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PODCAST

Cask to Glass

How do you take your whisky?Neat? Splash of water? Block of ice? Or even a mixer?However you take it, join John Beattie, former Scotland rugby international and semi-retired BBC radio and TV news presenter, as he celebrates the heritage and flavour of Scotland"s national drink and the world"s favourite spirit.Whether you call it whisky, whiskey, uisge beatha, aqua vitae, or the water of life... there"s a story behind every dram; a craftsman behind every drop; an aroma with every nose; and a flavour

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All Episodes

34:32

Graeme Littlejohn from the Scotch Whisky Association

Cask to Glass ·

2025/06/26

"It's a really challenging time in Scotch whisky at the moment," admits Graeme Littlejohn, Director of Strategy & Communications at the Scotch Whisky Association. "I guess we'd call it an inflexion point for the industry."That's a view we've heard from several contributors on the podcast in our previous 21 episodes.For instance, in Episode 15 Andrew Symington of Edradour Distillery told John the industry was facing "headwinds". Andrew identified the cost of living crisis; the effects of Brexit;

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41:58

Bring on the Wallabies: The Lions Whisky Challenge

Cask to Glass ·

2025/06/19

"There's a whisky for everyone," says former Scotland rugby international Ryan Grant and independent bottler with Unkiltered."Including the Welsh," he adds.Aye! You can pick a Scottish rugby player for the British and Irish Lions, but you can't take away the Home Nations rivalry.Ryan was on the last Lions tour to Australia, back in 2013. And as the 2025 Lions get set to embark on their latest tour down under, Ryan joins John, who toured with the Lions to South Africa in 1980 and New Zealand in 1983,

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25:47

Is that an Easy Question? Max McFarlane vs Google

Cask to Glass ·

2025/06/12

Legendary whisky maker Max McFarlane is sought out the world over as consultant by other whisky producers.For over 25 years, Max was the Master Blender and later Keeper of the Quaich at Edrington. As such his nose provided the quality control for some of the best selling whiskies in the world: Famous Grouse, Highland Park, Cutty Stark, Bunnahabhain, and The Glenrothes. He's now the Master Blender for Ardgowan Distillery which officially opens on 20 June 2025.But is his whisky knowledge a match for

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31:47

The Whisky Dramalista: Dave Alcock & the Power of...

Cask to Glass ·

2025/06/05

"It was like a revelation," Dave Alcock recalls the moment he really got into whisky.The retired sports psychologist and self-styled "whisky dramalista" had always "liked a drop". But then one Christmas, after he'd "prepped the veg", he unwrapped the present his wife had bought for him.It was a bottle of Port Ellen third edition."I could feel it in my toes when I sipped it," he tells John in this episode. "It was just something else. I didn't know whether to sniff it or drink some more."A passion

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29:27

Whisky Where the Heart Is: Cardrona Distillery with...

Cask to Glass ·

2025/05/29

It all began with Edradour for Desiree Reid, founder and managing director of the award-winning Cardrona Distillery in the Cardrona Valley on New Zealand's South Island.For her 21st birthday, she and her mother backpacked around Scotland. (Both sides of her family came from here way back when.) But something about that whisky in one of Scotland's oldest distilleries in Highland Perthshire (featured in Episode 15), ignited a spark."I can't say that I sat there with that dram and thought that I'm

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31:48

For the Love of Whisky: Friendship & Connection with...

Cask to Glass ·

2025/05/22

"Nothing will get between a man and his whisky," insists Fred Maitland of East Coast Whisky.Fred's a psychotherapist.But he also provides whisky tastings and runs tours to distilleries around Scotland. And he believes whisky keeps us connected."It's about friendship and hobby," he tells John in this episode. "It's an incredible stimulant for conversation, for good feelings, for community, for warmth. And I've seen it time and time again."But it must be respected, he adds. It's not for "chugging

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28:53

Draamtastic: Raasay Distillery with Alasdair Day

Cask to Glass ·

2025/05/15

They're all about The Draam at Isle of Raasay Distillery.It's their signature single malt, based on a six-cask recipe created by founder and Master Distiller, Alasdair Day. It's 80% of what they produce."We wanted to make a Hebridean whisky," Alasdair tells John in this episode.Hebridean?"Something lightly peated," Alasdair explains. "So not unpeated, not heavily peated. But somewhere in between.""A rugged windswept island off an island, you need that peaty characteristic," he continues.But Alasdair

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31:51

Edradour Distillery: 1825 to 2025 with Andrew Symington

Cask to Glass ·

2025/05/08

"I'm a whisky nerd," admits Andrew Symington the owner of Edradour Distillery. "That's how I got involved in the business. I love the different flavours."Edradour, near Pitlochry in Highland Perthshire, is one of Scotland's smallest distilleries and, Andrew says, Scotland's "last traditional farm distillery".Andrew's been in the whisky business for almost 40 years, both as the owner of Edradour and as an independent bottler with his Signatory Vintage Scotch Whisky company bottling “single, single,

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39:03

Tasting Masterclass with Max McFarlane

Cask to Glass ·

2025/05/01

Next time you're in Spain, "give the oak tree a big hug," implores master blender Max McFarlane. Without the oak, he says, Scotch whisky wouldn't be what it is.Join John as Max takes him on a tasting journey from new make spirit through the casks and years to learn to recognise the look, nose and palate of several very different whiskies. And he throws in an off-note whisky that's really gone wrong. Along the way they talk about the state of the global whisky market and Max recommends whiskies he

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32:26

The Community Spirit: GlenWyvis Distillery in Dingwall

Cask to Glass ·

2025/04/24

They're "fairly geeky" about the spirit at GlenWyvis admits Craig MacRitchie, Distillery Manager at Scotland's first modern day community-owned distillery.Established in Dingwall at the head the Cromarty Firth in north-east Scotland in 2016, GlenWyvis Distillery is unburdened by a traditional house style. So they do what they like - provided, Craig says, it makes good whisky and complies with the regulations set out by the Scotch Whisky Association.Such as?Longer fermentation than other more

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30:47

By Royal Appointment 1494: Lindores Abbey Distillery

Cask to Glass ·

2025/04/17

The origins of Scotch whisky are lost in the mists of time.But in the Exchequer Roll of 1494, King James IV bestowed his royal seal of approval on a Tironensian monk and distiller from Lindores Abbey in Fife: "Et per liberacionem factam fratri Johanni Cor per preceptum compotorum rotulatoris, ut asserit, de mandato domini regis ad faciendum aquavite infra hoc compotum, viii bolle brasii.""To Friar John Cor, 8 bolls of malt, wherewith to make aqua vitae for the King."It is the earliest written record

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23:16

Tongue Tangled: Pronunciation Masterclass with...

Cask to Glass ·

2025/04/10

Whisky makers don't make it easy, do they? Bunnahabhain. Glen Garioch. Ledaig.Even the most popular ones can be hard to get your tongue around. Is it Glenfiddich with an "ick" or with an "itch"? Glenmorangie as in "mow-ran-gee" or "morangie" - like orange with an "M" in front of it?In last week's episode, John and former Scotland rugby star Chris Cusiter, who's now a whisky importer in LA, discussed how difficult it can be to pronounce the names of some Scotch whiskies.So we thought we'd put an

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36:26

California Dramming with Chris Cusiter

Cask to Glass ·

2025/04/03

Nine years ago, former Scotland rugby international Chris Cusiter retired from the professional game and moved out west.Way out west... California west.He bought a specialist liquor store in Los Angeles to follow his newfound dream, building bridges between Scotland and California with whisky.A few years later, after selling his store, Chris became a partner in Alexander Murray & Co importers of Scotch whisky into the United States.In this episode he talks to John about his love of whisky; the

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36:36

Robin Laing & The Cure For Which There's No Disease

Cask to Glass ·

2025/03/27

"It's the pulse of one small nationSo much more than just a dram..."For almost 30 years Robin Laing, "The Whisky Bard", has been trying to capture the "poetic essence" of Scotland's national drink and the world's favourite spirit in his songs and poetry.His lines above from "More Than Just A Dram" adorn the walls of Clynelish Distillery near Bora in Sutherland.Robin's a well kent face on the global whisky scene, performing his music at whisky tasings and Burns Nighs across Europe and America. And

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33:48

Down the Farm: Kilchoman Distillery

Cask to Glass ·

2025/03/20

“A lot of people thought it was a very stupid decision essentially,” Peter Wills recalls the reaction to his dad Anthony’s plan to start a new distillery on Islay.With seven distilleries already on the island, he says the feeling was “there’s no room for another one.”Besides he continues: “All these others had this long heritage.”But Anthony and wife Kathy pressed ahead. And in December 2005 Kilchoman Distillery began production – the first new distillery on “Whisky Isle” in 125 years.Today there

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37:39

It’s in the Glass: Glencairn Crystal

Cask to Glass ·

2025/03/13

What's in the glass? And why does it matter?No we're not talking about the whisky... but the actual glass your whisky's in.Why?Well in earlier episodes John heard from Master Blender, Max McFarlane of Ardgowan Distillery, Gary Mills of Loch Lomond Whiskies, and Deanston Whisky Guru of the Year 2024, Gillian Kirkland owner of The Piper Whisky Bar in Glasgow; all three stressed the importance of the right whisky glass for evaluation and optimum appreciation.And what do they use? The Glencairn Glass.So

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33:18

Gillian Kirkland: Scotland's Whisky Guru 2024

Cask to Glass ·

2025/03/06

Gillian Kirkland never planned to run a whisky bar. But when her husband died in 2014, she inherited his pub on Glasgow's George Square and decided to keep it going.Two years later, Gillian turned The Piper into a whisky bar. She knew nothing about whisky, so decided to learn.And did she!In 2024 Gillian was crowned Deanston Whisky Guru of the Year at the Scottish Bar & Pub Awards 2024 and The Piper Whisky Bar once again won Benromach Whisky Bar of the Year. An incredible double. And just a year

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35:39

Ardgowan Distillery: A Slice of the Spey on the River...

Cask to Glass ·

2025/02/27

"Eight years, six prime ministers, a pandemic, a cost of living crisis, and now a heart attack."No wonder two of the biggest names in the Scotch whisky industry told Martin McAdam, CEO of Ardgowan Distillery, "Just don't start!" when he first asked them for advice on building a new distillery.Nestling beneath a volcanic rock near Inverkip on the south bank of the Firth of Clyde on the west coast of Scotland, Martin says Ardgowan is "at the nexus of Highland, Lowland and Island whiskies". Its first

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33:43

Loch Lomond Distillery

Cask to Glass ·

2025/02/20

Is the tipple in your glass just the product of the cask? Or does the still play some big part?Join John as he and Master Blender Max McFarlane chat with Loch Lomond Whiskies' Gary Mills about Loch Lomond Distillery's three - or is it four? - very different stills, and the role of the distillery's onsite De-char / Re-char cooperage.Oh and find out what Tintin - yes Herge's Tintin - has to do with it all.Visit Loch Lomond Whiskies' online store at www.lochlomondwhiskies.com and get 10% off with our

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31:15

Max McFarlane: Master Blender

Cask to Glass ·

2025/02/13

Popcorn.That’s right. Popcorn.As the former Keeper of the Quaich at Edrington, Master Blender Max McFarlane has worked with some of the most famous whisky brands in the world, including The Famous Grouse, The Macallan and Highland Park.He reckons he can persuade anyone to enjoy whisky.And he says it all comes down to popcorn...Now with Ardgowan Distillery and the nose behind Ardgowan’s Clydebuilt range of private bottlings, Max explains to John the best way to drink whisky: when to have ice; when to

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