Perth, Mac-Talla and Aberargie Distillery.
As ever this episode was a lot of fun to record. Tam brought in some great samples for us to try which included this years Islay Whisky Festival Mac-Talla release which was incredible.
Enjoy
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Uno Mas - One More Whisky Couple with Sian & Jody Buchan
25 april 2024 · 1 uur 42 min
We're fast becoming a 'whisky couples' podcast now and it was great to welcome Sian Buchan on to the podcast with her husband and previous guest Jody and Paddy the dog. Lees meer
Sian owns Uno Mas in Edinburgh which is a very relaxed and easy going bar open till late and the perfect location for 'one more' before heading home.
Having previously worked for Old Pulteney, Sian is very familiar with her whiskies and has made sure that the back bar at Uno Mas is stocked with interesting and very enjoyable drams along with plenty of other spirits from around the world.
Although this episode was all about Sian, Jody was happy to keep their dog Paddy happy and chip in occasionally too. He even got to give us a bonus dram on top of his previous What 3 Drams from his episode.
As ever, this was a lot of fun, Jody and Sian live for the hospitality industry and both work so hard. It was great hearing their stories and having a great laugh.
Enjoy!
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'I've just come down From the Isle of Skye' - The Dramdabbler Stewart Dick - Global Brand Ambassador for Mossburn Distillers & Torabhaig
18 april 2024 · 1 uur 47 min
As the new Global Brand Ambassador it was great to get Stewart Dick down to Edinburgh and into the pub while he was on his travels spreading the word and dishing out drams of whisky from Torabhaig Distillery on the Isle of Skye. Lees meer
Skye has become a massive tourist destination for Scotland and when it comes to whisky on Skye, Talisker is the one that most people will think of. Mainly because it's the only one that's been on the island for years and years.
But now Torabhaig have started producing and it's not only giving the tourists an extra whisky tour to squeeze in on a visit to Skye (if you can get past the German campervans), it's also providing exciting jobs and opportunities for the locals too.
Stewart has gone from running his own pub to starting a wholesale paper and office supplies company. But it was his love for hospitality and working with whisky which took him to the famous Tomatin Distillery.
From there, he became a very familiar face on TikTok as the Dramdabbler and has now amassed over 50k followers on the platform and shares very entertaining and insightful videos for his audience.
But the opportunity to become Global Brand Ambassador for Mossburn Distillers brought him to where he is today.
Stewart is a whisky geek and we loved hearing all about the way whisky is made at Torabhaig.
Graeme also brought in some very interesting bottles he had acquired in the latest auctions, a very dinky 50cl bottle of history from the 1970's and a humongous 1.75L bottle of something else.
Tune in to listen and enjoy.
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5,000 to 1 Grant's Whisky Global Brand Ambassador - Danny Dyer
11 april 2024 · 1 uur 18 min
Danny's job is basically to travel around the world telling incredible stories and getting people to drink Grant's Whisky. Lees meer
And he's extremely good at both of those things.
For the third week in a row we have yet another Scotch Whisky Experience alumni on the podcast and what a recording it was.
Danny has worked in the industry since he was 18. While he was working behind a whisky bar in Edinburgh, he entered a competition to become the Global Brand Ambassador for one of the most popular whisky brands in the world - Grant's Whisky.
From 5,000 initial applicants, he was the one who made it and has spent the last 6 years travelling around the world, putting on some incredible events and spreading the word about Grant's and the William Grant and Sons family business.
As always, it was a great night enjoying drams, swapping stories and learning all about the life of a Global Brand Ambassador.
Enjoy
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It's all about the experience with Glenturret's Alex Thomson
4 april 2024 · 1 uur 52 min
Once again we were joined by another alumni of the Scotch Whisky Experience who has gone on to forge his own path in the wonderful world of whisky. Lees meer
Whisky and tourism goes hand in hand in Scotland and Alex has worked in creating experiences for tourists and visitors throughout his career.
As Visitor Attraction Manager at the Glenturret Distillery in Creif, Alex oversees the different tours and experiences on offer which can range from a 45 min tour with a dram for £18 all the way to an overnight stay and a luxury 14 course taster menu in The Glenturret LALIQUE 2 Michelin-star Restaurant with plenty of drams.
As per usual, this was a great laugh to record and we heard some fantastic stories and tasted some great drams.
Enjoy
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The Whisky Youth Development System (+18) - Alistair Baxter from the Scotch Whisky Experience
28 maart 2024 · 1 uur 34 min
We think Alistair is the first person we have had on the podcast who is a born and bred Speysider. Lees meer
Growing up a stones throw away from Glen Moray in Elgin, Alistair was destined to work in whisky.
In this episode we were back in our new home from home - The Kilderkin Pub in Edinburgh and back in our usual booth.
Alistair is now Head of Visitor Experience at the famous Scotch Whisky Experience which has now become a hotbed for future whisky ambassadors, journalists and people working in the production of whisky.
Alistair talks us through his journey into the world of whisky and as per usual, after a couple of drams, the conversation and stories just began to flow.
Discussions about everything from drinking drams in a hot tub to visiting barley conferences in London, this episode is packed with the usual Whisky Stories nonsense.
Pour a dram, sit back and enjoy.
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The Scotch Cam - Cameron Ewen - A giant in the world of Scotch Whisky
21 maart 2024 · 2 uur 1 min
Ross said on the first episode of this podcast that 'Big Cam' is his "Whisky Dad". Lees meer
We've all got to know Cameron from either working with him or enjoying his hospitality skills as the man behind Scotch in the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh.
As you will hear in this episode, Cameron has been part of creating a whisky experience in Scotch for hotel guests and whisky lovers to experience an incredible range of whiskies.
He's got some great stories and even brought in some great samples for us to enjoy during and after the episode.
Once again a big thanks to The Athletic Arms for having us.
Enjoy
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Royal Mile Whiskies Trade Sales Manager - Duggie Liddle
14 maart 2024 · 1 uur 35 min
Duggie is pretty much responsible for making sure the large majority of pubs, bars and hotels around Scotland are well stocked with whisky. Lees meer
The Royal Mile Whiskies shop on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh has become one of Scotland's most established whisky shops.
With shelves stocked from the ground to the ceiling with thousands of different whiskies to chose from and staff who have been there so long the come with the lease of the building, it really is a treat (an expensive one) to visit and check out what they have in stock and have a good old chat.
But as well as being a retailer on the 'High Street', Royal Mile Whiskies are also a very established wholesaler of whisky to bars, hotels restaurants and pubs around the whole of Scotland and some of England.
And Duggie is the man in charge of managing the sales to all trade customers.
It was great to be back in the Athletic Arms enjoying our spot in the 'Snug'.
Angus and Graeme had been out 'working' at the Fife Whisky Festival and had lots of chat to report back from their first ever experience as 'Guest Exhibitors'.
Seeing as they enjoyed it so much, if there are any other whisky companies, distilleries or bottlers who are brave enough to let the 2 of them loose on your stand at any other whisky festivals or shows then I'm sure they would happily oblige.
Enjoy
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New Pub - Podcast landlord Kev invited us to his pub in Edinburgh - The Kilderkin
7 maart 2024 · 1 uur 24 min
It was a birthday treat for Ross as we were invited to sample the atmosphere and whisky at the Whisky Stories Landlord Kev's latest pub - The Kilderkin at the bottom of the Royal Mile. Lees meer
Kev was our second ever episode and first official guest (Ross was meant to be a guest but he just kept coming back every week..).
It was great to catch up with Kev again and hear about his exciting plans for the pub which was very busy when we recorded.
Kev seems to have found a blueprint for taking over bars and pubs and turning them into places with a reputation for good whisky, fair prices and a very welcoming atmosphere.
It was great to be in different surroundings for this episode and celebrate the youngster of the podcast turning 25 years old (we're sure he's actually 45 years old).
Find out more about The Kilderkin:
Facebook
Instagram
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Holyrood Distillery Senior Distiller Conor O'Keeffe - From drinking it to making it
29 februari 2024 · 1 uur 51 min
When Conor came to Scotland for a holiday it didn't take him long to realise that he had to stay. Lees meer
With plenty of experience in working in the bar trade, Conor began to learn more and more about whisky.
But it was during lockdown when he really began to study the whisky making process and it wasn't long before an opportunity of a lifetime landed on his lap and he began working at the new Holyrood Distillery in Edinburgh.
What's interesting about Holyrood is that the distillery is not doing what most others do when it comes to finding a distinct flavour and sticking with it.
As Conor explains, it's all about experimenting and playing around with different yeasts, malts and fermentation to explore what kind of flavours can be created.
As the Senior Distiller at the distillery, Conor overseas all of that process in the early production stages and explains his role and his journey into whisky.
Once again, a big thanks to the Athletic Arms for having us and it was also a welcome return for Ross Bar who was back and looking refreshed after his wedding planning State Side.
Enjoy
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The Lost Episode Take 2 - Mike Brown was BACK in to join us and talk all things Glengoyne, Tamdhu, Smokehead and Rosebank
22 februari 2024 · 2 uur 6 min
This is a Whisky Stories epic episode with over 2 hours of whisky chat, story telling, tasting drams and lots of laughs. Lees meer
Mike Brown is a brand ambassador for Ian Macleod Distillers who own Glengoyne Distillery, Tamdhu Distillery, Rosebank Distillery and the brand Smokehead.
Mike's job is to talk about all of these distilleries and brands and he's very, very good at his job.
Like a lot of brand ambassadors, Mike started working in the bar trade but it was his Scottish roots that brought him up north of the border and it wasn't long before he was working in whisky.
In this episode, Mike talks us through the stories, whiskies and history of Glengoyne, Tamdhu, Smokehead and Rosebank and he brought some lovely samples in for us to try as well.
One sample which was incredible to taste was the new make spirit from the newly revamped and redeveloped Rosebank Distillery.
As you'll probably tell from the intro to this episode and my voice from about halfway through, we did enjoy a dram or 2 or 3 while recording this. But the sore head the next morning was totally worth it and we had a lot of fun while recording.
I hope you enjoy this as much as we did.
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Whisky Couple's Counselling - George and Rachel from Fragrant Drops Independent Bottlers
15 februari 2024 · 1 uur 32 min
George and Rachel are the second 'whisky couple' to join us on the podcast. Lees meer
Having met through whisky at the Soho Whisky Club in London, they've had a journey through whisky that has taken them to Australia and then back to Scotland.
George worked as General Manager at the Soho Whisky Club and it was there that Rachel first clocked eyes on the handsome chap working behind the bar.
It wasn't long before they were on their travels to Australia where George spent some time working at the Starward Distillery in Melbourne.
It was there where he got some hands-on experience in distilling whisky and getting to know exactly how a distillery works from the inside.
When they moved back to the UK Keeble Cask Co. was started and George operated as a broker selling casks to different buyers.
Then in January 2023, they decided to bottle their first whisky under the brand Fragrant Drops and they haven't looked back.
George and Rachel were great fun to have on and had plenty of brilliant stories and lots of information on the wonderful word of independently bottles whisky. And they get extra bonus points for bringing in their own samples for us too!
Enjoy
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First Distillery Visit - Eden Mill - Exciting new plans in St Andrews for the 'new' distillery
8 februari 2024 · 1 uur 41 min
Angus and Graeme took a trip to St Andrews to meet Chris and Euan from Eden Mill. Lees meer
Although the new distillery is currently under construction and not expected to be fully completed until spring/summer 2025, we were able to enjoy recording this episode in the cosy cabin they have on site called The Bothy.
Eden Mill already has single malt whisky and a blend on the market. The distillery has been producing whisky since 2013 and there are plenty of casks sitting maturing nicely for bottling between now and when the new distillery will reopen.
We heard all about the exciting plans as well as the history behind the distillery in the area.
There was loads of great chat about the local area and surrounding areas in Fife.
Euan and Chris were great hosts and cracked open a couple of bottles for Angus to enjoy as Graeme was the designated driver for this trip.
This was great fun to record and we really enjoyed being out 'on the road' recording an episode at a distillery (or construction site of a distillery).
To find out more about Eden Mill, you can check out their website - https://www.edenmill.com/
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Indy Bottlers Woodrow's of Edinburgh - Woody and Megan join us for blending, bottling and investing chat
1 februari 2024 · 1 uur 21 min
Woody and Megan are our first 'whisky couple' to have joined us on the podcast. Lees meer
Woody travelled from Hong Kong to Edinburgh to study Medical Science, but after realising he was no good in the lab, he decided to swap that and begin his journey into brewing and distilling.
Megan and Woody began by exporting Scottish beer and spirits to the eastern Asian markets and decided to invest in a cask of whisky.
Now they have their own warehouse, bottling line and a van. They supply bars and shops around the UK with their independently bottled whisky as well as supporting other indy bottlers with stock and their bottling and labelling services.
We took a real deep dive into the world of independent bottling, cask purchasing and investment and found out exactly how much work goes into starting your own whisky business.
This was a lot of fun to record once again at The Athletic Arms in Edinburgh and we enjoyed a good few of their whiskies that they had on offer.
You can find all you need to know about Woodrow's of Edinburgh through their website - https://www.woodrowswhisky.com/
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Burns Night with Whisky and Cynicism | Simon Smith - Whisky Events, Training and Consultancy
25 januari 2024 · 1 uur 58 min
Simon Smith doesn't just know his way around a whisky bar, he literally curates and creates them. Lees meer
In our longest episode recorded, Simon talks us through his journey from Australia to Inverary in the Nort West of Scotland and how he became known within the industry for his incredible work in curating and creating whisky collections.
Simon created his own business from writing about the cynicism in whisky online in his blog.
What started as a way to keep him amused during lockdown, has now grown into his own business which specialises in events, training and consultancy for whisky and other spirits.
He has also opened his own pop-up bar in Edinburgh City Centre which was so successful over the festive period he has extended his license to keep it open for another couple of months.
As this will be going up on Burns Night, we also spend some time talking about the great Bard and his connections to the whisky industry.
There's also some very ropey and probably not fully factual history stories dotted in this episode.
This is our longest episode that we've recorded, but the drams were flowing and the chat was great and we could easily have gone on and chatted for much longer.
Pour yourself a dram, sit back and relax to another episode of the Whisky Stories Podcast.
How to find Simon - https://www.whiskyandcynicism.com/
Instagram - whiskyandcynicism
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The Auld Pals Episode - Fraser Souness joins us to enjoy some drams and just being 'auld pals'
18 januari 2024 · 1 uur 49 min
Fraser and Ross have known each other for nearly 24 years, which is the same time Angus and Graeme have been pals since the old days at school. Lees meer
So this made the perfect episode to sip some drams and enjoy being old pals.
Fraser works in luxury hospitality at the amazing Scotch Bar in the Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh. With over 500 whiskies to chose from, and the expertise of the guys behind the bar, Scotch is a great place for anyone to visit. They also boast to having the only open bottle of 40 year old Macallan (outside of the distillery) in Scotland, available for an eye watering £850.
Fraser talks us through his experience in becoming one of the whisky ambassadors for the bar, what he had to learn and shares some great stories of his time working behind the bar and delivering great tastings.
Ross and Fraser grew up together on the sunny shores of Dumbar, but after school they drifted apart, only to find themselves both working behind the bar in Scotch years later as colleagues.
Fraser has some great stories and we all had a good laugh recording this one with a few fantastic drams to go with it.
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Whiskies From Around the World - Jody Buchan talks us through changing perceptions of non-Scotch Whisky
11 januari 2024 · 1 uur 25 min
Jody is a well known character in the world of whisky. As you'll be able to tell in this episode, he's got plenty of chat and loves a dram. Lees meer
Big shout out to Paddy the dug (dog) who is also the first pub dog to have appeared on the podcast!
Jody didn't have the most conventional entries into the wonderful world of whisky, but that's what makes his story so good.
From working off-shore in the North Sea as a chemical engineer, to starting his own bar in Edinburgh. Jody has had a great journey which led him to becoming Brand Ambassador for Monkey Shoulder.
He's now working with different brand portfolios with an emphasis on other whiskies from around the world. This included Nikka Whisky from Japan, Taiwanese Single Malt Kavalan and the Indian classic Amrut.
What a character with a strong North Eastern Scottish accent and some brilliant stories and chat.
Once again, a big thanks to The Athletic Arms - Diggers in Edinburgh for hosting us with plenty of amazing drams on offer.
If you want to find Jody on socials, his Instagram is the best place to go - @_The_Motto_Monkey
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Distillery Director - Meeghan Murdoch | Director at GlenWyvis Distillery and SagasuDrinks
4 januari 2024 · 1 uur 25 min
Meeghan has spent the majority of her working life in the drinks industry. Having started off working in bars, she's gone on to work in Japan brewing Sake, she's been involved in brewing beer, wine making and now she's a director at a new distillery in the Highlands - GlenWyvis. Lees meer
As well as working in the distillery, Meeghan also has her own company called SagasuDrinks who offer a wide variety of services to the spirits, beer and wine industry. Meeghan is qualified to deliver WSET (Wine & Spirits Education Trust) training courses - find out more.
This episode was recorded in the build up to Christmas and we were not in our usual surroundings. A big thanks to the Gleneagles Townhouse in Edinburgh City Centre for hosting us in one of their private members rooms.
We had also enjoyed a few beers and drams in the build up to recording this which made us all nice and 'relaxed' before recording.
Meeghan kindly brought in some very cool, tasty and interesting sampled from GlenWyvis Distillery for us to try.
Although the distillery isn't open to the public, I have had a chance to have a look around before recording this episode. Despite being labelled a 'new distillery', GlenWyvis already have a number of releases out and available to buy. The distillery is also very unique in the sense that it is a 'community owned' distillery in Scotland.
This was a great laugh recording and hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed recording.
How to find Meeghan:
Instagram - @sagasudrinks
Website - https://www.sagasudrinks.com/
GlenWhyvis Distillery - https://www.glenwyvis.com/
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Happy New Year BONUS Episode | The Distillers' Fair at The Scotch Whisky Experience
1 januari 2024 · 1 uur 9 min
Happy New Year from the Whisky Stories Podcast! Lees meer
On the 29th Dec, Graeme and Angus visited The Scotch Whisky Experience in Edinburgh to try their new immersive whisky tour which finished with the annual Distillers' Fair.
The tour was great fun and very insightful. Lots of information about the production of whisky, the regions and the differences between single malt and blended whisky. We took the Silver Tour which lasted about 50 mins with a tour guide taking us through the building into different rooms which had multi audio and visual equipment to make the tour very immersive and engaging.
Usually the tour ends in the famous The Diageo Claive Vidiz Whisky Collection. As you walk through this incredible room full of nearly 4,000 bottles of whisky, you get drawn into looking at all the different types and brands of bottles in this amazing collection.
Thankfully, the Distillers' Fair was an added bonus and we were treated to around 12 different stalls which were all showcasing some great whiskies from around Scotland. We enjoyed chatting to the exhibitors while we sipped some generous samples that were on offer.
This was our first Whisky Stories Podcast 'school trip' and we loved it.
We hope all of our listeners have a happy and healthy New Year in 2024!
Exhibitors we spoke to in this episode:
The Drinks Cabinet showcasing Whyte & Mackay and Edrington
Angus Dundee Distillers with Glencadam and Tomintoul
Arran Whisky Distillery & Lagg Whisky Distillery
Lindores Abbey Distillery
Douglas Laing
Speyside Distillery
Gleann Mor Spirits
Ian Macleod Distillers with Tamdhu - Glengoyne and Smoke Head
Annadale Distillery
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Whisky Guru - Colin Hinds | Scottish Whisky Bar of the Year and Whisky Guru of the Year 2023
28 december 2023 · 1 uur 31 min
What an episode this was to record! Lees meer
Colin Hinds has had an incredible life and journey through whisky and we were privileged enough to get to hear it first hand in the back room of the Athletic Arms in Edinburgh.
Having started out as a chef, Colin travelled the world working in some of the top tourist destinations and running a kitchen on a cruise liner. On his return to Scotland he opened his first restaurant in Edinburgh and began the popular Whisky Forager. His attention to detail when creating whisky paired menus is incredible. He gave us a great insight into how he works with the different flavour profiles of food and whisky. He even gave Angus some tips for his Christmas dinner too!
Colin also had to bounce back from cancer which involved a very aggressive treatment of radiotherapy and chemotherapy which jeopardised his ability to be able to taste. However, through months of hard work and determination, he not only beat the illness and came out the other side, he was able to recalibrate his taste buds and get back to tasting and enjoying whisky again.
He is now the proud owner of the famous Tipsy Midgie Whisky Bar in Edinburgh and in just 18 months of opening, he scooped up Scotland's Whisky Bar of the Year Award and Whisky Guru of the Year at the 2023 Scottish Pub & Bar Awards.
Colin is a big character in the world of Scotch Whisky and has some incredible stories to tell.
Check out the Tipsy Midgie - https://www.tipsymidgie.com/
Find Colin on Instagram - @WhiskyForager and @TipsyMidgie
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Making whisky with Greg Urquhart | Gleann Mor Spirits Spirits Manager talks indy bottling, managing casks and blending whisky
21 december 2023 · 1 uur 18 min
It all started with one photo and from there Greg Urquhart found himself managing an inventory of whisky casks. Lees meer
Gleann Mor Spirits are an independent bottler from Leith, Edinburgh who are responsible for brands and whisky ranges such as Whisky Row, Edinburgh Whisky and Rare Find.
In this episode we chatted with the man responsible for managing the casks in the warehouse and creating the whisky that they produce. We hear all about the process Greg goes through when creating the flavour profiles for blending as well as sampling casks and assessing what happens to the liquid next.
Angus also gave us a brief history lesson on the infamous Pattison Brothers who were responsible for the first 'whisky crash' in the 1890s.
As always this was a very fun episode to record. Greg gave us a real insight into what he does in the wonderful world of whisky and his story of how he got into it.
His What 3 Drams are a treat as well.
Find out more about Gleann Mor Spirits and the different products and ranges on their website - https://gmspirits.com/
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Brand Ambassador Cody Reynolds | "Liquid to Lips" - Glencadam and Tomintoul Brand Ambassador
14 december 2023 · 1 uur 9 min
Cody Reynolds didn't just love to try a dram or two while he was at university, he wrote his dissertation on it. Lees meer
Having spent his early days working in the Scotch Whisky Experience in Edinburgh, Cody worked his way through the ranks to eventually becoming part of their prestigious Tasting Panel. From there, Cody joined Angus Dundee Distillers as a Brand Ambassador which covers Glencadam and Tomintoul whisky.
We don't claim to be geeky or nerdy on the podcast, but Cody has no issues with the label and when you listen to this episode you'll understand why. His knowledge on the subject is incredible but his passion really does shine through. We had a great laugh recording this episode in Bennets Bar, Edinburgh and hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed recording it.
The best place to find Cody online is on his Instagram account - https://www.instagram.com/mysterydrams/?hl=en
If you are in Edinburgh and fancy a nice drink in a traditional Edinburgh Pub in town then head along to Bennets, they have a great selection of beers and a very extensive whisky list -
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