Not Another Whisky Podcast

Recorded in the historic Vaults in Leith, Mitch Bechard is joined by SMWS “chief storyteller” Richard Goslan and Kask Whisky founder Justine Hazlehurst for a deep dive into one of Scotch whisky’s most overlooked powerhouses.Leith was never just a port. It was a whisky engine room: bonding, brokering, blending, bottling and shipping enormous volumes of Scotch around the world. At one point, the area was home to around 90–100 bonded warehouses, yet its role in shaping the modern industry is often pushed into the background.Richard brings The Vaults to life, from its ancient origins and long links with the drinks trade to the birth of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society in 1983. He shares how the Society’s single-cask ethos developed, why bottle 1.1 became legendary, how the tasting panel works, and how SMWS bottle names manage to be both brilliant and completely unhinged.Justine guides us through Leith’s boom-and-bust whisky past, from Pattison’s infamous 1898 crash, to wars, consolidation, the whisky loch, and the stories still hiding in plain sight on the Leith Whisky Trail. There are disputed parrots, a very real pub puma attack, independent bottling chat, festival stories, and a reminder that whisky history is always better when it hasn’t been polished to death.A proper sense-of-place episode from one of Scotland’s most important whisky rooms.00:00 Welcome to The Vaults in Leith00:48 Meet Richard Goslan and Justine Hazlehurst02:46 Inside the history of The Vaults05:57 Why Leith matters to Scotch whisky08:46 The origins of the Leith Whisky Trail11:06 Wild stories from Leith’s past12:46 SMWS founding story and bottle labels16:30 Whisky as a shared community19:54 Leith’s boom-and-bust whisky timeline26:02 The whisky loch and SMWS’s first cask28:11 SMWS codes, flavour profiles and tasting culture29:42 How the SMWS tasting panel works30:47 The joy of flamboyant bottle names31:25 Creators Collection and whisky artwork32:28 Desert island dram: SMWS 1.134:54 Glenfarclas and Leith connections35:50 The independent bottling boom38:26 Fife Whisky Festival and modern whisky culture40:39 Justine’s Pattison crash book45:19 The Pattison parrots myth48:01 Finding Pip Hills again52:07 Vaults legends and wild old days54:35 Where to find Richard and Justine

This week, Not Another Whisky Podcast goes live from the Craigellachie Hotel for Battle of the Stills, recorded during the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival.Daz is joined by three brilliant distillers: Euan Christie from The Cabrach Distillery, Polly Logan from Tormore, and Kristy Lark from Killara Distillery in Tasmania.Euan shares the story of The Cabrach: an area with deep illicit distilling roots, a shrinking population, and a new community-led distillery using whisky to support local regeneration. He also introduces The Feering, The Cabrach’s first blended malt, created with donated casks from across the industry.Polly takes us inside Tormore, one of Speyside’s most beautiful distilleries, as it prepares to launch its new core range. She talks about shaping the distillery’s fruity, floral style, the importance of American oak, and working with blender Oliver Chilton.Kristy brings the Tasmanian perspective, from growing up with a still outside her bedroom door to founding Killara Distillery. She shares how Tasmania’s climate shapes maturation and introduces a wonderfully unusual whisky inspired by a Black Velvet cocktail, finished through sparkling wine and stout casks.There are audience questions, festival chaos, whisky gossip, and at least one answer involving rum-infused Scottish tea that probably needs a legal disclaimer. Featured Whiskies and links to where you can find themThe Cabrach – The Feering Early HarvestA bright, bourbon-led blended malt with gentle peat and a strong community story.Tormore – TimelessFruity, floral and elegant, showing orchard fruit, malt and honeysuckle notes.Killara – Black Velvet Inspired Single CaskA rich Tasmanian single cask involving tawny, sparkling wine, stout and glorious madness.Please subscribe, rate and review Not Another Whisky Podcast wherever you listen. Slàinte!

Mitch and Daz catch up after a packed festival season, They recap Spirit of Speyside’s, Mitch’s chaotic-but-fun Tormore launch and plans to expand their sold-out “Battle of the Ambassadors” into a winter tournament, “The Road to Speyside,” with heats and a final at the festival. Daz recounts Fèis Ìle highlights at Laphroaig’s 40th anniversary tastings and Bowmore events, including a boat trip on Loch Indal and a 1969 Bowmore dram. They taste three whiskies: Chivas Charles Leclerc 16 (40%), Raasay Hungarian Oak (50%), and SMWS “A Belter for America” Tullibardine 10 (61%). They announce being shortlisted for the Scottish Podcast Awards, discuss Tormore’s new releases, the Bon Accord closing, Woven’s new Leith blending experience, and Glen Cairn’s leadership change, then tease upcoming episodes and a giveaway of a Ferrari cap plus whisky samples for reviews.00:00 Whisky Stories Banter00:48 New Theme Tune Debate02:23 Show Intro and Catch Up03:55 Festival Season Rundown05:31 Tormore Launch Chaos08:10 Road to Speyside Plan12:24 Three Drams Lineup13:51 Chivas x Leclerc Collab17:52 Fèis Ìle Highlights23:57 Feis vs Speyside Vibes27:33 Raasay Island Escape29:11 Hungarian Oak Tasting Notes31:41 Warehouse Night Stories32:53 Podcast Award Shortlist34:35 Whisky World News Roundup36:43 Edinburgh Whisky Experiences Boom38:32 Glen Cairn Leadership Change39:40 World Cup Whisky Bottling44:28 Deep Dives and Cooper Traditions46:57 Wrap Up and Listener Giveaway

Mitch and Daz take a deep dive into coopering — the ancient craft behind every great dram.Recorded in Edinburgh over suspiciously large highballs, the episode traces the cask from Celtic barrel-makers and Roman trade routes to modern whisky maturation, wood policy, rejuvenation and the global cask trade.Mitch speaks with Ian MacDonald, former head cooper at The Balvenie, who started his apprenticeship in 1969 and spent over 50 years in the trade. Ian shares stories of rebuilding bourbon barrels into hogsheads, working alongside David Stewart, being paid per cask, apprentice initiations, and why coopering is far more than “just hammering bits of wood together."The episode also features Lawrence Proctor, manager of Camlachie Cooperage and president of the Coopering Federation, who explains the modern reality of running a cooperage: cask repair, rejuvenation, apprenticeships, bourbon barrel prices, industry slowdowns and why coopers are often the first to feel the pressure when whisky dips.FeaturingIan MacDonald — former Head Cooper at The BalvenieLawrence Proctor — Manager at Clydeside Cooperage and President of the Scottish Coopering Federation

Daryl interviews Sarah Dowling, lead whisky maker at Laphroaig, tracing her path from a genetics and environmental background to a 2012 Edrington recycling contract that turned into a long whisky career via sensory panels, Diageo, and nearly seven years at Cooley in Ireland (working on Connemara and other releases, and even managing the site). She discusses how her palate evolved from missing vanilla to treating smoke as a “neutral,” and how collaborative tasting works best when nobody gets told what they “should” taste. Sarah explains the organic Willem Dafoe collaboration (the “Unforgettable” campaign), built from pilot blends, repeated tastings, and an Oloroso-driven 14-year whisky bottled at 53.7% with rich texture. For Fèis Ìle’s 40th anniversary, Laphroaig’s Càirdeas is fully matured in French oak, noted for Lapsang souchong-like smoke and melon notes, and Sarah previews interactive Laphroaig Day tastings, parties, and Friends of Laphroaig camaraderie.00:00 Welcome Sarah Dowling01:09 From Sustainability to Whisky02:59 Discovering Sensory Panels07:03 Finding Flavor Blind Spots11:53 Irish Whiskey Calling16:41 Life at Cooley Distillery17:55 Full Time Blender Role18:36 Willem Dafoe Collaboration20:34 Building the Oloroso Blend23:47 First Tastes and Bold Character24:28 Bold New Release25:07 Willem Gets It26:17 On Set Inspiration29:05 Friends And Festivals30:40 French Oak Cairdeas31:58 Tasting Notes Tea Smoke35:51 Feis Ile Tastings38:04 Friends Stories And Farewell

Gordon Dundas brings out Tamdhu’s Dalbeallie Dram, ninth edition — a natural-colour, first-fill sherry powerhouse sitting at 60.5% ABV. It’s everything you’d hope for from Tamdhu in full sherry beast mode: fruitcake sweetness, dark spice, espresso bitterness and a finish that somehow drinks far too easily for its strength.The panel get stuck into age statements, natural colour, value, pricing, and where the whisky market is heading after a few years of everyone releasing everything, everywhere, all at once.Then Stuart Buchanan steps up with the final dram: a newly shelved Benriach 2009 15-year-old peated whisky at 61.1% ABV, matured in refill hogsheads before spending six years in PX. Stuart talks through Benriach’s peated history, how cask choice shapes phenols, and why everyone apparently needs to save the hogshead.Along the way, the ambassadors talk favourite recent markets, from Japan and Turkey to Singapore and Australia, before looking ahead to what might be next for whisky: more highballs, more blends, more indie bottlers, and hopefully fewer releases that require remortgaging your house.The episode finishes with distillery recommendations from around the world, thoughts on new distilleries finding their feet, concerns around the pace of Irish whiskey growth, and the all-important audience vote.00:00 Next Dram Setup00:22 Dalbeallie Origins01:41 Sherry Bomb Breakdown03:44 Tasting Notes Banter04:29 Editions and Value Talk05:28 Age Statements Debate07:13 Whisky Market Correction10:06 Secondary Market Trends11:16 Final Dram Dedication12:17 Introducing Benriach Peat12:58 Peated Release Details14:50 Cask Strategy and Hogsheads17:09 PPM and Peat Science19:23 First Impressions Wrap19:29 Sherry Cask Debate20:14 Speyside DNA Explained21:10 Glenglassaugh Coastal Dram22:11 Travel Highlights Quickfire23:49 Whisky Trends Next Year26:41 Distillery Picks Worldwide33:32 New Distilleries Growing Pains34:59 Irish Whiskey Boom Concerns37:41 Global Whisky Wrap-Up39:39 Audience Vote Results