Podcasts about victoria whisky festival

  THE SHOW  It's the first of two Whisky Specials from the 2025 Canadian Whisky Awards and the 2025 Victoria Whisky Festival. There are always headlining whiskies and star whisky makers in attendance! Whisky fans want to taste and explore the new releases from Crown Royal, Canadian Club, Forty Creek, Hiram Walker, JP Wiser's Lot 40, Pike Creek, Gooderham and Worts, Nikka, Amrut, The Dalmore and Glencadam. For the first time ever,  Gisbelle Distillery a distillery from China,  would be joining the lineup. The West Coast and Vancouver Island were well represented. Stillhead, Odd Society, DubhGlas, Sheringham, Sons of Vancouver & Shelter Point. Over 200 whiskies were up for the awards. 14 judges from across the country tasted and scored. The Grand Prize Winner, judged Canadian Whisky of the Year was, The Peat Project Moscatel Barrique single malt from Macaloney's Island Distillery (Saanich)   Here are the guests on part one of the 2025 Whisky Awards and Victoria Whisky Festival Davin De Kergommeaux  -  Davin is the flag bearer for Canadian Whisky. He singlehandedly brought Canadian Whisky to the attention of Canada and The World. His latest book is the updated and expanded third edition of Canadian Whisky - The Essential Portable Expert. I love the first line. "Handles, mickeys, shots or drams, no matter what its measure, Canadian whisky is a story of Canada." Davin is my ultimate connection to the world of Canadian Whisky. He helped create these awards and leads the judging team. Grant Stevely - Distiller at DubhGlas (Oliver) In the fall of 2010, Grant purchased some property at Gallagher Lake near Oliver, B.C. “I wanted to build a distillery from the ground up, which is distinctly different from a lot of other distilleries,” he says. “So we built the distillery with expansion in mind.”  Grant Stevely[/caption] At the heart of the operation is a German-made Arnold Holstein still. No sooner did Stevely open Dubh Glas Distillery in the spring of 2015, when he began winning awards for his first product, Noteworthy Gin. “Dubh Glas” is Scottish Gaelic for “from the dark water.” It's pronounced “Douglas,” which happens to be Stevely's middle name. Jason MacIsaac - Distiller. Sheringham (Langford, BC) Sheringham Distillery  won Best Contemporary Gin at the 2019 World Gin Awards Its Seaside Gin captured the award against World-class competition from 23 countries,  including the UK  and USA. "We created Sheringham because we saw a hole in the market: the opportunity to create the world's most drinkable spirits. This approach has served us well, and in the seven years since founding Sheringham, we have been on the ground building authentic connections with buyers, retailers, and consumers, sharing our story and highlighting our chef-driven approach to innovation and quality."  (Distiller Mag) Jason and wife  Alayne now have their growing portfolio available across Canada and in 15 markets in the USA. Graeme Macaloney - Master Distiller  Macaloney Island Distillery (Saanich) There once was a wee Scottish lad by the name of Graeme Macaloney who found a summer job bottling whisky and fell in love with Uisge Beatha, the ‘water of life'. He dedicated his heart to finding a way to make whisky for a living. Graeme set up shop on Saanich, just outside Victoria. Some of his favourite Scottish and Irish whiskies were island-made. Graeme has found his "island" in Canada. Congratulations Champ!! - Distillery opened in 2016 - The first whisky made onsite and  released in 2020 -Canadian Whisky of the Year - 2025 Brennan Colebank - Master Distiller Stillhead Distillery (Duncan) Founded by the Colebank family, Stillhead Distillery Inc. opened its doors in October of 2017. After working 15 years in the tech industry, Master Distiller Brennan Colebank left his job to pursue his dream career, blending the two things he loved most: chemistry and spirits.  The chemist has created an amazing portfolio and a home for Whisky in the Cowichan Valley. www.victoriawhiskyfestival.com www.canadianwhiskyawards.com

Part Two of Victoria Whisky Festival   THE SHOW    It’s the second half of the 2025 Canadian Whisky Awards and  Victoria Whisky Festival     Our guests this week are: The Sons of Vancouver: (East Van) Jenna Diubaldo –   Blender and Whisky Program Manager James Lester – Founder-Blender-GM. (Middle)   Jenna –  A grad...

It’s early January. It’s Victoria. Must be Whisky Season!!   THE SHOW    It’s the first of two Whisky Specials from the 2025 Canadian Whisky Awards and the 2025 Victoria Whisky Festival. There are always headlining whiskies and star whisky makers in attendance! Whisky fans want to taste and explore the new releases from Crown...

In this episode of The Edible Valley Podcast, we sit down with the dynamic and multi-talented Taylore Darnel, also known as The Spirited Chef. With a deep-rooted passion for food, spirits, and education, Taylore brings a wealth of knowledge from her experience as a chef, instructor, and meal designer, specializing in food and beverage pairings.   We also dive into a couple of delicious meal ideas, exploring how thoughtful pairings can elevate the dining experience. Plus, we chat about the Victoria Whisky Festival, where Taylore shares her insights on the world of whisky, flavor profiles, and how spirits can complement a dish just as well as wine.   From leading formal culinary instruction for adults to creating engaging and fun cooking experiences for kids, Taylore's approach to food is all about connection, creativity, and flavor. She also teaches a course on flavor, helping people develop their palates and understand the science behind great taste. Beyond the kitchen, Taylore applies her expertise in accounting, business development, and marketing, making her a powerhouse in both the culinary and entrepreneurial world.   Join us for a conversation filled with flavor, insight, and inspiration—whether you're a home cook, an aspiring chef, or a food and drink enthusiast, there's something for everyone in this episode!  

This week, we're in Victoria, British Columbia for the annual Victoria Whisky Festival, one of the world's great whisky events. The Canadian Whisky Awards were presented during the festival, and we'll have the results, including a surprise winner of the Canadian Whisky of the Year. We'll also talk with Wayne Gretzky Distillery head distiller Tim Wilson and Forty Creek master blender Bill Ashburn on WhiskyCast In-Depth, and Dr. Don Livermore gives us an explanation of Fick's Law and how it affects whisky maturation in our Behind the Label segment. 

“Friendship is like Whisky – the older the better”   Yes, my friends, it's our annual trek to Victoria's inner harbour for the 18th annual Victoria Whisky Festival and the Canadian Whisky Awards. It was the founder of the awards Davin de Kergomeaux who whispered in my ear wondering why I wasn't attending or tasting or writing about his Whisky Awards.  On second thought I think the voice in my ear was me saying “How could you possibly miss this?” just after I had missed the events about 6-7  years ago. I knew almost nothing about Whisky but my thinking was the same as wine – 17 years ago – every interview is going to be a master class. Pay attention and you could learn all about wine and pass it on to the listeners.     I'm pleased to welcome  to Tasting Room Radio – Davin de Kergommeaux – founder of the Canadian Whisky Awards. The Canadian Whisky Awards, held annually with the Victoria Whisky Festival, is the first and only competition dedicated solely to Canadian Whisky. The Awards have become the first stop for whisky producers, distributors, retailers and fans looking for the very best Canadian whiskies. Davin is the world's leading authority on Canadian Whisky. He also has three books available on Canadian Whisky with a fourth coming in March! Davin assembled 10 judges and sent them nearly 200 competing whiskies to blind taste.  Davin announces the winner in his interview. We talk to the winners next week. www.canadianwhiskyawards.com www.canadianwhisky.org [caption id="attachment_28306" align="alignnone" width="800"] Graeme Macaloney[/caption] Dr. Graeme Macaloney PEng, PhD. – Macaloney's Island Distillery (Saanich)   Proud owner of 5 world whisky awards including World best Potstill – Kildara. They are a non-chilled, filtered, no colour-added distillery. In our 8-10 minute interview, I think I asked 3 perhaps 4 questions – Dr. Graeme handled the rest. It was like a masterclass. A charming man in a Cameron Kilt. He won Gold for his 54ppm Peat Project. www.macaloneydistillers.com   Tish Harcus –  Manager Canadian Club Whisky since 1988.  Canadian Club itself since 1858. www.canadianclub.com James Neil – Bowmore Distillery. The oldest distillery in Islay. On the shores of Lochindaal since 1779. Also home to one of the world's oldest Scotch maturation warehouses – The No. 1 Vault. James poured Bowmore 22 Aston Martin www.bowmore.com They took part in the Great Whisky Debate with Micah Dew from Maker's Mark. Words flew, one-liners were exchanged and they still remain long-time friends. Micah was busy with a masterclass but we thank Tish and James for coming by. www.makersmark.com Chris Read –Shelter Point Distillery. Campbell River. Distinctly Vancouver Island. Uniquely Shelter Point. By the time Chris sat down we knew Shelter Point had won 2 Bronze medals for their Oak Cask Single Malt  (smoke, spices, honey, leather and a wiff of ocean) and their flagship Evans Family Reserve. (vanilla, tannins, dark chocolate, coconut, citrus, berries, cloves.) Chris explained the unique influences in their island location. It was like poetry. www.shelterpoint.ca  

Victoria Whisky Fest  & Canadian Whisky Awards     THE SHOW    “Friendship is like Whisky – the older the better”  Yes, my friends its our annual trek to Victoria's inner harbour for the 18th annual Victoria Whisky Festival and the Canadian Whisky Awards. It was founder of the awards Davin de Kergomeaux who whispered...

This week's episode comes from the Victoria Whisky Festival in Victoria, British Columbia...where a small Vancouver distillery shocked the Canadian whisky world the other night. Sons of Vancouver won Canadian Whisky of the Year honors at the Canadian Whisky Awards with their "Palm Trees and a Tropical Breeze" rye whisky. It was the highest-scoring whisky in the competition, and it wasn't even close. We'll talk with the distillery's Jenna Diubaldo, James Lester, and Max Smith on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth, along with Canadian Whisky Awards founder and chairman Davin de Kergommeaux. In the news, an explosion rocked Alberta Distillers in Calgary this week, while a long-running legal saga has come to an end in Vancouver.

GLENFIDDICH'S NATIONAL BRAND AMBASSADOR, Toronto-based Jamie Johnson, is a highly-respected whisky champion and conversationalist. She is widely known for hosting tasting events and masterclasses across Canada, as well as co-hosting the popular whisky podcast,  The Whisky Topic. She has also written extensively about whisky, and whisky culture for publications like Relish & Whisky Magazine and whisky.buzz to name a few. Aside from hosting masterclasses at all the top whisky shows in Canada, Jamie spearheaded – within her first year as a brand ambassador – a Grand Masterclass at Victoria Whisky Festival, bringing all 13 of her Balvenie ambassador colleagues from across the world to Canada to converse about, and champion the Balvenie profile. In her new role, she now takes on the world's most- awarded Single Malt, Glenfiddich.  Jamie's in-depth knowledge of whisky began with a personal passion project when she invited (“forced”, in her words) friends to her Toronto home to share different bourbon drams and have spirited conversations about flavour, taste, production process, and so on. This informal gathering grew, as interest in contemporary whisky spread outwards, and soon Bourbon Thing became a real thing, with events in bars and restaurants, a fully-fledged website and partnerships with some of the city's most well-respected bartenders, providing a space for whisky aficionados and neophytes alike to share a dram.  Before long, Jamie realised she had found her life's work – to spread the word about whisky. With her first move to The Balvenie, Jamie was able to turn her private passion into a whole new career and she is now more motivated than ever to hold as many different conversations with people about whisky as possible. Jamie's ultimate ambition is to help make people realise how easy whisky is to drink; _“to show people that though it is complex, it is not a complicated drink.” _ In 2018 Jamie consolidated and enhanced her whisky knowledge by completing the renowned General Certificate in Distilling, building on her home-grown knowledge “with all that unromantic but crucial stuff”. This achievement gives her a qualification with international recognition underpinned by scientific knowledge and principles of distilling operations. In addition, Jamie recently completed her WSET Level 2 Spirits award.  Jamie's favourite Glenfiddich dram is the 15 Year Old Solera Reserve. She finds to be “incredibly well-balanced, approachable and complex. A perfect whisky to spend some time with”. Over the coming years, Jamie would like to continue challenging people's conception of whisky, reminding them that whisky is for everybody – if they are up for the adventure.  Links @bourbonthing The Whisky Topic Podcast Glenfiddich @the_industry_podcast Email Us: info@theindustrypodcast.club Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah  @zak.hannah

This week, we're in Victoria, British Columbia for one of the world's best whisky festivals, the 15th annual Victoria Whisky Festival! This year's event also included the 10th anniversary of the Canadian Whisky Awards, and we'll hear from some of the top winners along with other highlights from Victoria on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, whisky industry leaders from Scotland and the U.S. spent much of the week in Washington trying to persuade Trump Administration officials to ease off on a trade tariff targeting whisky imports from Scotland and Northern Ireland. We're already starting to see some of the initial impact from the tariff on Scotch Whisky producers, with word that some smaller companies may be pulling out of one of the world's largest export markets because of the trade dispute between the U.S. and the European Union. That's just one of the stories we'll bring you on this special episode of WhiskyCast from the Victoria Whisky Festival.

Forty Creek Whisky founder John K. Hall has kept a low profile since selling his distillery to Campari five years ago. He won dozens of awards for his whiskies at Forty Creek, and turned his startup into one of the best-selling Canadian whiskies around - earning him a place in Canadian Whisky history. Hall returned to the 2019 Victoria Whisky Festival for the first time since the sale to serve as the keynote speaker for the Canadian Whisky Awards dinner. In an exclusive interview with WhiskyCast's Mark Gillespie, he shared his thoughts on today's whisky business and whether he may make a comeback once his non-compete agreement with Campari expires later this year.

Forty Creek Whisky founder John K. Hall has kept a low profile since selling his distillery to Campari five years ago. He won dozens of awards for his whiskies at Forty Creek, and turned his startup into one of the best-selling Canadian whiskies around - earning him a place in Canadian Whisky history. Hall returned to the 2019 Victoria Whisky Festival for the first time since the sale to serve as the keynote speaker for the Canadian Whisky Awards dinner. In an exclusive interview with WhiskyCast's Mark Gillespie, he shared his thoughts on today's whisky business and whether he may make a comeback once his non-compete agreement with Campari expires later this year.

In our second of two episodes from this week's Victoria Whisky Festival in Victoria, British Columbia, we'll talk with Eric and Allura Fergie of Fets Whisky Kitchen in Vancouver. Fets was one of four Scotch Malt Whisky Society partner bars in British Columbia raided by the province's liquor inspectors a year ago Friday. The Fergies had 242 bottles of SMWS whiskies valued at $40,000 seized because they came from privately-owned liquor stores in BC instead of government-owned stores. While the other three bars settled their cases for small fines, the Fergies are challenging the legality of the raids and have a hearing set for this May. They received support this week from Canada's Competition Bureau, which called on British Columbia officials to change what it terms an "anti-competitive" policy. We'll also have details on the week's new whisky releases, check on the latest distillery updates, and taste four single malts from Scotland in this special episode from the Victoria Whisky Festival.  

This is the first of our two episodes from the 14th annual Victoria Whisky Festival in Victoria, British Columbia. One of the highlights of the festival each year is the Canadian Whisky Awards, and Forty Creek returned to the top of the podium this year for the first time in five years with a new 22-year-old Canadian Rye whisky. We'll have the details on that and other award winners in the news, and we'll also look at the debate over the impact of terroir in whisky. Vancouver Island's Shelter Point Distillery won the Award for Innovation for its whisky distilled from 100% unmalted barley whisky grown on the distillery's own farm. That's just one example, and Ireland's Waterford Distillery is taking terroir to the other extreme with barley from more than 40 local farms being malted, distilled, and matured separately to maximize the impact of terroir. We'll discuss the findings of new scientific research on Waterford's barley with founder Mark Reynier on WhiskyCast In-Depth.

This time around, we're on the road in Victoria, British Columbia to taste four whiskies from four different countries with some of the folks from The Strath whisky and spirits shop as part of the annual Victoria Whisky Festival. Pat Dunlop, Adam Bradshaw, Dan Rampling, and Emily de Korte tasted the Bernheim 7-year-old Straight Wheat Whiskey from Kentucky, Penderyn's Madeira Finish Welsh single malt, the Glenglassaugh Revival single malt from Scotland, and Nikka's Coffey Malt from Japan.

  This week, we're in Victoria, British Columbia for the 13th annual Victoria Whisky Festival - just as the Canadian province's liquor regulators staged a crackdown targeting the Scotch Malt Whisky Society and its "partner bars" in the province. Agents seized several hundred bottles of the Society's whiskies in raids at four bars in Vancouver, Victoria, and Nanaimo because they were purchased from private liquor stores in British Columbia instead of the government-run liquor distribution system. We'll have complete coverage of the crackdown, along with its impact on the Victoria Whisky Festival, which was forced to cancel several tastings and master classes to head off a similar crackdown. We'll also have complete coverage of this year's Canadian Whisky Awards and talk with a pair of brewer/distillers from one of the most remote distilleries around...in the middle of the Yukon!

This week, we're on location at the Victoria Whisky Festival in British Columbia! We'll discuss a new range of premium Canadian whiskies coming this fall from the Hiram Walker Distillery with master blender Dr. Don Livermore, and sit down for a dram with veteran whisky writer Dave Broom to solve some of the whisky world's problems. In the news, there's a new Canadian Whisky of the Year, and we'll have highlights from the 2017 Canadian Whisky Awards, along with another expansion at Ireland's Midleton Distillery and a rare sighting of a "unicorn" whisky - believe it or not...a peated Balvenie!

Drew Mayville's 36 years in the whisky business include stints as the final master blender at Seagram's and as Sazerac's master blender for Buffalo Trace and its other whiskies, as well as the Pappy Van Winkle whiskies. He was one of the featured presenters at the Victoria Whisky Festival, and joins us to discuss his career on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Stewart Laing and his sons have unveiled their plans for Islay's newest distillery...we'll have the latest on new whiskies from Kilchoman, Glenmorangie, GlenDronach, and Highland Queen, bid the Elijah Craig Small Batch's age statement farewell, and pay tribute to a unique craft distiller.

One of the most-discussed topics at this weekend's Victoria Whisky Festival was a National Post feature on whisky questioning the future of vintage whiskies, and whether the whisky boom has already reached its peak. One of the whiskies mentioned in the story was The Glenlivet's Founders Reserve, which is replacing The Glenlivet 12 in many markets around the world. We'll get the reaction from The Glenlivet's Ian Logan to that article, and what his colleagues at Chivas Brothers are doing to fight that perception on WhiskyCast In-Depth. We'll also look at the impact of international trade deals on whisky exports, new whiskies, and while they're not the same as the ones stolen last September during a New York City whisky show, Simon Brooking of Laphroaig has his green wellies back!

This week, we're on location with the first of two episodes from the Victoria Whisky Festival in Victoria, British Columbia. For the last several years, the Victoria Whisky Festival has had at least one tasting session reserved for women only, and this year's tasting featured Canadian Club's Tish Harcus...one of the pioneers in leading tastings geared to women. We'll talk with Tish and Julia Ritz Toffoli, founder of Women Who Whiskey...one of the fastest-growing whisky clubs for women with chapters in the US, Canada, Europe, and Africa. In the news, Corby's Lot No. 40 has taken top honors as Canadian Whisky of the Year in the Canadian Whisky Awards for the second time in three years...the Nelson brothers have sold a stake in their Green Brier Distillery in Tennessee to Constellation Brands, and we'll have the latest on new whiskies from Japan and Ireland.

In the second of our two episodes from this weekend’s Victoria Whisky Festival, we'll catch up on more of the week's news - including more details on the $50,000 bottle of The Balvenie 50 stolen in a Montreal robbery Thursday and a Scottish newspaper report that several distilleries are in hot water with environmental protection officials over using too much water. We'll also get the latest on new whiskies from Springbank, the revival of a historic blended Scotch brand, and Corby's Dr. Don Livermore clears up more misconceptions about Canadian Whisky.

We're on the road for the first time in 2015 this weekend, with the first of two episodes from the 10th annual Victoria Whisky Festival in Victoria, British Columbia. The weekend kicked off with the annual Canadian Whisky Awards presentation Thursday night at the Hotel Grand Pacific, including a special Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Forty Creek founder John Hall. We'll hear from John and Canadian Whisky Awards founder Davin de Kergommeaux on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Montreal police are looking for a robber with very expensive taste in whisky following a holdup Thursday at the SAQ's flagship store in Montreal, Collingwood Rye takes Canadian Whisky of the Year honors, and Beam Suntory plans to export Alberta Premium for the first time.

Being a brand ambassador for a major whisky brand sounds like a lot of fun...and it is, but it's also a job with perks like jet lag, lost luggage, flight delays, and occasionally, a trip to the local police station. Some of the whisky world's top brand ambassadors shared their tales from the road with us at the 2014 Victoria Whisky Festival in Canada.

Richard Paterson, Whyte & Mackay’s Master Blender, answers questions from WhiskyCast community members in Part 2 of our interview during the Victoria Whisky Festival.

Richard Paterson is known to whisky lovers as “The Nose”, and Whyte & Mackay’s Master Blender sat down for a one on one interview at the Victoria Whisky Festival. In Part 1, he discusses his recent project with Chef Daniel Boulud and his feelings about the current situation at Whyte & Mackay.

More coverage of the Victoria Whisky Festival in this bonus edition of WhiskyCast, with details on new and upcoming releases from Springbank, Duncan Taylor, Tomatin, and Glenfarclas. In the news, Whyte & Mackay's Richard Paterson discusses his concerns over the future of the company in an exclusive WhiskyCast interview, the world record price for a single bottle of whisky sold at auction has been shattered, and Barry Wilde of Alberta's Highwood Distillers updates us on the recovery from last summer's massive flooding that shut the distillery down for weeks.

This is the first of two episodes from this weekend's Victoria Whisky Festival in British Columbia, where Canadian whisky was featured on opening night with the presentation of the 2013 Canadian Whisky Awards. Corby's Lot No. 40 ended Forty Creek Distillery's three-year run as Canadian Whisky of the Year, but by the slimmest of margins. We'll hear from the winners, as well as the equally pleased runners-up. In the news, Suntory's $16 billion deal to acquire Beam is drawing fire from some critics, Wild Turkey will honor Jimmy Russell with a special bottling to mark his 60th anniversary at the distillery this year, and Clynelish will be the latest Diageo distillery in Scotland to get an expansion. Mark also offers a commentary on the Suntory-Beam merger and why it's good for whisky lovers.

This month, our tasting panel gathered at the Victoria Whisky Festival in Victoria, British Columbia. Hanna Raskin, Johanne McInnis, and Graham MacKenny tasted four whiskies that scored highly in the 2012 Canadian Whisky Awards: Century Reserve Lot 15/25, Gibson's Finest 12, Forty Creek Confederation Oak, and the Alberta Premium Dark Horse. 

Time for our second episode of the weekend with highlights from this weekend's Victoria Whisky Festival! We'll get the latest on new whiskies from Tullibardine, Springbank, and Duncan Taylor, along with word on expansion plans for Benromach and a new program for Scotch Malt Whisky Society members in the U.S. In the news, Shackleton's whisky has been returned to Antarctica for reburial in the ice at Cape Royds, and we'll answer a listener question about the two types of mash tuns in use at most distilleries.

It's time for one of the world's top whisky festivals...the Victoria Whisky Festival in British Columbia. The festival kicked off with the presentation of the annual Canadian Whisky Awards, and we'll hear from founder Davin de Kergommeaux and the distiller behind the 2012 Canadian Whisky of the Year, Forty Creek's John Hall. We'll also get an update on the progress of British Columbia's largest whisky distillery from Shelter Point owner Patrick Evans, and update the week's news in the first of two episodes from Victoria this weekend!

Each January, whisky lovers gather in Victoria, British Columbia for one of the world's top whisky festivals, the Victoria Whisky Festival.

More from the Victoria Whisky Festival in this week's episode, including updates from Kilchoman, Gordon & MacPhail, Amrut, Edradour and Signatory, and two of British Columbia's local distilleries, Shelter Point and Victoria Spirits. In the news, there may soon be a truce in the trade dispute between India and the European Union that affects Scotch whisky exports...and Yale's offering an architecture class with a whiskey-related theme.

This month's tasting panel was recorded on location at the Victoria Whisky Festival in British Columbia, as Noel Buckley, Crystal Coverdale, Tony DeRamo, and Simon Seaton tasted the Glenmorangie Original, the Glenfarclas 17-year-old, and the Glenfiddich Rich Oak in front of a live audience.

The end of January means many things, but in the whisky world, it means a trip to the Victoria Whisky Festival in British Columbia. The VWF is one of the world's best whisky festivals, and this week's episode features some of the highlights from this weekend's event. We'll get the latest on new whiskies from Cooley, Glenfarclas, Glenmorangie, and many more distillers, along with the results of the Canadian Whisky Awards and the newest chapter of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society.

Plenty of highlights at this year's Victoria Whisky Festival, and we'll have all of the details in this episode recorded on location in Victoria, British Columbia. In the news, Scotch whisky exports are on the rise, Glenfarclas marks an anniversary, Arran goes peaty, Compass Box goes Orangerie again...and we mourn the loss of longtime Buffalo Trace legend Jimmy Johnson.  

This is the first live webcast of WhiskyCast, on location at the Victoria Whisky Festival in British Columbia. Our tasting panel and nosers from the audience went through five blind samples selected by Malt Maniac and Victoria Whisky Festival president Lawrence Graham, and you'll hear just how hard it is to guess just what a whisky could be without any clues. In the news, Shackleton's whisky gets first-class treatment, new expressions from The Dalmore and Old Pulteney, and whisky in a can?

We've seen an explosion in the number of whisky bloggers over the past year, and one of the most popular is Ralfy Mitchell of Ralfy.com. His whisky rating videos have become a hit on YouTube, and we sat down to talk at the recent Victoria Whisky Festival. In the news, Compass Box has something special planned for the upcoming Whisky Live London, another new whisky from The Dalmore, Buffalo Trace goes Canadian, and Bonhams puts a Glenfiddich bottling of casks from 1937 and 1939 on the auction block next week.    

Call it beginner's luck if you want, but Peter Hart's first batch of single malt spirit received rave reviews at the recent Victoria Whisky Festival...even though it was only two months old. Peter's the distiller at Victoria Spirits, a converted British Columbia winery now producing highly-regarded gin and as we'll learn in this episode, plans to produce a 100% British Columbia single malt whisky. In the news, the first interview with Al Fastier of the Antarctic Heritage Trust on the successful recovery of not just two cases of Sir Ernest Shackleton's 100-year-old whisky, but a third case of whisky and two cases of brandy! Also, Edrington and Berry Brothers swap whisky assets...and reports of a new Ardbeg expression!

This time around, I'm on location at the Victoria Whisky Festival in British Columbia, and I'm joined by a panel of whisky experts to discuss some of the issues facing whisky producers and drinkers alike. Jim Murray, Malt Maniac Davin De Kergommeaux, Ed Patrick of Canada's Companions of the Quaich, Stuart Nickerson of Glenglassaugh, Andrew Gray of Bruichladdich, and Dan Tullio of Canadian Club discuss the state of Canadian whisky, government regulation and taxes, premiumization, and their dream drams. In the news, Maker's Mark is experimenting with a new formula that may or may not make it to market, and Bruichladdich is experimenting with technology to turn its waste into fuel.    

Bonus coverage from the Victoria Whisky Festival, as the local Scottish community gathered to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns. We'll hear from Euan Mitchell of Isle of Arran, the only distiller authorized to use the Burns name on Scotch whisky. Warning: This episode contains bagpipe music! ;)

This week, WhiskyCast is in British Columbia for the Victoria Whisky Festival! It may be the only whisky festival with ticket scalpers because of the many whisky lovers in the area, and distilleries came from all over the world to show off their whiskies. We'll hear from Andrew Currie, who's building Vancouver Island's first single malt distillery...along with Ron Stothers of Alberta's Highwood Distillers, Peter Currie of Springbank, Andrew Gray of Bruichladdich, and Ashok Chokalingam of Amrut. There's also news about thieves hitting the old Rosebank Distillery...and stealing the stills!