Not Another Whisky Podcast

Five years ago, Dr Whisky joined us to talk about blending whiskies from 14 different countries. Five years later, he's back, and apparently he's still not run out of ideas. Or ways to get himself into trouble.

This week, Mitch catches up with old friend Sam Simmons, Head of Whisky at Atom Brands and the creative mind behind That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Wormtub, Darkness and a frankly ridiculous number of whisky releases.

And Sam's got a few things to get off his chest.

Are whisky shows actually putting people off whisky...

We're back!

After a few ridiculously busy weeks, Mitch and Daz finally manage to get themselves in the same virtual room for a much-needed catch-up. And judging by what's been happening in the whisky world, they've got plenty to talk about.

Mitch's been gallivanting around Ireland, hosting whisky adventures across Scotland and launching two new Turas Mòr whiskies on the Isle of Raasay. Meanwhile, Daz has been drinking old Glengarioch, exploring whisky bars in Hong Kong and generally living his best life.

But there's some serious whisky news to g...

We’re back on the Isle of Raasay, three years after our last proper sit down with Alasdair Day, co founder and master blender at the Isle of Raasay Distillery.

Recorded at the distillery, the conversation is less about introducing Raasay and much more about how it is growing up. With the spirit now approaching nine years old, Alasdair talks us through how the original six cask recipe is developing, what they’ve learned from ex rye, Bordeaux and Chinkapin oak, and why lower filling strengths could be having a significant effect on maturation.

We...

Mitch heads to The Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s Queen Street Members’ Room in Edinburgh to sit down with Calum Lawson, SMWS Member Experience Manager and co-host of the Society’s Whisky Talk podcast.

Calum’s route into whisky wasn’t exactly mapped out from the beginning. From years in Glasgow hospitality and running a bar and restaurant, he moved into the Society as manager of the Bath Street Members’ Room, spent time on the whisky buying team, and now finds himself helping shape everything from member experiences and international tastings to podcasts and new releases.

We...

This week we welcome whisky maker, consultant and long-time friend of the podcast Brendan McCarron back to Not Another Whisky Podcast.

And this time, we’re talking yeast.

It might not sound like the sexiest part of whisky making, but the deeper you go, the more fascinating it gets.

We chat about how yeast was viewed when Brendan first started making whisky at Diageo, whether Scotch became a little too focused on yield and consistency, and why distillers are now starting to look at yeast as a genuine to...

Mitch and Daz are back together for a long-overdue August catch-up, recorded from the glamour of Daz’s self-proclaimed “bitchin’ kitchen.”

They compare notes on what they’ve been up to, the whisky they’ve been drinking and the general chaos of a busy summer before diving into some of the more unusual stories from around the whisky world.

There’s the retired farmer storing a £750,000 whisky collection in converted pigsties, Woven and Civerinos combining whisky, Scottish honey and a fairly aggressive collection of chillies, and the arrival of the new Stannergill Distillery in C...

This episode is a wee bit different.

Earlier this year, Mitch met Graeme and Angus from Whisky Stories and the idea was simple: get both podcasts in the same room, pour a few drams, and record something together.

That idea quickly grew into a live event, a charity night, and a raffle that raised an incredible £1,400 for The BEN, supporting people across the hospitality and licensed trade.

Recorded live at Uno Mas, this episode sees Not Another Whisky Podcast go head to head with Whisky Stories, with the brilliant Mark T...

Daz is flying solo this week as he sits down with Highland Park’s Martin Markvardsen on the eve of his twentieth anniversary as the distillery’s brand ambassador.

Martin takes us back to his early days managing the legendary Quaich Bar at the Craigellachie Hotel, where 784 whiskies, industry characters and the occasional lock in provided a fairly thorough education. He explains how repeatedly including Highland Park 18 in his tastings eventually led to a phone call offering him the ambassador’s job.

They look back at what whisky ambassadorship involved in 2006, from lengthy techni...

After more than 200 episodes, we have finally given Irish whiskey the proper attention it deserves. Mitch and Daz are joined by Barry Chandler, better known as Irish Whiskey Barry, an independent educator, community builder and three-time Whisky Magazine Ireland Communicator of the Year.

Barry guides us through Irish whiskey’s past, present and future using three pot still whiskeys. We begin with Redbreast 12 and uncover the story of Gilbey’s, Dublin’s historic whiskey bonders, the “priest’s tipple” and the surprising connection between Redbreast and the original Baileys bottle.

For the present, Barry choose...

Mitch heads to Fife for Lindores Abbey Distillery’s annual Bear Burning ceremony, where an enormous bear and ragged staff carved into the hillside is set alight.

First, Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Donaldson discusses her journey through the whisky industry, joining Lindores at a pivotal moment, the challenges the business has faced and her plans for building a sustainable future.

Then Distillery Manager Gary Haggart takes us into the stillhouse. Gary discusses developing the Lindores spirit character, why good whisky doesn’t necessarily need to be old, the different personalities of two supposedly identical spir...

🎙️ NOT ANOTHER WHISKY PODCAST IS GOING LIVE

On Thursday 6 August, we are taking on the guys from Whisky Stories in a live podcast battle at Uno Mas in Edinburgh.

There will be six whiskies, with three chosen by each podcast, plenty of questionable competitive behaviour.

Tickets are £20, with every penny going to The BEN, the charity supporting people working within Scotland’s hospitality industry.

The show starts at 7pm and capacity is limited, so grab your tickets before they disappear:

👉 BUY TICKETS FOR THE LIVE SHOW

This week, Mitch sits down with whisky industry veteran Kenny Mackay at Ballindalloch Distillery in Speyside.

Kenny has spent nearly 50 years in Scotch whisky, working with names including Peter Thompson’s, Bowmore, Macallan, Carn Mor, Lindores Abbey and Ballindalloch. In this episode, he shares stories from across his career, from missing out on becoming a helicopter pilot to helping launch Black Bowmore and shaping some of Scotland’s best known whisky brands.

We talk about the early days of malt whisky marketing, growing Macallan in Scotland, the birth of whisky collecting, the changing world of inde...

Live from Spirit of Speyside, host Daz welcomes three blenders—Brian Kinsman (William Grant & Sons), Ollie Chilton (Elixir/ Tormore), and Sarah Burgess (Head of Whisky Creation at International Beverage, jokingly “banned” from other sessions)—to taste four whiskies and talk careers, process, and mischief. Brian explains his science-to-apprentice path under David Stewart and taking over in 2009; Ollie traces retail-to-cask-buying and acquiring Tormore in 2022; Sarah recounts starting as a Cardhu tour guide, moving through Diageo, becoming a Macallan blender via a sensory/blending interview, then returning to Scotland. They taste a 2023 Tormore “plain spirit”, a 2006–2018 Speyburn single cask, and a Glenfiddich 30...

Recorded in the historic Vaults in Leith, Mitch Bechard is joined by SMWS “chief storyteller” Richard Goslan and Kask Whisky founder Justine Hazlehurst for a deep dive into one of Scotch whisky’s most overlooked powerhouses.

Leith was never just a port. It was a whisky engine room: bonding, brokering, blending, bottling and shipping enormous volumes of Scotch around the world. At one point, the area was home to around 90–100 bonded warehouses, yet its role in shaping the modern industry is often pushed into the background.

Richard brings The Vaults to life, from its ancient...

This week, Not Another Whisky Podcast goes live from the Craigellachie Hotel for Battle of the Stills, recorded during the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival.

Daz is joined by three brilliant distillers: Euan Christie from The Cabrach Distillery, Polly Logan from Tormore, and Kristy Lark from Killara Distillery in Tasmania.

Euan shares the story of The Cabrach: an area with deep illicit distilling roots, a shrinking population, and a new community-led distillery using whisky to support local regeneration. He also introduces The Feering, The Cabrach’s first blended malt, created with donated casks from ac...

Mitch and Daz catch up after a packed festival season, They recap Spirit of Speyside’s, Mitch’s chaotic-but-fun Tormore launch and plans to expand their sold-out “Battle of the Ambassadors” into a winter tournament, “The Road to Speyside,” with heats and a final at the festival.

Daz recounts Fèis Ìle highlights at Laphroaig’s 40th anniversary tastings and Bowmore events, including a boat trip on Loch Indal and a 1969 Bowmore dram.

They taste three whiskies: Chivas Charles Leclerc 16 (40%), Raasay Hungarian Oak (50%), and SMWS “A Belter for America” Tullibardine 10 (61%). They announce being shortlisted for the...

Mitch and Daz take a deep dive into coopering — the ancient craft behind every great dram.

Recorded in Edinburgh over suspiciously large highballs, the episode traces the cask from Celtic barrel-makers and Roman trade routes to modern whisky maturation, wood policy, rejuvenation and the global cask trade.

Mitch speaks with Ian MacDonald, former head cooper at The Balvenie, who started his apprenticeship in 1969 and spent over 50 years in the trade. Ian shares stories of rebuilding bourbon barrels into hogsheads, working alongside David Stewart, being paid per cask, apprentice initiations, and why coopering is fa...

Daryl interviews Sarah Dowling, lead whisky maker at Laphroaig, tracing her path from a genetics and environmental background to a 2012 Edrington recycling contract that turned into a long whisky career via sensory panels, Diageo, and nearly seven years at Cooley in Ireland (working on Connemara and other releases, and even managing the site). She discusses how her palate evolved from missing vanilla to treating smoke as a “neutral,” and how collaborative tasting works best when nobody gets told what they “should” taste. Sarah explains the organic Willem Dafoe collaboration (the “Unforgettable” campaign), built from pilot blends, repeated tastings, and an Oloroso-d...

Gordon Dundas brings out Tamdhu’s Dalbeallie Dram, ninth edition — a natural-colour, first-fill sherry powerhouse sitting at 60.5% ABV. It’s everything you’d hope for from Tamdhu in full sherry beast mode: fruitcake sweetness, dark spice, espresso bitterness and a finish that somehow drinks far too easily for its strength.

The panel get stuck into age statements, natural colour, value, pricing, and where the whisky market is heading after a few years of everyone releasing everything, everywhere, all at once.

Then Stuart Buchanan steps up with the final dram: a newly shelved Benriach 2009 15-year-ol...

Mitch kicks off a sold-out Clash of the Drams live recording, making it clear from the start that this is not going to be one of those polite Speyside tastings where everyone nods quietly and pretends to know what quince is.

This year’s brave contenders are Stuart Buchanan from Brown-Forman, Gordon Dundas from Ian Macleod Distillers, Struan Grant Ralph from Glenfiddich, and first-time entrant Charlie Metcalfe from The Balvenie. The audience are given the terrifying responsibility of judging both the drams and the banter, before casting their final vote in the Quaich Bar.

...

Mitch is joined by Ria McAdam, European Marketing Manager at The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, for a dive into the world of SMWS — who chats about the current chance for members to win an entire Distillery 10 Islay cask.

They get into the origins of the Society, from Pip Hills sharing cask-strength whisky with friends in the 1970s to the founding of SMWS at The Vaults in Leith in 1983, before moving into how it has grown into a global whisky membership community. Ria talks through the monthly outturn model, the coded bottles, the flavour-led approach, and the gl...

Mitch takes Not Another Whisky Podcast on the road for a live recording at Speyburn, joined by distillery manager Euan Henderson and head of whisky creation Sarah Burgess—two people quietly shaping one of Speyside’s most underrated distilleries.

They dig into Speyburn’s “hidden gem” reputation, what’s changed with the new visitor centre, and how the team balances consistency in new make with the creative chaos of building a modern whisky portfolio.

There’s proper whisky chat too—none of that vague “notes of happiness” nonsense. The lineup starts with the Speyburn 10 Year Old...

Daz and Mitch are back—slightly dusty, fully loaded with stories, and picking up where they left off.

They kick things off by chatting about the now-legendary two-part Thomson Brothers live episodes (and the ongoing failure to actually sit down and have a proper dram with them like normal human beings).

Then it takes a turn… Mitch’s back garden goes full disaster movie. A neighbour’s shed fire spreads, wipes out half his own setup, melts the hot tub (yes, melted), and leaves about £10k worth of gear gone. It’s equal parts chaos...

Part two of our live Not Another Whisky Podcast recording with the Thompson Bros at the Craigellachie Hotel picks things up mid-tasting — and it only gets better from here.

We start with a chat on label design, working with artists, and the reality of constant releases, before getting into what life actually looks like running a distillery, a hotel, and everything else… in a whisky market that’s not exactly flying right now.

From there, we get stuck into Sideburn — a 35-year-old Burnside — and unpack some of the wonderfully confusing, slightly ridiculous naming rules that...

Recorded live at the Craigellachie Hotel, this one’s exactly what you’d hope for from a Not Another Whisky Podcast live show, six drams, zero filter, and the Thomson Brothers in full flow.

Mitch sits down with Phil and Simon for part 1 of a six-dram tasting that quickly turns into a deep dive on value, volatility, and what’s actually going on behind the scenes in whisky right now.

On the tasting table:

Mitch and Daz kick off their first proper catch-up of the year (with zero planning and maximum hair compliments), swapping updates on travel and work: Daz recaps a Dublin weekend that somehow involved more Guinness than Irish whiskey, while Mitch recounts a hectic run of podcast recordings, a corporate tasting, a long drive to see Bladnoch and the new Galloway Distillery, visits with Charlie MacLean , and his first festival since 2017, the Independent Whisky Festival.

They then rip through whisky news: InchDairnie becomes a certified B Corp; Denmark’s Stauning starts making gin; GlenAllachie releases a 35-year-old; tw...

Mitch heads up to the Little Brown Dog HQ to sit down with Managing Director, DR. Andrew Smith for a properly relaxed, no-BS chat about independent bottling—and everything around it.

They get into how Andrew went from hospitality (with a brief detour towards becoming a vet) to co-running one of Scotland’s more quietly interesting bottlers, what actually makes a cask worth bottling in today’s market, and why they’re not just sticking to whisky.

From Scotch to rum to Calvados, this is a conversation about flavour over category—and whether whisky dri...

Arthur Motley on Cask Backrooms, Whisky Identity, and the Liquid Antiquarian

Arthur Motley joins Mitch & Daz in Bennet’s Bar for a cracking conversation on cask buying, whisky identity, and what happens when one of the industry’s most experienced retailers decides to go it alone.

From his early days at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society to 21 years at Royal Mile Whiskies — where he worked his way from cask buyer to managing director — Arthur has seen whisky from just about every angle.

He talks about the wild early-2000s cask market...

Time For Whisky’s Martin Eber on Hong Kong’s Generosity, Japan’s Bar Magic, and Keeping Whiskey Blogs Alive

Daz welcomes Martin Eber of Time For Whisky, an Australian whisky blogger he has known for about 11 years, to discuss his journey from collecting travel-retail bottles in 2008–2009 to starting the Time For Whisky blog in 2012 and moving to Hong Kong in 2014 as the scene rapidly expanded. They highlight Hong Kong’s uniquely generous whisky culture, where rare bottles are opened and shared, and discuss the decline of long-form whisky blogs amid social media and AI-generated content, with Marti...

India is the largest whisky market in the world , yet Scottish whisky still represents only a tiny slice of what’s actually being drunk. In this episode, Mitch and Daz unpack the reality behind the headlines and explore how the Indian whisky ecosystem really works.

From IMFL (Indian Made Foreign Liquor) and the role Scottish Whisky plays inside local blends, to changing consumer trends, tariffs, cocktail culture, and the rise of Indian single malts, this episode dives into one of the most complex — and fascinating — whisky markets on the planet.

To get a proper...

Nicholas Pollacchi joins Mitch and Daz for the 200th episode of Not Another Whisky Podcast — which feels equal parts milestone and minor miracle.

We rewind to April 2021 when the audio was ropey, the format was loose, and Mitch decided he’d edit every episode himself (questionable life choice). From there, listener questions take over — which means things escalate quickly.

We relive:

This week we welcome Ardnahoe distillery manager David Livingston to discuss the Islay distillery’s location, origins, and whisky style. Livingston explains Hunter Laing’s long-held ambition to create their own distillery, Ardnahoe’s opening in 2018, and his own third-generation Islay whisky background. He reflects on how Islay has changed with tourism and the rise of single malts, and why whisky is vital to the island’s economy as farming and fishing decline. The conversation covers Fèis Ìle’s growth and 40th anniversary, Ardnahoe’s early production moments, and the distillery’s approach to making spirit—slow mashing, fermentations over...

This week Mitch sits down with David Stirk — whisky writer, independent bottler, whisky historian — for a wide-ranging conversation on Campbeltown, the rise (and early struggles) of indie bottlers, and where the Scotch industry is and might actually be heading.

From his first life-changing dram of Glenlivet 21 in 1996 to building Creative Whisky, rewriting the history of Campbeltown, and diving into a Master’s in History to sharpen his research, this episode covers David's graft, controversy, and some properly strong opinions about surplus production and the future of Scotch.

Before all that, though…

Daz an...

This week on Not Another Whisky Podcast, Mitch & Daz do something dangerously self-indulgent: they look back at how this whole thing started. From a shared love of whisky (and questionable decision-making) to accidentally building a podcast people actually listen to, they dig into the origins of NAWP, the friendships that fuel it, and why they’ve never quite followed the “normal” whisky podcast rulebook.

They chat inspiration, format, and how their approach stacks up against other whisky pods — including why they’ve always leaned into conversation over catechism, curiosity over credentials, and fun over faux-seriousness.

Then thing...

A lively kick-off of Season 6, the Mitch & Daz welcome listeners with a post-holiday catch-up. They contemplate the ideal cutoff for New Year greetings, and share their plans for revealing their weights in the next episode (maybe not!)

They get into their festive adventures, from drinking boutique whiskies to escaping to sunny Portugal. The duo previews exciting plans for 2026, including 45 episodes, live shows, and their participation in the Spirit of Speyside Festival with industry heavyweights. They touch on Whisky news, including a trademark battle involving James Martin, changes in Whisky tourism with Clynelish's closure, and exciting new...

Mitch & Daz sit down and look back on the year that was 2025. Thanks to all of you who listened to us this year and have a great festive season, we will be back 1st Feb 2026

Hosted by Mitch Bechard and Daz Haldane, this is where the whisky world gets pulled apart properly, with stories, insights, and the occasional bit of chaos along the way.

🥃 New episodes every week(ish)

🎤 Live shows & tastings across Scotland

🎟️ Web: www.notanotherwhiskypodcast.com

📩 Enquiries & partnerships: whiskypodcast@gmail.com

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Exploring Glenlivet's New Cask Masters Collection with Andrew Bardsley and Kevin Balmforth

In this episode, we dive into the Glenlivet's new Cask Masters collection with special guests and Kevin Balmforth, Glenlivet’s newly appointed Master Blender and Andrew Bardsley, the Global Brand Director of Prestige at Pernod Ricard, The discussion touches on their personal experiences, motivations, and approaches to crafting these unique whiskies. We taste and evaluates three new expressions: the 14-year-old, 16-year-old, and 19-year-old, highlighting the distinct flavours, casks, and innovations involved. Kevin also shares insights into the creation of the Glenlivet 56-year-old special release, an...

In this episode, Mitch welcomes back Mark Thomson, to the Pod. They chat about Mark's recent departure from Duncan Taylor. Mark discusses his transition to freelance work, selling his house, and moving to the countryside. They delve into the current state of the whisky industry, including trends, pricing, and the future of brand ambassadorship.

Mark also shares his top picks for value whiskies under £100 :

-https://www.inchdairniedistillery.com/

-https://www.glenscotia.com/products/12-year-old-single-malt-whisky

https://www.arranwhisky.com/shop-whiskies/arran-single-malts/14-arran-quarter-cask-whisky-the-bothy

https://www.bowmore.c...

Mitch chats with Greg Schwartz and Guy Satchwell, the masterminds behind the riveting whisky docuseries, 'Water of Life' and 'Independent Spirits'. Get a front-row seat to their journey from film sets to distilleries, the joyous mayhem of their shoots, and the serendipitous moments that fuelled their passion projects. Along the way, they spill secrets about their upcoming 'Farm to Bottle' series and tease the next Independent Spirits Festival. Spoiler: there’s plenty of whisky, collegiality, and late-night drams in between!

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:43 Meet the Guests: Greg Schwartz and Guy Satchel

Welcome back to the chaos! Daz and Mitch kick off the episode with beard banter and a Santa lookalike contest. Then they rejoice over Scotland's World Cup qualification. Mitch shares his packed schedule, including tours and tastings with bartenders and ambassadors from across the globe. The episode also features an interview with Tom Jolly and Pavel Sowa from the new fine dining spot - Geamair blending local produce with innovative dishes. They chat about Bruichladdich's quadruple distilled whisky, RoseIsle maltings halting production, and Glencadams new visitor centre.

00:00 A Humorous Start

01:26 Celebrating Scotland's World Cup Qu...