Whisky Talk

Episode 69: Flavour Journey with Kami Newton

Episode  |  3 April 2024  |  41 mins 36 secs

cask strength whisky, scotch, scotch malt whisky society, single malt whisky, whisky

In this episode, we’re taking a deep dive into the flavour journey that takes place every time we uncork a bottle of whisky and then nose and taste it. It’s a process that the Tasting Panel at The Scotch Malt Whisky Society goes through with every sample that is presented for possible inclusion in a Society bottling. So we caught up with Tasting Panel chair Kami Newton, to find out more about the different steps on this flavour journey and why we should take time to appreciate the complexities of what’s in our glass.

Episode 68: Blair Athol

Episode  |  28 February 2024  |  40 mins 24 secs

cask strength whisky, scotch, scotch malt whisky society, single malt whisky, whisky

We were fortunate to have a visit from two of the team from Blair Athol distillery to The Vaults in February, for a special tasting of four expressions of Blair Athol whisky, along with a sample of one of the Society’s own single cask offerings. Blair Athol distillery manager Derek Younie was joined by Peter Milne from Diageo’s Whisky Specialist Team to talk members through the samples and provide insight into the history and working of the distillery, what to expect from Blair Athol’s spirit character, and how it works with different casks and forms of maturation.

Episode 67: Springbank

Episode  |  31 January 2024  |  1 hr 7 mins

cask strength whisky, scotch, scotch malt whisky society, single malt whisky, whisky

In February, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society paid host to Melanie Stanger from Springbank distillery in Campbeltown, who visited our Members’ Room at The Vaults in Leith to tell us more about this legendary distillery and share a few special drams.

Episode 66: Pip's Prague Adventure

Episode  |  4 December 2023  |  20 mins 2 secs

cask strength whisky, scotch, scotch malt whisky society, single malt whisky, whisky

The vintage Lagonda belonging to Society founder Pip Hills played an instrumental part in our whisky club’s foundation, carrying the first precious cargo of single casks from Speyside back to his Scotland Street home in Edinburgh to share with friends. In 1990, Pip Hills and his brother-in-law Dick Pountain decided to take a road trip to Prague in the Lagonda, to witness Václav Havel’s inauguration as president of the Czech Republic. The magazine The Classic Motoring Review subsequently commissioned Pip and Dick to write a piece about the journey – and how Society whisky helped to make it a success. We asked Pip and Dick to tell us that story in their own words.

Episode 65: Matugga Rum

Episode  |  30 August 2023  |  31 mins 11 secs

cask strength whisky, matugga, rum, scotch, scotch malt whisky society, single malt whisky, whisky

A taste of rum at a family gathering led husband-and-wife team Jacine and Paul Rutasikwa on the path to setting up their own distillery in the town of Livingston, near Edinburgh. Mads Schmoll paid a visit to uncover the fascinating story behind Matugga Rum and how it blends elements of African, Caribbean and Scottish cultures and heritage

Episode 64: Val McDermid

Episode  |  25 August 2023  |  22 mins 44 secs

cask strength whisky, scotch, scotch malt whisky society, single malt whisky, whisky

Crime writer and whisky enthusiast Val has been a fan of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society since its early days, after receiving an educational journey across the whisky regions from a friend’s father who was something of an aficionado. Whisky Talk caught up with Val in an Edinburgh coffee shop to find out more about her whisky passion, her writing career and who would be her fantasy whisky-drinking companion.

Episode 63: Maverick - The Founder's Tale with Pip Hills

Episode  |  2 August 2023  |  23 mins 47 secs

cask strength whisky, scotch, scotch malt whisky society, single malt whisky, whisky

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is marking its 40th anniversary with an updated and revised edition of Pip Hills' memoir, "Maverick – The Founder’s Tale", which now includes the story of 'coming in from the cold' after leaving the whisky club in the 1990s. Pip tells Richard Goslan about reconnecting with the Society and what we can expect from the new version of his book.

Episode 62: The sound of Glen Scotia

Episode  |  31 May 2023  |  18 mins 32 secs

cask strength whisky, scotch, scotch malt whisky society, single malt whisky, whisky

How do you capture the sense of sound in a distillery and its location – and then incorporate that into a song? That’s what the team at Glen Scotia set out to do, with a whisky and music collaboration in its Campbeltown home. Whisky Talk caught up with the contributors to find out more.

Episode 61: Denis Lesgourgues

Episode  |  31 May 2023  |  1 hr 18 mins

armagnac, cask strength whisky, scotch, scotch malt whisky society, single malt whisky, whisky

In this episode of Whisky Talk the Society strays from the familiarity of Scotland's malt whisky to the south of France for an insight into the world of Armagnac.

Denis Lesgourgues, a third-generation owner of armagnac house Château de Laubade, paid a recent visit to The Vaults to tell a packed Members’ Room about the beauty of this underappreciated spirit.

Episode 60: Kythe Distillery

Episode  |  19 April 2023  |  42 mins 27 secs

cask strength whisky, scotch, scotch malt whisky society, single malt whisky, whisky

With so many new distilleries coming online across Scotland, it’s sometimes hard to keep track. But when Angus MacRaild dropped the news at the start of April about his plans for Kythe distillery, it felt like time to sit up and pay attention. Angus has teamed up with partners Jonny McMillan and Aaron Chan to bring their vision for a new distillery that produces an old-style, traditional Highland style of whisky to life – complete with a fermentation of more than two weeks, a wood-fired wash still and worm-tub condensers. In their own words, efficiency is the enemy of character when it comes to their mission. Richard Goslan caught up with both Angus and Jonny to find out more about their mission.

Episode 59: Craig Johnstone

Episode  |  5 April 2023  |  27 mins 30 secs

cask strength whisky, scotch, scotch malt whisky society, single malt whisky, whisky

From East Lothian to Tasmania and back to Scotland, Craig Johnstone has worked across the whisky industry for the past 20 years. Today he works for Edrington as master blender for The Famous Grouse, a role he came to via a stint as a distillery tour guide, a distillery manager and a few years behind the bar at the Society’s Members’ Room at 28 Queen Street. Mads Schmoll caught up with Craig at the 106 Sample Room to find out more about his whisky journey.

Episode 58: Falkirk Distillery

Episode  |  5 April 2023  |  22 mins 34 secs

cask strength whisky, scotch, scotch malt whisky society, single malt whisky, whisky

Stray just a few moments from the M9 motorway between Glasgow and Edinburgh and you will discover Falkirk Distillery, a grand whitewashed building, complete with twin copper pagodas. Duncan Gorman sat down for a chat with co-founders George and Fiona Stewart, to discuss some of the bizarre obstacles they have had to overcome building the distillery from scratch - including complications from a certain Roman wall just a stone's throw from the site. 

Episode 57: Richard Paterson

Episode  |  22 March 2023  |  1 hr 32 mins

cask strength whisky, scotch, scotch malt whisky society, single malt whisky, whisky

Our guest on this edition needs little in the way of introduction to any whisky fan. Richard Paterson has been working in the whisky industry for the past 57 years, with more than half a century of his career spent with Whyte & Mackay Distillers.
We were delighted to welcome Richard to the Society’s spiritual home at The Vaults in Leith recently, where one of the whisky industry’s biggest entertainers put on a special show for a room full of lucky members – taking us on a tour that included his stories and memories about Tamnavulin, Fettercairn, Jura and Dalmore.

Whatever’s in your glass…settle back for a 90-minute epic in the company of the one and only Richard Paterson.

Episode 56: SMWS Women

Episode  |  1 March 2023  |  56 mins 24 secs

cask strength whisky, scotch, scotch malt whisky society, single malt whisky, whisky

Women have been instrumental in making the Society what it is today. The three As of Anne Dana, Anne Griffiths and Annabel Meikle came from different backgrounds and hadn’t planned to have a career in whisky. But driven by a thirst for knowledge, an encouraging environment and an openness to new ventures, these women ended up shaping some of the most recognisable parts of the Society. Who better to speak to them than three women shaping the future of the Society today?

Tune in to Whisky Talk to hear their stories.

Anne Dana meets Mads Schmoll, Social Media & Community Manager for the Society
Anne Griffiths meets Monique Ten Kortenaar, Society Ambassador for Benelux
Annabel Meikle meets Rebecca Hamilton, Group Marketing Director

Episode 55: Port of Leith

Episode  |  24 February 2023  |  47 mins 28 secs

cask strength whisky, scotch, scotch malt whisky society, single malt whisky, whisky

Port of Leith is Scotland's first vertical distillery, founded by Ian Stirling and Paddy Fletcher. Standing nine storeys tall, it’s just next door to the Royal Yacht Britannia and a stone's throw away from our spiritual home, The Vaults. As the distillery nears completion, the spirit of innovation continues in the development of their new Scotch, a process that Ian and Paddy began long before the distillery broke ground in Leith with research and experimentation on the role of yeast and fermentation. Mads Schmoll sat down with Ian and Paddy to find out more about what's ahead.

Episode 54: Malts & Music with Sam Heughan

Episode  |  1 February 2023  |  58 mins 27 secs

cask strength whisky, scotch, scotch malt whisky society, single malt whisky, whisky

Outlander star and whisky fanatic Sam Heughan joins Vic Galloway in our latest episode of Whisky Talk Malts & Music. Sam discusses his passion for whisky, his appreciation of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society and his own plans for whisky and the wider spirits world. Tune in as Sam shares his thoughts along with both Society and his own Sassenach whisky, all paired with a suitable choice of music.