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Whisky Stories Podcast
Our FIRST Master Blender Iain Forteath and Brand Ambassador Cameron McPherson - Glencadam & Tom (Jones) in (a) Towel
What a night we had recording this episode!
Iain Forteath and Cameron McPherson had been delivering a training tasting night at the Athletic Arms for the staff so we were able to get a great chat with them after.
And what a chat it was. Iain and Cameron both talked us through their careers and journey's in whisky.
From becoming the youngest Master Blender in whisky at the time, Iain has always had a knack of tasting whisky and talks us through his processes when it comes to identifying flavour.
Cameron has followed the traditional path we have seen with so many guests having started at the Scotch Whisky Experience and forging his own pathway in the Whisky Industry as BA with Angus Dundee Distillers.
This was a lot of fun to record and there were some great Glencadam and Tomintoul drams on offer while we recorded.
Enjoy
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In the Warehouse with James Zorab - The Lowland Bond
01:16:17|This is the one we’ve all been waiting for, folks! The warehouse episode. We’ve finally got a proper peek behind the scenes and what a place to start. We're not down in the Diggers Vaults this week; we are in a massive room full of casks and the gentle, intoxicating aroma of whisky. The magic really does happen in here!Join me and Angus as we go to the Lowland Bond, home of the tallest cask racking in Europe. Seriously. Our host, James Zorab, and his right-hand man, Chuck, gave us an exclusive tour, and we even went up to the top of the racking system. My fear of heights was well and truly tested, but the view—and the aromas—from up there were absolutely worth it.We delved into the art and science of maturation, from the different types of racking systems to the consistent inconsistencies that make every cask unique. We'll be talking about the new rules for cask ownership, what a 'Wooga' is, and how James and his team handle everything from re-racking to the five-day sample turnaround promise that makes them feel like the "seventh emergency service."You'll hear Chuck reveal what it’s like to handle liquid history, including a 1990 Littlemill. We also get the lowdown on the mysterious 'timing' of casks, which involves some seriously impressive teamwork from the warehouse crew.Plus, stick around for our guests’ "What Three Casks" and a huge thank you to everyone who has supported the podcast and joined our Facebook group. We’re on a high, and the only way is up!Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.Carl Crafts: Ardnamurchan, Indy Bottling & American Dreams!
01:33:17|We're back in the Diggers Vaults at the Athletic Arms, battling the heat (it's roasting!) and diving into a proper global whisky adventure! This week, Angus and I were joined by the brilliant Carl Crafts, Sales Executive for Ardnamurchan Distillery and Adelphi.Carl, our first American guest, tells us all about his fascinating journey into the whisky world, from craft beer in the US to helping Scottish brands navigate the wild west of American exports. We're massive fans of Ardnamurchan Whisky here, and Carl gives us the inside scoop on this remote Highland gem.We dive deep into Ardnamurchan Single Malt, discussing their unique approach with both peated and unpeated spirit, and their commitment to sustainability with a biomass boiler. We also get the lowdown on Adelphi, the independent bottler with a wild history – including a legendary washback explosion in Glasgow!And of course, we're dramming some absolute crackers! Carl pours us the unreleased Ardnamurchan Midgie Batch 2 (with port influence and a sneaky sherry butt!), a tasty new core range expression. We also get into the nitty-gritty of their single cask whisky releases and how they balance broader appeal with limited editions, including their annual Ardnamerica bottling.To round off a cracking chat, Carl reveals his fascinating What3Drams picks, sharing personal favourites that shaped his journey in whisky. This episode is packed with Carl's expert insights, plenty of laughs, and a deep dive into the unique world of Ardnamurchan Single Malt and AdelphiIndian Whiskies, Japanese Drams & Whisky Wonders!
01:16:26|We're back in the Diggers Vaults at the Athletic Arms, sweating it out (it's roasting!) and diving into a proper global whisky adventure! This week, Angus, Ross, Fraser, and I are catching up after our whirlwind travels, and I've brought back some rather unique souvenirs for us to try.First up, we're tackling Indian whiskies! I'll share some insights from my recent trip to Mumbai for a wild blind tasting experience with the Single Malt Amateur Club. We try some of India's biggest selling brands – Royal Stag, Blender's Pride, and 100 Pipers – and let's just say, the results are... interesting. Some surprises in there, especially when it comes to the "Scotch" element!Then, Fraser unveils a true unicorn: a super rare Japanese whisky from Fuji Gotemba Distillery – the mysterious Dunbar! This one has a bizarre story and some even more bizarre tasting notes (urinal cakes, anyone?!).We also get Fraser's take on his new gig at Gordon & MacPhail, following up on our last chat with Stephen Rankin. He gives us the lowdown on life inside one of the world's most historic independent bottlers and how their incredible whisky portfolio stretches from affordable drams to absolute treasures.Plus, we talk about Rosebank Distillery's incredible Tamdhu residency and the unique blending experience there. And stick around for a hilarious debate on the "Seven Wonders of the Whisky World" and whether a distillery tour is better during production or shutdown.Finally, we unveil the utterly mind-blowing Gordon & MacPhail Driver's Pack drams that Stephen Rankin generously sent us – a line-up of truly world-class, aged whiskies we'll be showcasing in a separate video!It's just another Friday night in the pub with lots of drams, plenty of laughs, surprising whiskies, and the occasional whisky chat you won't hear anywhere else. Don't miss it!🥃 Gordon & MacPhail: From Grocers to Whisky Bottling Legends! 🥃
01:36:25|Join Angus and I as we roll into Elgin for the final leg of our Speyside whisky road trip – and boy, have we got a corker of an episode for you! We managed to corner Stephen Rankin, Director of Prestige at Gordon & MacPhail, the legendary independent bottler and a total powerhouse in the Scotch whisky industry.This chat's a right laugh, folks. We dig into the incredible Gordon & MacPhail family business story, kicking off way back in 1895 when they were, believe it or not, just a local grocer. Stephen spills the beans with some hilarious and fascinating tales about growing up surrounded by whisky (literally!) – from helping his grandad knock down warehouses at Benromach Distillery to navigating the quirks of a multi-generational setup.We chat about how independent bottling really works, the magic behind whisky maturation, and how Gordon & MacPhail's obsession with quality has kept them at the top of their game for decades. You'll get the inside scoop on their approach to cask management and why building proper whisky industry relationships is absolutely vital. Plus, Stephen drops a few hints about a brand-new release that's about to rewrite the history books – you won't want to miss it!We'll be sipping on a cracking Glenburgie 1994 from their Connoisseurs Choice range, having a natter about their other distilleries like The Cairn Distillery, and, naturally, rounding it off with Stephen’s personal "What3Drams" picks.If you're a fan of a good single malt whisky, love a genuine family business yarn, and fancy a chuckle, then this episode is well worth a watch (or a listen!).Don't miss out:Subscribe to the Whisky Stories Podcast for more cracking whisky content!Join our Facebook Group for the Weekend Dram Roll Call – get involved and share your drams with the best whisky community around!Keep an eye on our newsletter for Angus's Dram of the Week and loads more!India's Whisky Revolution: Inside the Single Malt Amateur Club
01:32:43|This week on Whisky Stories, it's a complete change of scenery! Graeme journeyed to India and got the incredible chance to catch up with Hemanth Rao and Harsha Thimmaiah from the Single Malt Amateur Club (SMAC) in Bangalore.Join us as we dive into the fascinating story of how Hemanth, the visionary behind the SMAC, built India's largest whisky club from humble beginnings in 2011 to a massive community of over 7000 members today. Harsha was the first to join him, and together, they've not only expanded the club but also became India's first 'independent bottler' and a trusted voice for some of the world's biggest whisky brands.Due to India's strict licensing laws, we set up our recording on a vibrant rooftop terrace in Bangalore, allowing us to freely explore the 6 or 7 whiskies we had on the table! Hemanth and Harsha offer a brilliant explanation of all things Indian Whisky, from its distilling origins to the potential impact of the new Free Trade Agreement, which will see tariffs on imported Scotch drop significantly from 150% to 75%.Pour yourself a dram and join us for this unique global whisky adventure!From Johnnie Walker to Stauning & Starting Fresh – Ali Reynolds on Whisky, Branding & Bartending
01:24:48|This week on the pod, we were back in the Diggers Vaults and joined by the brilliant Ali Reynolds—a man with a seriously impressive whisky journey. From award-winning bartender to global brand ambassador, and now running his own creative spirits marketing business, Ali’s got stories for days.After winning World Class Bartender of the Year in 2015, Ali landed a dream role as Brand Ambassador for Johnnie Walker—the world’s biggest Scotch whisky brand. From delivering masterclasses and global training sessions, to helping shape how people engage with whisky, his impact has been huge.In this episode, we talk about: 🥃 The role Johnnie Walker has played in shaping the Scotch whisky industry 🥃 How Ali made his training sessions stand out from the rest 🥃 His move to Denmark to work with the innovative Stauning Distillery 🥃 Launching his new creative agency, Yellow Hammer, which blends his experience in bartending, brand work, and spirits marketing with his passion for photography and storytellingAli also shared some great drams, cracking stories, and had us in stitches more than once. This one was packed with insights, laughs, and a fresh perspective on the whisky industry from the inside out.Enjoy!Whisky Journeys, Global Drams & Magazine Life – with Christopher Coates
02:07:08|In this week’s episode, we were joined by Christopher Coates, Editor at Large for Whisky Magazine, along with returning guest and co-host Hazel MacLeod (aka Hazy Drams) from Woven Whisky.Christopher took us through his incredible journey into the world of whisky—from an impromptu student tasting led by a German roommate, to working in the shop at the Scotch Whisky Experience, and eventually hitting the road (and the skies) as a full-time whisky writer, editor, and content creator.From being handed the keys to a car and told to go find whisky stories in the Scottish Highlands, to producing world-class whisky content across print, video, and events, Christopher’s stories are as insightful as they are entertaining.And, being the gent that he is, he brought along three brilliant whiskies for his What3Drams picks:🥃 Dram 1: Hellyers Road ‘The Iberian’ – A Tasmanian single malt finished in sherry and port casks🥃 Dram 2: Fuji Gotemba Single Blended – A beautiful expression from Japan🥃 Dram 3: Tamdhu 21 – Sherried elegance from SpeysideWe also caught up with Hazel on what’s new at Woven, and—of course—got stuck into plenty of top-quality Scotch whisky chat, drams, and storytelling.It’s a longer episode this week, but trust us—it’s well worth pouring yourself a big one and settling in.EnjoyWhisky Chat, Listener Questions & Fish Supper Drams – Back in The Diggers Vaults
02:02:02|This week, it was back to just the four of us in the cosy confines of The Diggers Whisky Vaults—mics on, drams poured, and loads of listener questions to get through.After the great feedback from our last group episode, we were buzzing to sit down again for another proper whisky chat.We kicked things off catching up on life—Ross’s new role, Angus’s holiday stories, and then got stuck into the important stuff:🥃 Whisky dilemmas🥃 The one dram we’d drink forever🥃 Moral questions from listeners🥃 A fresh round of Play Your Distilleries Right🥃 And yes… the best whisky to pair with a fish supper This one was full of laughs, genuine whisky chat, and a brilliant reminder of why we love doing this podcast.A huge thanks to everyone who sent in questions—we couldn’t get to them all, but we’ll be doing more of these soon!EnjoyWhisky Bars, Feis Ile & Big Night Out Plans – with Sian Buchan & Jane Ross
01:40:31|This week on the pod, there was no Angus and no Ross, so it was just Chuck and me left to figure things out… luckily, we weren’t alone for long. We were joined by friend of the pod Sian Buchan, owner of Uno Mas, and her pal Jane Ross, who brought the energy, the stories, and the drams.Jane wears many whisky hats—she runs The Powder Room, False Widow, and the legendary Mother Superior Whisky Bar in Leith, and she’s also one half of Whisky & Witches.She had just returned from Feis Ile 2025 on Islay, where she somehow managed to win bottles of whisky in pinball competitions—that alone is worth tuning in for.We chatted all about: 🥃 Travelling to Islay 🥃 Launching a whisky bar during Covid 🥃 The origins of Whisky & Witches 🥃 The art of putting on amazing whisky eventsWe also started dreaming up the Whisky Stories BIG Night Out with Sian and Jane—two people who seriously know how to throw a party with a proper pour.And yes, after what feels like forever, we FINALLY tried the famous Tomatin 6-Year-Old Virgin Oak… and Chuck asked an important question for our listeners to help out with.This episode was a proper laugh, full of whisky, banter, and the kind of guests who make this podcast what it is.Enjoy!