Whisky Buzz (Mark Bylok & Jamie Johnson)

The Whisky Topic this week is on how to best enjoy your whisky. Mark Bylok and Jamie Johnson enjoy whisky three ways—Straight, on ice, and warmed closer to body temperature. How does their whisky change at different temperatures? When to drink whisky on ice? Plus, the mash bill controversy is briefly covered along with rising bourbon pricing. Somehow Sex in the City, The Hills, and Saved By The Bell make it into the show. ¯\\_(?)_/¯

Mark Bylok, whisky writer, and Jamie Johnson, who runs a private bourbon club, explore the world of Irish Whiskey. Is Irish whiskey going to see the same boom that bourbon has seen? Mark shares his thoughts. Jamie and Mark talk about flavoured whisky, and parallels in the industry with flavoured vodka. Also tackled, with some reluctance, the no-age statement movement and the hosts tell there story of what steps they need to go through to get Pappy Van Winkle in Toronto.

This week, Mark and Jamie discuss the infamous Pappy Van Winkle whisky. The history is quite complex! Is it worth the hype? Are whisky drinkers a touch sensitive about Pappy? Is Pappy 15 the perfect Pappy? Plus, Mark went to Panama City. Occasionally, there was whisky.

The Whisky Topic heads to Kentucky! Mark Bylok and Glenford Jameson visit Buffalo Trace and Barton Distillery (home of 1792). In their visit to Buffalo Trace Distillery, they review the process Buffalo Trace uses to pick those special barrels that make it as Blanton’s single barrel bourbon. Reviewed whiskies included a range of Colonel E.H. Taylor (Cured Oak, Tornado, Cask Strength), the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, and the yet to be released 2015 Pappy Van Winkle 20 year old. 1792 was had from the cask. Speaking of cask-strength whisky, how does Maker’s Mark measure up?

Many whisky enthusiasts were surprised Knob Creek won San Francisco’s World Spirit 2015 Award for best bourbon. On the first episode of The Whisky Topic, Jamie and Mark agreed that they liked Knob Creek, but loved Booker’s. So what happened? Fred Minnick likewise [seemed puzzled!]Jamie Johnson and Mark Bylok do a blind tasting between the two in different glassware. Does glassware make a difference in what we’re tasting? Listen ‘live’ to this blind tasting, filled with foils and nervous laughter. Which one wins out? Plus, we rehash the debate on the origin of whisky, and talk (briefly) about Kavalan.

Mark Bylok and Jamie Johnson review whisky from Scotland. Is scotch on its way down? What makes a good single malt scotch? Mark manages to rant on about no-age statements whisky. Lots of quick-tips on how to start with scotch. Plus, TV make-up. What’s up with that?

Mark and Jamie discuss the ridiculous articles claiming the health benefits of whisky. We also look at Sinfully Thinn Light Whisky, and Oliver Klimek breaking the story on the definition of a light whisky. Finally, we talk about vintage whisky advertisements targeting women, feminism, Jamie’s wedding, manhattans, and old fashions (somehow all this ties in!).

Host a whisky party! Jamie Johnson and Mark Bylok discuss their tips and tricks for throwing your own whisky party. Topics include considerations for glassware, setting up the order of the whisky, and the types of party you might want to throw.

Jamie Johnson and Mark Bylok discuss whisky events—what to do, and what not to do. They review Spirit of Toronto, and highlight rare whiskies they enjoyed at the event including Jim Murray’s 2015 winner. the Yamakazi 2013 Sherry Cask. Finally, Jamie and Mark touch upon rugby, the Apple Watch, and Jamie comes up with (at least) two big ideas that should be kickstarted!

Canadian whisky offers a unique voice in the whisky world. Davin de Kergommeaux, author of Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert, joins Jamie and Mark this week. The discussion goes deep into authenticity of whisky, additives, and comparisons between Canadian whisky and the rest of the world. Plus, Davin and Mark get dramatic about swirling and warming whisky, and Jamie seeks out whisky gossip!

Bottled in Bond is an early example of a consumer protection laws passed to the benefit of the whisky buyer. That law was more about health and authenticity. Food lawyer, Glenford Jameson, talks about consumer protection laws as it relates to whisky. Plus, what’s whisky supposed to taste like? And we touch on that phrase, craft whisky.

This week, Mark and Jamie discuss the context around enjoying whisky. Do the circumstances we have the whisky under affect the enjoyment of the whisky? Also discussed, hangover cures, tips for managing your drinking, Mad Men, land-lines, and cutting the cable cord!

Mark and Jamie return back to single malt scotch, with special guest Sam Simmons, known as Dr. Whisky in the scotch community, and more currently, brand ambassador for Balvenie. We talk about his article from last year on Jim Murray, 2015 Whisky Bible, and Why Scotch Whisky Sucks. Other topics include the truth behind sherry casks, single barrel whisky, cask strength whisky, and troubles with recording in Paris!

Mark and Jamie make suggestions for bourbon and single malt drinkers to cross over to other types of whiskies, including hot climate whiskies!

This week Jamie and Mark tackle to the topic of craft whisky and hand made whisky. Do hands touching your whisky make it taste better?

This week on The Whisky Topic, Glenford Jameson joins Jamie and Mark to discuss the tricky blind tasting that included variations of Eagle Rare, Weller 12 vs Van Winkle 12, and tasting oxidized whisky. Speculation went rampant on whether or not Eagle Rare is going to go NAS. The podcast takes an eerie turn when Woodford Reserve’s dried banana candy flavour is discussed.

Jamie and Mark are joined by Josh Peters of The Whiskey Jug, to discuss whisky reviews, whisky clubs, blind tastings, favourite whiskies, and washroom habits.

This week, Jamie and Mark have Matt Jones on the podcast. Matt is the Canada’s brand ambassador for Beam Suntory specializing in bourbon with over 16 years of bartending experience. Topics include craft whisky, flavoured whisky, cooking with whisky, whisky pairings, and summer cocktails!

Mark Bylok recently wrote about how he’s rebooting his whisky review writing process. Jamie and Mark discuss whisky reviews, and finding that reviewer that your tastes sync up with. Also discussed, napping, Annie the musical, throwing sleep-over parties, and Trent’s big head.

Jamie and Mark are joined by Reid Mitenbuler, the author of The Bourbon Empire: The Past and Future of America’s Whisky. We talk about about the link between American’s history and whisky, the craft whisky movement, dirty dancing references, twittersphere, and the importance of editing when writing books.

Jamie and Mark are joined by Eric Burke of www.bourbonguy.com. The topic of discussion includes the Templeton Rye class-action lawsuit settlement, Eric’s picks of cheap whiskies, (bad) tips on talking to your doctor, and cross-boarder shopping.

Mark Reynier is the owner of Waterford Distillery, and former managing director and part-owner of Bruichladdich distillery. The discussion focuses on the future of Irish whiskey, trends in the industry, the importance of credibility, whisky terroir, no-age statement whisky, and lessons learned from Bruichladdich that’ll be applied to Waterford Distillery.

Mark and Jamie discuss craft whisky, marketing, gimmicks like shooting whisky into space, the bottled-in-bond act, and lawsuits!

Bartender and drinks writer, Sarah Parniak (@S_Parns), joins Mark and Jamie to discuss cocktail culture, whisky alternatives, the life of a bartender, and bar etiquette!

Jamie and Mark are joined by Glenford Jameson to review the chaos of Mark’s “Low Proof vs High Proof” whisky tasting. The podcast kicks off celebrating episode 25, highs and lows, as we pick our favourite moments and provide some backstory to previous episodes. Also covered, chocolate and whisky pairing, discussions on proof levels and whisky, and general whisky news.

Wine writer, Mike Di Caro, joins Jamie and Mark to talk about gin. We start in the early days of spirit drinking, and talk about junipers, vodka, whisky, the great lakes, and farming. Follow Mike Di Caro on twitter @mikedicaro

Mark and Jamie review their bet on Ardbeg going to space—did aging whisky in zero-gravity change the flavour of it? Who won the bet? Also covered, whsky.buzz, Glenlivet making it to number one single malt, the Orphan Barrel controversy, and haunted houses!

This week on podcast, Jamie and Mark interview Drew Mayville. We talk about the push to make better whisky, Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, the whisky making process, Buffalo Trace’s constant push for experimentation, and the role of the Master Blender.

Glenford Jameson joins Jamie and Mark to discuss their findings in Kentucky. Particularly, we compare and contrast Buffalo Trace, Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Willet, and Wild Turkey. We talk about the new Maker’s Mark 46 Cask Strength, Kentucky Cereal, and our Bourbon Festival.

The Buffalo Trace 26 Year Old Bourbon Failed Experiment never made it to market, but Jamie and Mark got a sample. Hear their tasting notes. Also, Jamie and Mark review Non-Distiller Producers (NDP). Are they over-inflated on price? Finally, is Jamie in a music video? (Hint: She is) Check out Alan Doyle’s 1, 2, 3, 4 whisky music video. Plus, the Ontario bourbon shortage is here!

This week on The Whisky Topic, Blake of bourbonr.com comes on the show to discuss the success of his website, and some of his more controversial posts.

Mark & Jamie provide updates on their whisky collections, and follow-up on Pappy shortage, and whisky history vs reality. The podcast finishes with an interview of Hamish Torrie (Global Brand Ambassador of Ardbeg).

This week, Mark and Jamie speak with Jane Conner from Maker’s Mark. Jane oversees barrel maturation and new product development at the distillery. We speak about the Maker’s Mark Private Select Program, whisky terroir, and barrel maturation!

This week, Sarah Parniak joins Jamie and Mark to discuss whisky events from various perspectives, women and whisky, sherry finishes, and pizza!

This week, Jamie and Mark talk about Norlan whisky glass, whisky hysteria, hotel bars, boy bands, bad TV, lining up for whisky, vodka martinis, and old fashions vs manhattans. There might yet another discussion about ice.

Jennifer Chen, a food and whisky enthusiast, joins Mark and Jamie this week to review the whisky tasting at Mark’s place. It includes a battle of single malts, peated whiskies from around the world, and the battle of big cask strength whiskies.

Mark and Jamie investigate Jim Murray’s claim that Crown Royal North Harvest Rye is the best whisky in the world. Naturally, a blind tasting ensues between three top Canadian whiskies. Also, we report in from the New Brunswick Spirits Show.

Justin and Giovanni from Frape & Sons join Mark and Jamie to talk about bitters. They ferment and distill their own spirit as the base for all their bitters, and have experimented creatively with the flavouring agents. We talk about bitters used creatively in cocktails and in cooking. Also, hemp bitters & foam parties. Note: This Podcast was Recorded in mid-November.

Jamie and Mark bring back Matt Jones on the show. Matt is the Canadian Brand Ambassador for Beam Suntory. Discussion includes yeast strains, how distilleries provide unique products, making craft whisky, and pizza parties. Mostly, they chat about stories of Kentucky. Also, this is the absolute last chance to get the Small Batch Hand Crafted “The Whisky Topic” t-shirt. Check it out at teespring.com!

Mark and Jamie are joined by Nicolas Villalon (@nick_villalon), micro-biologist and brand ambassador for Highland Park and The Macallan. We chat age statement, rare releases, barrel selection, SWA and openness, and sober November.

Jamie and Mark celebrate Festivus on this week’s podcast. They pick their Festivus dinner whisky, their grievance whiskies (there are many), perform a feat of strength (cask whisky), and the festivus miracle distillery! Also, your holiday taking selfies tips. 

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.

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.

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?

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.

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!

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.

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?

Food Lawyer Glenford Jameson joins Mark and Jamie. This week, they discuss the blind whisky tasting hosted by Mark, winter in Canada, cocktail competitions, and dusties.

Mark and Jamie plow their way through Mark’s cask strength whisky while giving out “meaningful” awards.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Mark and Jamie talk about Mark's trip to Kentucky. It was a bachelor party. There are stories. We also review the differences between small, medium, and large distilleries! Mark interviews the owner of Heartfield & Co distillery and Jay Erisman from New Riff Distillers. Plus, trolling Jamie!

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.

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.

This week on the podcast we explore Jim Rutledge’s new distillery, crowd sourcing, Jim Beam’s 14th millionth barrel, and can you tell rye apart from bourbon?

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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)!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

Mark and Jamie wouldn’t be podcasting without Mark Gillespie of the WhiskyCast. Mark Gillespie joins Mark and Jamie to talk about how he started in podcasting, how the whisky enthusiast community has changed over the years, social media, and where he sees whisky going in 2017.

We are joined this week by Conor Timmons, Brand Ambassador for Jameson! We explore the new Jameson whiskeys focused on the craft of making whisky. We also discuss St. Patrick’s Day, green beer, and shots (and how to avoid them!)

This week we’re joined by Peter of @newbourbondrink. Peter is a whisky blogger and collector. As an example, he has 30 different Buffalo Trace Antique Collections. Peter shares his tips on finding these rare rare whiskies. Incidentally, Peter brings samples of his favourite 5 whiskies of 2016 and plus some of the surprise whiskies he disliked.

It’s all about Canadian whisky. Mark and Jamie are joined by author of Canadian Whisky: The Portable Export and Head Judge of the Canadian Whisky awards, Davin de Kergommeaux. We get inside whisky judging, the winners, and debate batches!

Mark and Jamie discuss recent whisky news including Pappy Van Winkle coming back with its oldest whisky yet, the continued rise of whisky sales, and Jamie finally quotes a study!

Whisky Brand Ambassadors carry the heart and passion of the distillery out to their local scene. This week Jamie Johnson, of The Balvenie Distillery, talks about her experience of going to Scotland and becoming a brand ambassador for the distillery. We also mention green beer, boy bands, and tips for St. Patrick’s Day!

Mark and Jamie discuss their origin stories on how they got into whisky. Jamie claims to not need research, but that proves wrong. Mark keeps talking about wanting to have the mutant healing factor super power. We mention whisky.

Raj Peter Bhakta’s journey included being on season 2 of The Apprentice, losing the 2006 congressional bid in the 13th congressional district of Pennsylvania, and buying a 500-acre milk farm in Vermont. It was the purchase of the farm, and his love for whisky, that started him on a path of WhistlePig Distillery. Mark and Jamie ask Raj about the distillery, his sugar shack, and WhistlePig’s newest release, FarmStock. Also, Jamie notes the importance of balloons.

Eric Burke of bourbonguy.com comes on the podcast to discuss the results of the March Madness Bourbon Tournament, a tournament dedicated to find the best affordable bourbon. Learn which ones were elevated to the Fancy-Shelf!

A shortened podcast this week as Mark previews his trip to Kentucky, the episodes coming up, and Elijah Craig Small Batch vs the discounted 12 Year Old Age statement Elijah Craig.

Mark brings the podcast on the road to Kentucky, where he interviews Freddie Johnson in an old warehouse on the Buffalo Trace property. Freddie is the third generation of his family to work on these grounds, and he talks to his family’s history. Also, ghosts, Pappy, and the Bourbon Pompeii. You can visit Freddie when on tour at the Buffalo Trace Distillery! Just be sure to book the tour in advance.

Castle & Key Distillery is located on the historic Old Taylor Distillery site. The podcast is joined by Castle & Key’s Master Distillery, Marianne Barnes. We discuss mash-bills, Colonel E.H. Taylor, history, searching for ancient yeast, and the incredibly Old Taylor property.

This week Mark and Jamie are joined by Mal Spence, the Global Brand Ambassador for Black Bottled Blended. We talk about Glasgow, Mal Spence’s long career as a bartender, and the history of Black Bottled Blended.

We compare Canada’s Gooderham Centennial Whisky against J.P. Wiser’s Canada’s One-Fifty Whisky with Spencer Gooderham. Spencer is the Brand Ambassador for Corby’s line of Canadian whisky (J.P. Wiser’s, Lot No 40, Gooderham & Worts, and many others). We talk about the Canadian whisky story, the Gooderham family, and compare the J.P. Wiser’s One-Fifty with the Gooderham Centennial Release!

Reddit has a community of over 50,000 people that love whisky. Mark and Jamie are clueless. TOModera is a long time reddit user that has over 1000 whisky reviews posted primarily on Reddit. He talks about reddit, whisky reviews, and some of the great stories behind his favourite whiskies.

Cole Miller, founder of Twelve Barrels, is featured on Dragon’s Den (Canada’s version of Shark Tank) in hopes of getting investment dollars for his startup. Hear the behind-the-scenes from the show that aired. Also, listen to Cole’s more interested behind-the-scenes life of making whisky which involves lots of experimentation. Mark and Jamie, of course, taste many of the experiments!

Glenfiddich is the best selling single malt in the world, but hasn’t been resting. Their experimental series challenges the whisky consumer, and seeks out new markets. Beth Havers, Glenfiddich Brand Ambassador for Canada, returns to the podcast to discuss the experimental series.

Davin de Kergommeaux joins Mark and Jamie to talk about Canadian whisky, his book, and repeatedly showing Mark how he’s wrong all the time. We cover the best whisky in the world, the Northern Border Collection, Canadian Club 40 Year Old, and Collingwood Double Wood!

Crown Royal’s Brand Ambassador, Stephen Wilson, and Master Blender, Mark Balkenende, come by the podcast to speak about Crown Royal past, present, and future. Mark and Jamie finally tackle Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye, and hear the story behind the craze when the whisky was named the best whisky in the world. (We do apologize for the sound issues, they don’t last beyond six minutes)