62: "There are no wrong answers.. but there is ONE wrong answer."

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This week on The Whisky Topic, Jennifer Chan joins Jamie and Mark to discuss the enthusiasts whisky tasting Mark hosted. Listen to hear whisky fans analyze whisky as they tasted them blindly. Jamie gets to be the teacher looking through everyone’s answers! 

You can find Jen on Instagram and her website.

Whiskies mentioned on the podcast:

Bulleit Rye
Russell’s Reserve Straight Rye whsky.buzz review
Old Forester Bourbon
Pikesville Straight Rye whsky.buzz review
Colonel E.H. Taylor Rye whsky.buzz review
Toronto Distillery Co. Rye
Toronto Distillery Co. Applejack
New Riff Distillery
Heartfelt & Co Bourbon Whisky

Also mentioned: 

Barely Legal Rye
Short video from the tasting
The Caledonian events page (Mark & Jamie are frequently here!) 

The theme song is licensed in thanks to Alan Doyle! It's available on iTunes.

60: Deconstructing Single Malt Scotch with Beth Havers

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Deconstructing whisky is the process by which we take the blends of barrels that go into the final product, and taste each individually. Each barrel adds its own character to the final product. This week, Mark and Jamie have Beth Havers of Glenfiddich on the podcast to deconstruct Glenfiddich 15 Solera Edition. 

@whiskybeth
Jamie in Alan Doyle's 1, 2, 3, 4 video
Chef’s Congress Dinner in Scotland
Solera process
Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Solera
Glenfiddich Distillery Edition
Wounded Warriors Project
Glenfiddich Presents Wounded Warriors with $123,000

The theme song is licensed in thanks to Alan Doyle! It's available on iTunes.

59: Spoiled Dusties, Agricole, and Whisky Events

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Glenford Jameson joins Jamie and Mark to review their recent experiences at Spirit of Toronto. Dusties were tasted, Glenford did not like some of the old scotches, and Jamie made Mint Juleps!

Links: 

Glenford Jameson
Toronto Distillery Co
Riker Googling
Welcome to Food Court Podcast with Glenford Jameson

The theme song is licensed in thanks to Alan Doyle! It's available on iTunes.

 

57: Chuck Cowdery Talks Past, Present, and Future of American Whisky

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This week on the podcast, Chuck Cowdery joins Mark and Jamie. The discussion ranges from marketing gimmicks from decades ago to today, the change in the whisky industry, and trends coming out in the future. 

Links:

whsky.buzz shop
2016 Spring/Summer releases included Booker’s Rye
Chuck Cowdery’s Blog
Bourbon, Strange by Chuck Cowdery
The Golden Age of American Whiskey? You're Living in It
KT.Taylor3's Instagram account

The theme song is licensed in thanks to Alan Doyle! It's available on iTunes. 

56: We Review Whisky March Madness in April

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Eric of bourbonguy.com joins Mark and Jamie to discuss his whisky themed March Madness bracket. In addition, we cover non-whisky spirits and bad YouTube videos. 

YouTube sensation Jamie Johnson (Making bad batched drinks)

Suresh Doss

Bottom-Shelf Bourbon Brackets 2016: Championship Rounds

My Wandering Eye: Mount Gay Barbados Rum: Black Barrel

Antiquing and Bottle Dating: Four Roses and Related

54: Is vodka cool again? Naw.

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Mark and Jamie discuss Mark’s trip to Kentucky, visiting distilleries, buying bourbon in Kentucky, snapchat, and is vodka cool again? Plus, we feature bottled-in-bond and straight bourbon.

Snapchat IDs for markbylok and heyjamiejay

Jamie is drinking Eagle Rare
Mark is drinking Blanton’s Single Barrel

Also mentioned: 

Alan Doyle
Mint Julep Tours
Is drinking vodka cool again?
Evolution of Straight Bourbon
Craft vodka?
Jack Daniel’s Rested Rye
Ladies-only Beer Festival
Beaumont Inn

The theme song is licensed in thanks to Alan Doyle! It's available on iTunes. 

53: The Tables Have Turned on the Hosts

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This week, Suresh Doss guest-hosts the show to get deeper under the covers of the podcast by interviewing Mark and Jamie. We share travel stories, drinking stories, answer difficult questions, and debate craft beer drinkers vs whisky drinkers.

Mentioned on the podcast:

Suresh is on Twitter, Instagram, and writes for Toronto Life, and Globe & Mail.

Hellyers Road Single Malt Whisky

Toronto bars mentioned:

Rush Lane
Emmet Ray
Caledonian
Allen’s

The theme song is licensed in thanks to Alan Doyle! It's available on iTunes. 

52: Whisky Pranks & Drinking Health Studies

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Mark and Jamie discuss the Whisky Magazine Whisky awards and compare the results to San Francisco’s World Spirit Awards. Joining them on the program, Doctor Tom Stockwell pours some cold water over thoughts that drinking is good for us, and we have Ian Millar on the show! Ian is the global brand ambassador for Glenfiddich, and we talk about the new role he’s moving into, and whisky pranks.

Mentioned on the show:

Old Pulteney Takes Top Honors At World Whiskies Awards
Fred Minnick’s Best Bourbon unbelievable upset
Westminister Dog Show
This Hour Has 22 Minutes
Drinking alcohol offers no net health benefits
Doctor Timothy Stockwell
Glenfiddich Gallery
@distillermillar

The theme song is licensed in thanks to Alan Doyle! It's available on iTunes. 

51: Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day With author Fionnán O'Connor

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Irish whiskey is triple distilled, smooth, and made of malted and unmalted barley. Or at least, that’s what we’ve been led to believe. Fionnán O'Connor, author of A Glass Apart: Irish Single Pot Still Whiskey, takes us through the diverse Irish whiskey history, and we get a peek into an exciting future for the industry. 

The theme song is licensed in thanks to Alan Doyle! It's available on iTunes. 

50: The Award Show

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48: Mezcal with Sarah Parniak - “I really hate to use the word artisan.”

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Joined by drinks writer Sarah Parniak, Mark and Jamie explore the world of mezcals and tequilas. Also mentioned, weird drinking traditions that include eating tequila worms, kissing dead fermented human toes, and cod lips, and was Mark’s Don Julio Reposado actually a Reposado?

Sarah, Jamie and Mark are drinking:
Mezcal Los Siete Misterios
Divino Mezcal Reposado
Don Julio Reposado
Laphroaig Quarter Cask
Colonel E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof

Also mentioned:

Should You Eat the Tequila Worm?
Patron Swallows Human Toe While Drinking “Toe” Drink
Kissing the cod
The Sweet Escape in the Distillery District
Drinking lots of coffee saves liver from alcohol damage, research finds
Argentinean Mixology: Fernet and Coke
Hard Water - San Francisco 

The theme song is licensed in thanks to Alan Doyle! It's available on iTunes. 

47: NAS Bourbon, Orphaned Accidents, and Rare Wild Turkeys

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Mark and Jamie are joined by Josh of The Whisky Jug. Elijah Craig falls under the hammer for removing their age statement, and we talk about Diageo’s latest Orphan Barrel releases that has questionable roots.

Mentioned on the podcast:

Orphan Barrel Gifted Horse Review

Elijah Craig 12 Year Old Review

Epic Tasting: Wild Turkey Rare Breed Vertical

The theme song is licensed in thanks to Alan Doyle! It's available on iTunes. 

46: Interview with The Master Of Wood, Stuart MacPherson

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This week Mark and Jamie are joined by Stuart MacPherson, the Master of Wood for The Macallan Distillery. Stuart is involved in every step of the preparation process of the barrels from the trees being grown, to them being shipped off to Scotland for barrel maturation. We manage to stay somewhat on topic! 

The theme song is licensed in thanks to Alan Doyle! It's available on iTunes. 

45: January is Over!

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This week, Mark and Jamie talk about their experiences with DryJanuary where Jamie succeeds, and Mark mostly failed. We inspect Instagram advertising, talk about Grease, Little Shop of Horrors, and mention whisky a little more. The podcast goes off-topic rapidly.

Jamie drank: Wild Turkey Rare Bread

Mark Drank: Elmer T. Lee and Masterson’s Rye

Also mentioned:
Prohibition by Ken Burns
Grease: Live

The theme song is licensed in thanks to Alan Doyle! It's available on iTunes. 

44: Davin de Kergommeaux talks Canadian Whisky

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Davin (author of Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert) joins Mark and Jamie to talk Canadian whisky! What makes Canadian whisky different from bourbon? We have predictions for the future of the industry. Also, after-parties? 

Also mentioned: 
Writer’s Tears
Victoria Whisky Festival
David Bloom
Gooderham’s & Worts 4 Grain
Wiser’s Hop
Balvenie DoubleWood 12 Year Old
Crown Royal 75 Anniversary Blend
Forty Creek Copper Pot
Crown Royal North Harvest Rye

The theme song is licensed in thanks to Alan Doyle! It's available on iTunes. 

43: Trends in 2015, and looking to 2016 “And I ordered a Shirley Temple once…”

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Blake from bourbonr.com joins Jamie and Mark to talk about trends in 2015, and we offer predictions for 2016. Also discussed, rare whiskies, best whiskies of 2015, and fancy carbonated waters.

Also mentioned: 

Bourbonr Full Tasting Kit
Exploring The Bourbon Secondary
La Croix Water

The theme song is licensed in thanks to Alan Doyle! It's available on iTunes. 

42: Whisky Heel Parties, Dry January, and Whisky Events

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Mark and Jamie are joined by Glenford Jameson. They review the whisky heel party hosted in December where guests brought their nearly finished whisky bottles. We have some lessons learned! We review tips for going to whisky events, and also talk about Dry January and Octsober and what it means to us.

Octsober
Environmental Conditions & Tolerance
Frape & Sons
whiskyheelparty
@twisecu
Master of The Wood
Russian Dashcam Videos

The theme song is licensed in thanks to Alan Doyle! It's available on iTunes.