The Whisky Topic is a weekly podcast hosted by Mark Bylok, author of The Whisky Cabinet, and Jamie Johnson, who runs private (but approachable!) bourbon club. We cover topics for the whisky curious and the whisky enthusiast.
The theme song is licensed in thanks to Alan Doyle! It's available on iTunes.
Thank you for listening!
In our annual holiday podcast, Mark and Jamie celebrate St. Tibb’s and air grievances in honour of Festivus! Booker’s Bourbon price increase gets “mentioned” but more importantly, Jamie shares some great whisky news!
Mentioned on the podcast:
Festivus for the Rest of U
Tibb’s Eve
Booker’s Bourbon Price Increase
The Balvenie
The theme song is licensed in thanks to Alan Doyle! It's available on iTunes.
Marcio Ramos, Brand Ambassador for Bowmore and Laphroaig, comes to the Whisky Topic to share rare whiskies from both distilleries. We offer tricks and tips to how to get these rare whiskies at whisky trade shows and events!
Marcio’s Instagram
Marcio’s The Whisky Topic t-shirt photo
BourbonGents
The Caledonian
Friends of Laphroaig
The theme song is licensed in thanks to Alan Doyle! It's available on iTunes.
Nicolas Villalon from Edrington comes over to offer Mark and Jamie some rum, special bottling of blended whisky (Black Grouse, Alpha Grouse release), and we have some Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition.
Links mentioned:
Cutty Sark
The Famous Grouse
Brugal Rum 1888
Nicolas Villalon on Instagram
Nicolas Fishing
The Macallan X Lyan: Scotch whisky purists try The Macallan in cocktails
The theme song is licensed in thanks to Alan Doyle! It's available on iTunes.
This week, Jamie and Mark interview a distillery from Kentucky and one from Ontario to compare how regulation and taxation affects the whisky they make. Andrew Buchanan is of Hearetfield & Co from Paris, Kentucky, and Michael Hook is from The Last Straw Distillery in Vaughan, Ontario. We discuss how Bill 70 being proposed in Ontario will affect Ontario distilleries.
Links:
The Whisky Cabinet is available on Amazon
The Ontario Craft Distillers Association
Ontario's Micro-Distillers Feel Betrayed by Their Government
Heartfield & Co Distillery
The Last Straw Distillery
The theme song is licensed in thanks to Alan Doyle! It's available on iTunes.
Jamie and Mark interview Matt Jones, the Canadian brand ambassador for Beam Suntory, specifically focused on Jim Beam and Canadian Club. We look at the history of no-age statement bourbons, new products coming into the marketplace, and the whisky ambassador lifestyle.
You can follow Matt’s adventures on Instagram and Twitter (@whisky_chef)
Mentioned on the podcast:
Jim Beam Black wins IWSC Best Bourbon
Jim Beam Bonded
Jim Beam Double Oak
Ironing Board Meetings on Instagram
NB Spirit Festival
The theme song is licensed in thanks to Alan Doyle! It's available on iTunes.
Marvin Allen is the bar manager at the Carousel Bar & Lounge, the world’s only carousal where you need to be 21 to ride. Marvin talks about how the cocktail scene has changed in the last 15 years, Tales of the Cocktail, and his book: Magic in a Shaker.
Mentioned on the show:
Tales of the Cocktail
Hotel Monteleone
The Carousal Bar & Lounge
Magic in a Shaker by Marvin Allen
The theme song is licensed in thanks to Alan Doyle! It's available on iTunes.
Fearful of the whisky shortage? Mark and Jamie go through the best whiskies in their cabinet that are easily available at liquor stores! We break it down into ryes, bourbons, and malt whiskies. Let the debate begin. Be sure to check out the whisky reviews on whsky.buzz
Links mentioned:
Kentucky and Scotland Both Avoid the B Word
The theme song is licensed in thanks to Alan Doyle! It's available on iTunes.
Mark and Jamie discuss the “Beast” whisky coming out of Fort McMurry, the importance of the way a whisky bottle looks, and Jamie’s travels!
Drinking:
Laphroaig Quarter Cask
Bulleit 10 Year Old
Mentioned:
Bar Chef Toronto and The Bar Chef Book
@jotterface
Fort McMurray Fire Leads to “Beast” of a Whisky
The theme song is licensed in thanks to Alan Doyle! It's available on iTunes.
Mark and Jamie are joined by Fred Minnick (author of Bourbon: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of an American Whiskey) and Davin de Kergommeaux (Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert). We drink Canadian whisky, talk about new oak versus reused oak, the importance of fermentation, and reveal secrets behind scoring whisky.
Davin de Kergommeaux has previously appeared on episode 10 and 44 of The Whisky Topic. You can also get more information on Fred Minnick’s book on episode 69 of Bourbon Pursuit.
The theme song is licensed in thanks to Alan Doyle! It's available on iTunes.
Mike Di Caro joins Jamie and Mark to discuss how music is influenced by whisky. We taste Drake’s Virginia Black Whiskey, Sinatra Select, and Mike gives us a quick dive into country music. You can find Mike on twitter @mikedicaro
We were drinking:
Drake’s Virginia Black Whiskey
Sinatra Select
Mentioned links:
Miranda Lambert - Vice & Jack Daniels
Brandy Clark — Three Kids No Husband
#GeorgeThorogood
@beardedsipper1976
Foodism Toronto
The theme song is licensed in thanks to Alan Doyle! It's available on iTunes.
This week’s feature is an interview with Han Shan from Hudson Whiskey. Hudson Whiskey has an odd start, with a plot of land being purchased for use as a climber’s ranch, that eventually became the home of Tuthilltown Distillery. This became the first distillery in New York State post-prohibition. News items covered include Knob Creek going NAS, and Toronto Distillery Co stirring controversy over their new release!
Links:
Hudson Whiskey
Han Shan’s twitter
Knob Creek goes No-Age Statement reports Fred Minnick
Toronto Distillery Co’s First Barrels
Reddit AMA by Toronto Distillery Co
Whisky Live Author’s Rowwith Mark Bylok
The theme song is licensed in thanks to Alan Doyle! It's available on iTunes.
The Kentucky Bourbon Festival happens each September in Bardstown Kentucky. Eric from bourbonguy.com joins Mark and Jamie on the podcast to share his experiences at the 2016 Bourbon Festival. We talk fan clubs, prices of whisky, Kentucky whisky purchases, and places to eat. Eric recently celebrated a big milestone with Robin, his wife, over her four-and-a-half year check-up of being cancer free. Ovarian cancer is frequently misdiagnosed by doctors. Please see the factsheet.
Links:
Ovarian Cancer Factsheet
Using Old Forester Birthday Bourbon to Celebrate a Serious Milestone
Eric’s trip to Kentucky
Eric previously appeared on episode 56 talking about March Madness!
The theme song is licensed in thanks to Alan Doyle! It's available on iTunes.
While Dr. Nick Morgan sometimes earns the ire of whisky enthusiasts, his passion for whisky is unmistakable. Nick is the head of whisky outrage for Diageo, and shares his thoughts on age-statements on whisky bottles, blind-bottle tastings, blended scotch vs single malt scotch, and shares the story behind Lagavulin 8 Year Old.
The theme song is licensed in thanks to Alan Doyle! It's available on iTunes.
High West Distillery has won over the hearts of many whisky enthusiasts for their delicious unique whiskies and the policy of being open about their products. We interview David Perkins of High West. In contrast, Jeff Quint is the owner and operator of Cedar Ridge Distillery. Cedar Ridge is expanding throughout the US and growing in demand with their premium whisky, and they make every drop they sell. Mark and Jamie also talk about the weather, airshows, and marathons.
The theme song is licensed in thanks to Alan Doyle! It's available on iTunes.
This week, Mark and Jamie talk about Tales of the Cocktail, Diageo’s decision to remove the Masters of Whisky program, and Matthew McConaughey taking Jamie’s spotlight.
Diageo to Axe Masters of Whisky Program
Tales of the Cocktail
Ben from A Dram a Day
The Irish Pub
Proof: The Science of Booze by Adam Rogers
Civil Liberties Bar
Wild Turkey Bourbon: Matthew McConaughey Short Film
Matt Jones taking on Mila Kunis
The Macallan in a Maserati with Kieron Elliott
The theme song is licensed in thanks to Alan Doyle! It's available on iTunes.
Curious about the math behind whisky reviews? This week on the podcast, Mark and Jamie interview Eric from WhiskyAnalsysis.com. Eric uses the “meta reviewer” concept on his website, where he collects whisky scores from various reviewers and provides an overall ranking. Other topics covered include whisky changing in the bottle, Jim Murray’s reviews, and various challenges for whisky reviewers. Search for your favourite whisky in the The Meta-Critic Database.
The theme song is licensed in thanks to Alan Doyle! It's available on iTunes.
Dr Don Livermore joins Mark and Jamie to quiz them on their whisky knowledge! Dr Don Livermore is the master blender for J.P. Wiser’s (includes J.P. Wiser’s, Lot 40, Gooderham & Worts 4 Grain). Topics include the role of the master blender, wood extraction, and the history of Canadian whisky. You can read Don’s tweets on his account @CDNWhiskyDoc.
This week on The Whisky Topic, Mark and Jamie discuss Canadian whisky, whisky ratings, and share Mark’s plans for July 12th (Shhh, he’s eloping with Nicole)!
Links from the podcast:
@whiskey_flyer's whisky cabinet
Your $30 Crown Royal Rye is Probably Not the Best Whisky in The World
Lot No 40 whsky.buzz review
Gary Gillman joins Jamie and Mark to discuss the history of making bourbon, particularly with a focus on the sour mash. When researching the roots of hand-made sour mash, Gary found documents from the 1800s and 1900s that revealed the changes in the process overall.
You can find Gary Gillman on twitter or read his articles on beeretseq.com. Read his article on the topic, The Roots Of Hand-Made Sour Mash: Appalachia and the Scots-Irish.
Also mentioned:
Proof - The Science of Booze
Davin de Kergommeaux’s Wiser’s Last Barrels Review
Woodford Reserve Sweet Mash
Canadian Club 100% Rye review from The Whiskey Wash
The theme song is licensed in thanks to Alan Doyle! It's available on iTunes.
Maggie Kimberl joins Mark and Jamie to take us back to Louisville. Topics touched on include the history of bourbon in Kentucky, cigar and whisky pairings, tourism in Kentucky, and best places to visit while in Kentucky.
You can find Maggie at:
LouGirl502
The Whiskey Wash
The Alcohol Professor
Also mentioned:
Michael Veach
MilkWood Restaurant
Urban Bourbon Trail - 50 kinds of bourbon
Butchertown Grocery
502 Cafe
Old Taylor Distillery
Pairing Bourbon & Cigars
Kentucky Peerless Distillery
Copper & Kings
