Podcasts about Scotch Malt Whisky Society

This month Calum and Duncan are joined by Logan Shaw, the assistant venue manager at our Queen Street Members' Room. With hip flasks in hand, the three get stuck into this month's Outturn with plenty of adventures, stories and drams along the way.

James Walton, a passionate whiskey connoisseur and the driving force behind PureMalts, joins the conversation to share his deep-seated love for the spirit. PureMalts, as James explains, is dedicated to crafting exceptional, curated whiskey tasting experiences. His personal journey into the world of whisky began with a pivotal Forbes article highlighting the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, an inspiration that led him to a transformative trip to Scotland. Both James and Gavin recount their adventures with the Society, describing the unique locations they explored and the initial hurdles they faced in navigating the intricate language of whisky. Their discussion illuminates the Society's distinctive features, including its vast and diverse selection, the intriguing coded bottles, and the warm, inviting atmosphere. James particularly emphasizes the broader whiskey community's inclusive spirit, where genuine passion and active participation are prized far more than mere expertise or wealth. A significant portion of their conversation is dedicated to cherished memories of remarkable whiskies and tasting sessions. James vividly recalls his first noteworthy encounter with a Laphroaig from the Society, while Gavin shares captivating tales of rare and highly prized bottles. James further details PureMalts' mission, which centers on delivering curated tastings that feature extraordinary, elusive whiskies, designed to create lasting memories and cultivate a sense of fellowship. 

This month Calum and Richard are joined by The Scotch Malt Whisky Society's Anthony Delcros as the trio prepare for this year's whisky festivals. Anthony reveals his own whisky journey while covering all the adventures he has planned to take the Society's tastings off the beaten track at the Speyside, Campbeltown and Islay festivals.

This month Calum and Richard get zen as they're guided through a ‘dramaste' styled tasting by Lucy Connor. Lucy took a day out from her time behind the bar at The Vaults to chat through this year's International Women's Day bottlings, discuss some of her maverick tasting ideas, and share her own whisky journey.

Richard and Calum catch up with Matt Bailey, who recently joined The Scotch Malt Whisky Society's European team as managing director. The trio discuss Tasmanian whisky, psychotic dram decisions and delve into some of the Society bottlings coming out in the UK and Europe in February.

Ola began her professional career working in sales at a membership based networking company in Edinburgh followed by her first drinks industry position at The Scotch Malt Whisky Society. Having spent 4 years developing her knowledge and understanding of Scotch whisky at the society, Ola also sat as a member of their renowned tasting panel involved in their whisky selections.   Her career then took her to a number of other sales and business development roles, in software, motorbike sales and finally back to whisky in 2019 as a cask broker. Through this role Ola gained an alternative insight to the whisky market, both the lucrative opportunities and the pitfalls of working in a non-regulated environment.   Co-founding Stravaig Spirits in 2021, Ola has continued to build strong relationships within the whisky industry. Working closely with a network of partners, she supports and guides individuals and companies through the exciting process of single cask whisky ownership and private own brand bottling.   Together with her business partner Ryan, they released their first independent bottling brand Tri Carragh Single Malt Scotch Whisky in October 2022 in the UK with distributors in Japan, Canada and Netherlands. Last summer Glenlaird Scotch Whisky was developed for the South Korean market with an initial 12,000 bottle order and exclusive distribution deal and is now building momentum in other markets.      https://www.tricarragh.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/olal2/ https://www.instagram.com/tricarragh/ https://www.facebook.com/tricarragh       Timestamps: [1:00] How did you get started and what do you do? [7:20] Getting started trading whisky isn't easy! [8:50] What is a bonded warehouse? [11:00] How did you start exporting? [17:10] How do you split the duties with just the two of you running the whole show? [25:00] Gaining employees and the stress factors [30:00] If your business had a character or personality who would it be or what would that look like?   ——————————————— Subscribe to Tricres! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX0EUHMC2CckN6amdXL2F3Q?sub_confirmation=1   We interview entrepreneurs at the beginning, middle, and end of their businesses so if you're a coach and consultant get inside the head of business owners and gain their insights and driving forces.   Join our growing family and community of business coaches and consultants! If you passion is about making it happen for SMEs you need to listen to our podcast with business owners from around the world.   Find our other podcasts HERE at: https://tricres.com/podcasts/   Want to join us for our next Escape 9 to 5 Live Event to become a business coach and consultant or to enhance your existing coaching and consulting business? Find out more and sign up for our free event here: https://tricres.ac-page.com/9-to-5

Daniel hat sich einen Tropfen gegönnt, der ihn allein vom Namen her gefallen hat: A Café In Jerez. Denn Daniel weiß, was in Jerez passiert. Jerez ist die Hauptstadt des Sherry. Daher war klar, dass es sich um ein Sherry Cask handelt! Gleichzeitig ist der edle Tropfen in Fassstärke, was bedeutet, dass wir damit ein wenig spielen können und sicherlich hat Daniel auch daran gedacht, dass Alex sehr gerne Kaffee mag - denn das stand auch in der Beschreibung. Auf jeden Fall haben wir wieder einen Whisky der Scotch Malt Whisky Society im Glas und sind gespannt, ob uns die SMWS auch dieses Mal wieder abholen kann und vor allem: Wie riecht und schmeckt es in einem Café in der Hauptstadt des Sherry? Seid gespannt und viel Spaß beim Hören!

An Expat, Jim Swan, and Outstanding Natural Beauty Dan Szor is an expat, a native of New York City who has found a permanent home in the Cotswolds of England, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with rolling hills, flowers, and fruits. With a background in finance, Dan found whisky as a side passion, one he converted into a full-time role in the early 2010s by starting the Cotswolds Distillery.  In Part 1 of our conversation, Dan and I discuss his inspirations - the hedonistic time in Paris getting exposed to whisky through the Scotch Malt Whisky Society and La Maison du Whisky, the barley revelation, and meeting Jim McEwan, that wizard of whisky whose time at Bruichladdich inspired Dan long before a distillery was in the cards.  There's a lot to talk about on the Cotswolds, so we'll have a part two coming out next week to talk more about the distillery itself and the truly excellent single malts coming out.  Thanks everyone for listening, and thank you to Dan for entering the Whiskey Ring! _________________________________________________________ If you haven't joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so at patreon.com/whiskeyinmyweddingring There are 2-3 more spots available at the $25/month bottle share club level.  If you haven't yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to the newsletter on the website.  Cotswolds Distillery Cotswolds Distillery Website Cotswolds Distillery Instagram Cotswolds Distillery Facebook Cotswolds Distillery on Twitter/X Cotswolds Distillery on YouTube Cotswolds Distillery on LinkedIn Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, BAXUS BAXUS Website BAXUS on Instagram BAXUS on Facebook BAXUS on Twitter/X BAXUS on LinkedIn Thanks to our Lead Sponsor, Black Button Distillery  Black Button Distilling Website Black Button Distilling on Facebook Black Button Distilling on Instagram

Jenna Elie, based in Atlanta Georgia jumped into the whisky industry 8 years ago and started Whisky A Go Girl. Since then Jenna has been featured in film, The Water of Life, worked with spirits brands around the globe, and judged cocktail and spirits competitions. Jenna has also held the role of The National Ambassador for the Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America for 5 of those years, one of the leading whisky clubs and independent bottlers in the world. Now, she works as the Eastern Brand Development Manager for Shand Import, and continues her consultancy work through Whisky A Go Girl! And a big thank you to this weeks sponsor - Civil Pours - A ready to pour, premium cocktail program that blends the highest quality, proprietary ingredients into shelf stable, top selling cocktails delivered to you in draft-ready kegs. All you do is pour, serve, and savour a seamless experience designed to captivate your customer and smooth your service. To get in touch contact sales@civilpours.com or check the website civilpours.com Links whiskyagogirl.com @whiskyagogirl @sugarrunbar @babylonsistersbar @the_industry_podcast email us: info@theindustrypodcast.club Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

Scotch Malt Whisky Society ambassador and Tasting Panel chairperson Olaf Meier is a fountain of knowledge, driven by a limitless number of whisky stories and a huge passion for the Society and the wider whisky world. Olaf now finds himself celebrating his 20th year representing the Society. Despite having more than two decades of whisky experience, Olaf started his journey with humble beginnings, as Duncan Gorman finds out.

In this episode we're going on a special journey across Spain, to tell the story of whisky and sherry and the wonderful synergy between the two worlds when it comes to sherry cask matured whisky. We travel to the oak forests of Galicia in the far northwest of Spain to take the creation of Spanish oak casks right back to the beginning, in the Cantabrian forest, before heading south to Jerez and the Sherry Triangle, to visit the cooperages and bodegas where the casks are built and then seasoned with different styles of sherry wine.

Regular listeners will know that we are fortunate at The Scotch Malt Whisky Society to welcome representatives from distilleries, who visit us in our Members' Rooms, share some special samples of their whiskies with our members, and give us their insights and knowledge about their distilleries. In March we had a visit to the Vaults by Heemanshu Ashar from Paul John, the pioneering Indian distillery based in Goa on the country's tropical west coast. Before enjoying the tasting, we took the chance to find out more about Paul John distillery, India's whisky journey since independence in 1947 and what tropical maturation brings to this spirit.

In Episode 56, I continued the conversation with Georgie Bell, The Heart Cut's co-founder from Ep.55. She has extensive industry experience, having previously worked at Diageo, Bacardi, and the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. We discussed how to explain a product, starting from a liquid, going into taste profile, storytelling, and target occasions. We closed with a dive into the life of a start-up with learnings and course correction to build bottom-up. I hope you will enjoy our chat. Time Stamps 0:00 Intro 0:24 Where Do You Start 4:46 Importance Of Follow Up 7:41 Importance Of Normal Bars 13:05 Importance Of Off-Trade 15:18 When To Wholesale? 17:09 One Bottle, One Case, One Pallet 23:40 Building Demand With Partners 30:56 The Drinks Ecosystem 34:20 Start Up Challenges 47:34 Contact Details 49:19 Outro About The Host: Chris Maffeo About The Guest: Georgie Bell

In Episode 55, I enjoyed chatting with The Heart Cut's co-founder Georgie Bell. She has extensive industry experience, having previously worked at Diageo, Bacardi, and the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. We discussed how to explain a product, starting from a liquid, going into taste profile, storytelling, and target occasions. We closed with a dive into the life of a start-up with learnings and course correction to build bottom-up. I hope you will enjoy our chat. Time Stamps 0:00 Intro 2:03 Brand or Liquid? 6:43 Social Currency 12:43 Story Telling 23:22 Taste Profile 25:39 Target Consumer Vs Target Occasion 36:35 Women In Whisk(e)y 36:24 Outro About The Host: Chris Maffeo About The Guest: Georgie Bell

In this episode, we're taking a deep dive into the flavour journey that takes place every time we uncork a bottle of whisky and then nose and taste it. It's a process that the Tasting Panel at The Scotch Malt Whisky Society goes through with every sample that is presented for possible inclusion in a Society bottling. So we caught up with Tasting Panel chair Kami Newton, to find out more about the different steps on this flavour journey and why we should take time to appreciate the complexities of what's in our glass.

We were fortunate to have a visit from two of the team from Blair Athol distillery to The Vaults in February, for a special tasting of four expressions of Blair Athol whisky, along with a sample of one of the Society's own single cask offerings. Blair Athol distillery manager Derek Younie was joined by Peter Milne from Diageo's Whisky Specialist Team to talk members through the samples and provide insight into the history and working of the distillery, what to expect from Blair Athol's spirit character, and how it works with different casks and forms of maturation.

As a padcost and as padcosters Joshua and Jason always set out to have a fair bit of a focus on independent brands, independent bottlers, and just the independent spirit of the whisky industry in general.  The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is not a distiller and they do not refer to themselves as an independent bottler. Rather, that are a "Society" (and quite easily the largest whisky society on the planet) that bottles whisky specifically for their Society members. It's a different take, for sure, but one of the most successful "different takes" on whisky since its inception some 41 years ago.  Listen in as Joshua and Jason talk with two key people within the SMWS: Kai Ivalo (Spirits Director) and Euan Campbell (Head of Whisky Creation). The conversation a blast, was wide ranging, and supplemented by a new sherry cask speysider.    ...as usual, have a seat, have a pour, and listen in. Unless you're driving. If you're driving, be smart and stay sober but be sure to listen into the conversation! Special thanks to: - Weigh Down for allowing us to use their song "Wooden Monsters" as our theme song - Moana McAuliffe for designing our Podcast Logo - RØDE for making *really* great microphones - Focusrite for making awesome USB receivers - Olympus and Tascam for making fine mobile recording devices - Joshua Hatton for producing and editing

In February, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society paid host to Melanie Stanger from Springbank distillery in Campbeltown, who visited our Members' Room at The Vaults in Leith to tell us more about this legendary distillery and share a few special drams.

Chances are by now you've heard the (amazing!) news that Single Cask Nation has joined the Artisanal Spirits Company family of brands which includes the Scotch Malt Whisky Society & J.G. Thompson. Listen in to hear from (and about) Andrew Dane, CEO of ASC regarding this big news!   ...as usual, have a seat, have a pour, and listen in. Unless you're driving. If you're driving, be smart and stay sober but be sure to listen into the conversation! Special thanks to: - Weigh Down for allowing us to use their song "Wooden Monsters" as our theme song - Moana McAuliffe for designing our Podcast Logo - RØDE for making *really* great microphones - Focusrite for making awesome USB receivers - Olympus and Tascam for making fine mobile recording devices - Joshua Hatton for producing and editing

The week's top story was the sale of the independent bottler Single Cask Nation to the Artisanal Spirits Company, which also owns the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. The two bottlers will co-exist under one corporate umbrella, with SCN founders Joshua Hatton and Jason Johnstone-Yellin remaining in charge. We'll talk with them on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, there's new life planned for a long-closed Speyside distillery and the winners of the 2023 John Barleycorn Awards have been announced. 

The vintage Lagonda belonging to Society founder Pip Hills played an instrumental part in our whisky club's foundation, carrying the first precious cargo of single casks from Speyside back to his Scotland Street home in Edinburgh to share with friends. In 1990, Pip Hills and his brother-in-law Dick Pountain decided to take a road trip to Prague in the Lagonda, to witness Václav Havel's inauguration as president of the Czech Republic. The magazine The Classic Motoring Review subsequently commissioned Pip and Dick to write a piece about the journey – and how Society whisky helped to make it a success. We asked Pip and Dick to tell us that story in their own words.

With more than 30 years' experience in the whisky industry, Dr Rachel Barrie was the first female Scotch whisky Master Blender inducted into Whisky Magazine's illustrious ‘Hall of Fame'.Also known as the 'First Lady of Scotch', Rachel studied chemistry before landing a job as research scientist at the Scotch Whisky Research Institute.She then moved into production at The Glenmorangie Company, becoming Master Blender in 2003.During that time Rachel also managed the stocks for the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, before moving to Morrison Bowmore Distillers with Bowmore, Auchentoshan and Glen Garioch, and subsequently working with Laphroaig and Ardmore. Since 2017, Rachel has been Master Blender for Brown Forman's Single Malt portfolio, comprising Glendronach, Benriach and Glenglassaugh – distilleries we previously explored on this podcast with global brand ambassador Stewart Buchanan in 2022.I'm excited to share this fascinating interview with Rachel that I recorded when she was in Sydney recently.Click here to open episode in your podcast player.

In this episode of the Vint Podcast,  Billy Galanko and Brady Weller focus in on Scotch whisky and chat with Tom Smith, the Sales and Operations Director for the USA chapter of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society. The SMWS is one of the world's premier members clubs joining whisky enthusiasts with deep whisky education and exceptional independent bottlings of exclusive, world-class whiskies. Tom has a wealth of knowledge about whisky both here in the US and abroad and is an ambassador for enthusiasts at every stage of their whisky-drinking journey. With a background in wine, as well as spirits, Tom sheds some light on the exciting world of independent bottling and invites listeners to explore new Scotches through SMWS's select releases. You can learn more about the SMWS at the link below:https://smwsa.com/For more information on the Vint investment platform, please contact us anytime at brady@vint.co or billy@vint.co. The Vint Podcast is brought to you by the Vint Marketplace, your source for the highest quality stock of fine wines and rare whiskies. Visit www.vintmarketplace.com. Cheers!Past Guests Include: William Kelley, Peter Liem, Eric Asimov, Bobby Stuckey, Rajat "Raj" Parr, Erik Segelbaum, André Hueston Mack, Emily Saladino, Konstantin Baum, Landon Patterson, Heather Wibbels, Carlton "CJ" Fowler, Boris Guillome, Christopher Walkey, Danny Jassy, Kristy Wenz, Dan Petroski, Buster Scher, Andrew Nelson, Jane Anson, Tim Irwin, Matt Murphy, Allen Meadows, Altan Insights, Tim Gaiser, Vince Anter, Joel Peterson, Megan O'Connor, Adam Lapierre, Jason Haas, Ken Freeman, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Skyler Weekes, Mary Gorman McAdams, Nick King, Bartholomew Broadbent, Nick Jackson, Dillon Sykes, Mark Bell, David Keck, John Szabo, Channing Frye, Jay Hack Disclaimer: https://vint.co/disclaimer

The Artisanal Spirits Company (LON: ART) creates and sells what it describes as "outstanding limited edition whiskies and experiences around the world." It does so primarily through its Scotch Malt Whisky Society established some 40 years ago. Crucially, Artisanal is not a distillery or a primary producer. It buys from a huge range of distilleries and has just bottled from its 157th malt whisky distillery. Chief Executive Andrew Dane says Artisanal's space within the global whisky market is in the ultra-premium price point of typically over £40 a bottle. "That part of the market is really significant and growing. It's over $8 billion and three quarters of that global market is in the markets in which we already have a presence." The business is globally diversified with a recent franchise opening in South Korea attracting 300 members in 90 minutes. Ultimately, Dane says the business is "about creating a highly profitable, highly cash-generative global premium spirits group, and we look to expand the ways that we can reach a broader audience, while keeping the society at the core of what we do." For more investment and economics analysis plus inspiration please visit our website masterinvestor.co.uk.

A taste of rum at a family gathering led husband-and-wife team Jacine and Paul Rutasikwa on the path to setting up their own distillery in the town of Livingston, near Edinburgh. Mads Schmoll paid a visit to uncover the fascinating story behind Matugga Rum and how it blends elements of African, Caribbean and Scottish cultures and heritage

Crime writer and whisky enthusiast Val has been a fan of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society since its early days, after receiving an educational journey across the whisky regions from a friend's father who was something of an aficionado. Whisky Talk caught up with Val in an Edinburgh coffee shop to find out more about her whisky passion, her writing career and who would be her fantasy whisky-drinking companion.

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is marking its 40th anniversary with an updated and revised edition of Pip Hills' memoir, "Maverick – The Founder's Tale", which now includes the story of 'coming in from the cold' after leaving the whisky club in the 1990s. Pip tells Richard Goslan about reconnecting with the Society and what we can expect from the new version of his book.

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society and Balcones this ones for you. 

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) is an international members club that bottles the world's widest selection of exceptional and rare single cask, single malts for discerning whisky lovers from all corners of the world. They like to think of themselves as unconventional, adventurous – and a lot of fun. The SMWS was founded in Edinburgh in 1983, and now the Society is firmly established as the world's foremost malt whisky club and remains truly one of a kind. The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is present in 21 countries around the world. SMWS whisky is only ever bottled from a single cask, at cask strength with no water or coloring added and with no chill filtration. Each cask is unique and by definition a limited edition – whisky as the cask intended. The Scotch Malt Whisky Society attracts whisky enthusiasts from all walks of life; from younger members discovering whisky for the first time to experienced connoisseurs. 

In this episode of Whisky Talk the Society strays from the familiarity of Scotland's malt whisky to the south of France for an insight into the world of Armagnac. Denis Lesgourgues, a third-generation owner of armagnac house Château de Laubade, paid a recent visit to The Vaults to tell a packed Members' Room about the beauty of this underappreciated spirit.

How do you capture the sense of sound in a distillery and its location – and then incorporate that into a song? That's what the team at Glen Scotia set out to do, with a whisky and music collaboration in its Campbeltown home. Whisky Talk caught up with the contributors to find out more.

With so many new distilleries coming online across Scotland, it's sometimes hard to keep track. But when Angus MacRaild dropped the news at the start of April about his plans for Kythe distillery, it felt like time to sit up and pay attention. Angus has teamed up with partners Jonny McMillan and Aaron Chan to bring their vision for a new distillery that produces an old-style, traditional Highland style of whisky to life – complete with a fermentation of more than two weeks, a wood-fired wash still and worm-tub condensers. In their own words, efficiency is the enemy of character when it comes to their mission. Richard Goslan caught up with both Angus and Jonny to find out more about their mission.

Stray just a few moments from the M9 motorway between Glasgow and Edinburgh and you will discover Falkirk Distillery, a grand whitewashed building, complete with twin copper pagodas. Duncan Gorman sat down for a chat with co-founders George and Fiona Stewart, to discuss some of the bizarre obstacles they have had to overcome building the distillery from scratch - including complications from a certain Roman wall just a stone's throw from the site.   

From East Lothian to Tasmania and back to Scotland, Craig Johnstone has worked across the whisky industry for the past 20 years. Today he works for Edrington as master blender for The Famous Grouse, a role he came to via a stint as a distillery tour guide, a distillery manager and a few years behind the bar at the Society's Members' Room at 28 Queen Street. Mads Schmoll caught up with Craig at the 106 Sample Room to find out more about his whisky journey.

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is marking its 40th anniversary in 2023, and we'll talk with founder Pip Hills on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. The 82-year-old Hills started the Society as a cask-share scheme with his friends...and their friends...and so on, until now, the Society's membership stands at 37,000 whisky lovers worldwide. In the news, Diageo CEO Ivan Menezes is retiring, Kentucky state lawmakers have passed the barrel tax phaseout bill into law, and Whisky Magazine handed out its annual awards this past week.

On this episode of Scran Rosalind finds out more about the Scotch Malt Whisky Society as it turns 40. Attending a global tasting event in Leith recently Rosalind speaks to the man who founded the society back in 1983, whisky legend, Pip Hills. They discuss everything from the history of the organisation to Pip's status as a pariah in whisky circles at one time and the interesting role The Scotsman newspaper played in the the society's success. Rosalind also met members of the society who have travelled from all over the world and chats to new CEO Andrew Dane about the celebrations taking place this year. Please remember to share this podcast with anyone you think will enjoy it. Thanks for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our guest on this edition needs little in the way of introduction to any whisky fan. Richard Paterson has been working in the whisky industry for the past 57 years, with more than half a century of his career spent with Whyte & Mackay Distillers. We were delighted to welcome Richard to the Society's spiritual home at The Vaults in Leith recently, where one of the whisky industry's biggest entertainers put on a special show for a room full of lucky members – taking us on a tour that included his stories and memories about Tamnavulin, Fettercairn, Jura and Dalmore. Whatever's in your glass…settle back for a 90-minute epic in the company of the one and only Richard Paterson.

Women have been instrumental in making the Society what it is today. The three As of Anne Dana, Anne Griffiths and Annabel Meikle came from different backgrounds and hadn't planned to have a career in whisky. But driven by a thirst for knowledge, an encouraging environment and an openness to new ventures, these women ended up shaping some of the most recognisable parts of the Society. Who better to speak to them than three women shaping the future of the Society today? Tune in to Whisky Talk to hear their stories. Anne Dana meets Mads Schmoll, Social Media & Community Manager for the Society Anne Griffiths meets Monique Ten Kortenaar, Society Ambassador for Benelux Annabel Meikle meets Rebecca Hamilton, Group Marketing Director

Port of Leith is Scotland's first vertical distillery, founded by Ian Stirling and Paddy Fletcher. Standing nine storeys tall, it's just next door to the Royal Yacht Britannia and a stone's throw away from our spiritual home, The Vaults. As the distillery nears completion, the spirit of innovation continues in the development of their new Scotch, a process that Ian and Paddy began long before the distillery broke ground in Leith with research and experimentation on the role of yeast and fermentation. Mads Schmoll sat down with Ian and Paddy to find out more about what's ahead.

Live from The Franklin Room in Chicago, IL, we record the February outrun for Scotch Malt Whisky Society. We blindly sip on six different drams from the club with 34 our dearest friends. We give our tastings notes, reveal the distilleries on the bottle, and talk through history of the club and the scotch distilleries. Hosts: Jake Hukee & Callum O'DonnellListen to more episodes and read stories at keyinthelake.comKey In The Lake

Outlander star and whisky fanatic Sam Heughan joins Vic Galloway in our latest episode of Whisky Talk Malts & Music. Sam discusses his passion for whisky, his appreciation of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society and his own plans for whisky and the wider spirits world. Tune in as Sam shares his thoughts along with both Society and his own Sassenach whisky, all paired with a suitable choice of music. Whiskies tasted and Sam Heughan's tunes were: SMWS Cask No. 112.39: Tractors and old medicine / Toby Keith – I Love This Bar SMWS Cask 35.251: Elgin Marvels / Paolo Nutini – Through the Echoes Sassenach / Martyn Bennett – Blackbird SMWS Cask 53.318: Entropy meridian / Tears for Fears – Pale Shelter You can watch a video of the conversation on the SMWS YouTube channel here (https://youtu.be/6sKkTXFWAM8) Spotify link can be found here (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/75sE4HLHMMwlcECyNB8ryz) Find out more about The Scotch Malt Whisky Society here (https://smws.com/)

The origin of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society can be traced back to the founder, Pip Hills, visiting his friends at a farmhouse in deepest rural Aberdeenshire, where he first experienced single cask, cask strength whisky, served up from a lemonade bottle by a neighbouring farmer. Richard Goslan returned with Pip to his friends' farmhouse to hear them tell the story in their own words.

At The Vaults recently, we welcomed Brendan McCarron, master distiller at Distell's Bunnahabhain, Deanston and Tobermory distilleries. We recorded Brendan's tasting, presented in full, with some strong language for good measure alongside strong whisky. Settle down for an illuminating insight into Brendan's experience, knowledge, and some cracking drams from Deanston, Tobermory and Ledaig.

Glen Scotia distillery is a favourite of Society members, and we were delighted in early December to welcome distillery manager and master distiller Iain McAlister to The Vaults in December to present a fantastic selection of cask samples, along with an SMWS bottling from distillery 93. Tune in to Whisky Talk to sip along with Iain and Olaf.

Karine Polwart is one of Scotland's most respected singer-songwriters. She sat down at The Vaults with Vic Galloway for our latest episode of Whisky Talk: Malts & Music, to find out about her passion for whisky and what songs our selection of Society drams conjured up in her mind. SMWS whiskies tasted and Karine Polwart's tunes were: G10.25: Whisky in a rum glass / Everything is Floating by Laurie Anderson 77.68: Curtain-twitchers teatime / Sarah by Declan O'Rourke 6.56: Tea tree tobacco leaves / Salt by Mugison 135.37: Pickle me timbers! / Apogeuma Sto Dendro by Alkinoos Ioannidis You can watch a video of the conversation on the SMWS YouTube channel here (https://youtu.be/kasN5M5sFbk) Spotify link can be found here (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/75sE4HLHMMwlcECyNB8ryz)

The name Dr Bill Lumsden doesn't need much of an introduction in the whisky world – the head of distilling and whisky creation at Glenmorangie and Ardbeg has been a constant force of innovation and flavour development over the past 30 years or so. Members of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society were fortunate to attend a tasting conducted by Dr Bill at The Vaults in October, to taste some fantastic whiskies from Glenmorangie, Ardbeg and of course the Society….and also to hear his thoughts on everything in the whisky world from additional maturation, to non-aged statements, the use of sherry casks and a whole lot more in between. The Society's spirits educator Dr Andy Forrester caught up with Bill for a quick chat before the pair of them hosted the tasting together in our Members' Room.

The name Dr Bill Lumsden doesn't need much of an introduction in the whisky world – the head of distilling and whisky creation at Glenmorangie and Ardbeg has been a constant force of innovation and flavour development over the past 30 years or so. Members of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society were fortunate to attend a tasting conducted by Dr Bill at The Vaults in October, to taste some fantastic whiskies from Glenmorangie, Ardbeg and of course the Society….and also to hear his thoughts on everything in the whisky world from additional maturation, to non-aged statements, the use of sherry casks and a whole lot more in between. Here's part 2 of Dr Bill's presentation to SMWS members.

Vic Galloway catches up with the Whisky Sisters – Inka Larissa and Jennifer Rose – in the latest episode of Whisky Talk: Malts & Music, to find out where their passion for whisky came from and what tunes their selection of Scotch Malt Whisky Society drams helped to inspire. SMWS whiskies tasted and the Whisky Sisters' tunes were: Cask No. 41.46: Deep and dynamic / Jen: Mötley Crüe – Doctor Feelgood / Inka: George Michael –Freedom Cask No. 150.3: Conversation lubrication / Inka; Leonard Cohen – Dance Me to the End of Love / Jen: Led Zeppelin – Immigrant Song Cask No. 108.49: A particular kind of beauty / Inka: Bon Jovi – Bad Medicine / Jen: The Highwaymen – Highwayman Cask No. 113.60: Sweet Petrichor / Inka: Greta Van Fleet – Heat Above / Jen: Kate Bush – Hounds of Love You can watch a video of the conversation on the SMWS YouTube channel here (https://youtu.be/UA_v8zCc578) Spotify link can be found here (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/75sE4HLHMMwlcECyNB8ryz)

Writer Doug Johnstone shares four SMWS drams with DJ Vic Galloway in the latest episode of Whisky Talk: Malts & Music, with reflections on how his love of whisky inspired his novel Smokeheads and how these Society drams pair perfectly with music from Little Simz to Biffy Clyro. Whiskies tasted and Doug's tunes were: Cask No. 12.48: Hoppy madness / The Avalanches, Since I Left You Cask No. 38.31: The magic is so strong / Little Simz, Point And Kill featuring Obongjayar Cask No. 44.154: Terra Firma / Spoon, Held Cask No. 138.12: Spice wreck / Biffy Clyro, Living Is A Problem Because Everything Dies You can watch a video of the conversation on the SMWS YouTube channel here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9nyjpoWtRg) Spotify link can be found here (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/75sE4HLHMMwlcECyNB8ryz)

Our latest Happy Hour Live webcast features OurWhisky.com co-founder Becky Paskin just after she unveiled the Our Whisky Foundation to increase diversity within the whisky world. We're also joined by first-time guest cocktail and spirits writer Camper English and Scott Brunow from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society and the Scotch Test Dummies for a wide-ranging conversation covering everything from medicinal cocktails to the latest SMWS releases and more. We'll start this episode off with breaking news, though...as the United States and Great Britain have cleared the way for the end of the UK's tariffs on Bourbon and other American whiskies by resolving their dispute over steel and aluminum exports. The 25% tariff has cost US whisky makers millions of dollars in lost export sales while raising prices for UK whisky lovers over the last four years.