Content to recommend

Ok first off,

I recently listened to episode #182 of the Bourbon Pursuit:

bourbonpursuit.com/2019/01/…

They get pretty deep into the whole whisky sourcing business and get the 411 from one of the biggest players in that field, at least on the bourbon side of things. This was really enlightening as to how NDP brands get their juice

2nd yes another podcast:

maximumfun.org/bullseye/…

This is a very candid interview with Boz Scaggs, I know the Lido Shuffle has come up in many threads so figured some of you might dig listening to this.

As a side note Jesse Thorn's podcast is really good, he often manages to ask the guest unexpected questions and because he is such a fan he discusses most peoples work in a way they don't always get from other interviews. He seems like he meanders when asking questions but bear with it, it results in great conversations.

I hear there's this guy on Youtube —"Ralfy," maybe?—who posts charming whisky reviews mixed with just the right amount of medical advice.

I’d we’re going to recommend podcasts, I’ll recommend a couple of Marks: Mark Gillespie’s Whisky Cast and Mark Bylok’s Whisky Topic. Both have great content.

I’m also a fan of whisky.com, the website and Horst’s swishingly fun reviews.

@OdysseusUnbound both great options, I think Mark Gillespie has to be commended for the work he does, it really is the closest to a whisky news show we are likely to find and despite getting a lot of media passes and trips he doesn't come of like a shill, it shows that he worked in broadcasting for many years prior.

The whiskytopic I like despite it's by the seat of our pants approach but at times it feels a bit like old chums getting together for a drink depending on the episode.

Are there any recent or past episodes of either show that really struck you and you would recommend?

@cricklewood Whisky Topic’s episodes with Dr Don Livermore are always favourites, especially the one from Oct 27/2018 “Lignin: the most underrated flavour molecule”

And I really enjoyed the Whisky Cast episode 701 from May 27/2018. It’s all about Port Charlotte and Bruichladdich. Their CEO is interviewed and comes across as a genuine, down to earth guy. The anti-Macallan, if you will.

I never dipped a toe into that Mark Gillespie fella's content, but I have a vague notion that I might have shared a cab with him on Islay in 2010.

@MadSingleMalt vague notion because you're recollection is unclear or because you're not sure it was him?

@OdysseusUnbound thanks for sharing your faves. Yes the episodes with Dr. Don (2 or 3 of em can't recall) are always good.

Funny enough the episode of whisky topic (#83) with Mark Gillespie is one of my favorites, it was interesting to hear him outside of the confines of his show.

Recent episodes of whisky topic I dug was #110 with John Quinn of Tullamore Dew, there's a lot of marketing blab but there is good info on Irish whisky and how it's blended.

105 Andy Watts the head distiller of Three Ships, came across as very personable and an captivating orator

94 Marianne Barnes of Castle & Key same as above.

@cricklewood: "vague notion" because I barely know who is now, and I had NO idea then. I don't do podcasts.But I shared a cab with some big happy middle-aged white dude who said he did a whisky podcast that I might know about. So I'm just guessing it was him.

He (if it was him) wasn't really that friendly or anything. Now the cab driver on the other hand! Lamont, the Islay cab driver and my favorite person I met in a month traveling England and Scotland! I'd ride in his car any day.

@MadSingleMalt - This cabbie . . . could you understand a word he said? Every time I'm north of Glasgow, or in rural areas, I have to set my ears to sonar and my brain to translate/best fit mode and I'm not without an accent myself (although my family would say I'm sounding more like a bumpkin southerner every day ha!).

It's the addition of . . . 'but' to the end of every sentence that gets me the most. I'm like, ' . . . but, what?'

Apologies, OP, I digress. What about the Scotch Test Dummies? I've a soft spot as I won a comp they did and got some free glassware that's quite cool but understand that they're not everyone's cup of tea. They're a bit over the top at times and have grown increasingly merchandise and Patreon endorsing but they do some fun comparisons and shoot outs. They don't profess to be experts, get through a lot of content and aren't afraid to 'take one for the team'.

@RianC, Lamont was charming, friendly, and wise. He brought my ex to his friend's farm so she could frolic with lambs.

But he won me over when he pulled an unlabeld bottle of Islay single malt from his glove box for an 8 AM nip. He called it his "second aid kit."

I hear there's a well-respected Canadian blogger who frequents this site - from what I've read he puts out engaging and informative content with a not overly pretentious style So good infact, he's getting buttered up by distillers HA!

ontarioscotchlover.blogspot.com

Oh and I should add that I also find @markjedi1's reviews and YT ramblings enjoyable, snappy but very useful - he has an eye for location that's for sure! He's a bit of a mean scorer though

@RianC I don't mind the Scotch Test Dummies so much, their enthusiasm and earnestness can be addictive and if they get each other laughing it can be quite good, yes sometimes the one dude can be over the top at times. As far as the Patreon, merch thing, I think for creators once you go down that route it becomes an engine you have to feed in order to keep going.

@MadSingleMalt I like that "second aid kit", situations like that are the ones that make trips memorable.

@RianC I don’t know how well-respected that Canadian guy is. I think he’s a bit of a hack, though I’d be reticent to tell him that. I hear he’s got a bit of a temper.

But seriously, Josh at The Whiskey Jug puts out lots of good content. I also enjoy Breaking Bourbon.

@OdysseusUnbound -

Yeah the whisky jug is usually a good read. I sometimes watch Whisky Wednesday vlogs. Used to be a Brummy lad that did it (that I'm convinced used to film in a flat from the same ones I used to live in in Manchester) but is now done by another fella who manages a whisky bar (or did?) in that city.

He's gone down a more polished 'jazzy' route that I find a bit over the top but he does concise reviews and is consistent.

I just finished listening to an episode of Mark Bylok’s Whisky Topic podcast with Dr Nick Morgan from Diageo. It was quite different from what I was expecting. Morgan came off a lot funnier than he does in print, where he often sounds like a stuffy, condescending aristocrat. I didn’t agree with everything he said, but he didn’t totally dodge the NAS question. Mark even used Bruichladdich’s methodology (with label codes on the website for full disclosure) as a counterpoint and Morgan stated that he’s not opposed to the idea in principle, but that Diageo’s lawyers think Bruichladdich are in violation of the SWR and that Diageo should hold off on that type of thing for now. It’s not a full mea culpa or anything, but it was more than what I expected. He even jokingly refered to Diageo as Glen Mordor.

@OdysseusUnbound - Having a listen to this now. He comes across well but, while I'm no Twitter monster, I find his gentle scathing of those opposed to NAS a bit condescending.

He states that Diageo also have a right to have opinions on NAS, colouring etc - 100% agree. However, I'd have more respect for those opinions if they were based primarily on quality of whisky and not, as he omits (I suspect deliberately), on profit margins.

Nice get out on the Bruichladdich transparency as well: This is a point Ralfy argues very well in my opinion, especially where the SWA is concerned. His use of the word 'consumer' as opposed to customer is quite telling in that context.

I can see why he got the gig

here's a fun one an interview with @markjedi1 on Scotchwhisky.com, it's done by the inimitable pen of Angus MacRaild

scotchwhisky.com/magazine/the-collectors/…

Oh, I was not even aware it was online yet. I only sent Angus the text yesterday… That's fast!

@markjedi1 - That's some collection 'Mr Toshan'

And while I'm very happy with how this interview turned out, it was only a small part of the converstation. The full, unabridged version can now be found on my website at markdermul.be/toshanman/20190129.html. Enjoy!

@markjedi1 nice interview! It's always interesting to hear our different whisky paths.

www.youtube.com/watch

An interesting experiment by the STDs on gassing. Granted it's in the early stages, and I'd have liked them to give the pours more of a chance to breathe, but it seems they found that the non-gassed samples were giving more than those that were gassed.

Intriguing.

@RianC It has been my experience that gassed bottles need a little more time to open up.

@Nozinan - Which is what I'd have suspected. Still, It does make me think that my current 'policy' of finishing bottles within six months, a year at the most, with no gas is perfectly fine.

I know many here keep bottles open for years and gassing would seem wise in that case. I also think that some bottles will be less likely to deteriorate than others (without gas).

@RianC, something tells me they didn't have the abbreviation "STDs" in mind when they picked their name.

@MadSingleMalt Or they did...

Stop the presses! Johnnie Walker whisky ambassador says you can tell how old a whisky is by smelling it.

amp.businessinsider.com/how-to-tell-how-ex…

With such brainwaves as

-According to Reynolds, detecting the sting of alcohol is a sign you're drinking a young whisky.

This guy has never had a whisky above 40% abv...

-Meanwhile, if you can pick up other flavor notes, it's a good sign it's a more expensive bottle.

Flavors other than "smooth" you mean?

Seriously this is some of the dumbest shit I've heard.

@cricklewood ...smooooth, like a silky man-bun and old smelling like an urban bag, handmade in full-grain leather with cameras and smart devices in mind.

Derp. Just about every quote and idea in that article is asinine.

No, wait: This fella came across Johnnie Walker in a 2015 cocktail competition. I take it back. This guy knows his stuff.