Whisky Talk

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.

Episode 53: Pip Hills and his whisky epiphany

Episode  |  3 January 2023  |  29 mins 57 secs

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

The origin of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society can be traced back to the founder, Pip Hills, visiting his friends at a farmhouse in deepest rural Aberdeenshire, where he first experienced single cask, cask strength whisky, served up from a lemonade bottle by a neighbouring farmer. Richard Goslan returned with Pip to his friends' farmhouse to hear them tell the story in their own words.

Episode 52: Iain McAlister

Episode  |  26 December 2022  |  1 hr 29 mins

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

Glen Scotia distillery is a favourite of Society members, and we were delighted in early December to welcome distillery manager and master distiller Iain McAlister to The Vaults in December to present a fantastic selection of cask samples, along with an SMWS bottling from distillery 93. Tune in to Whisky Talk to sip along with Iain and Olaf.

Episode 51: Brendan McCarron

Episode  |  26 December 2022  |  1 hr 32 mins

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

At The Vaults recently, we welcomed Brendan McCarron, master distiller at Distell’s Bunnahabhain, Deanston and Tobermory distilleries. We recorded Brendan’s tasting, presented in full, with some strong language for good measure alongside strong whisky. Settle down for an illuminating insight into Brendan’s experience, knowledge, and some cracking drams from Deanston, Tobermory and Ledaig.

Episode 50: Malts & Music with Karine Polwart

Episode  |  10 November 2022  |  1 hr 2 mins

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

Karine Polwart is one of Scotland’s most respected singer-songwriters. She sat down at The Vaults with Vic Galloway for our latest episode of Whisky Talk: Malts & Music, to find out about her passion for whisky and what songs our selection of Society drams conjured up in her mind.

Episode 49: Dr Bill Lumsden Part 2

Episode  |  27 October 2022  |  51 mins 19 secs

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

The name Dr Bill Lumsden doesn’t need much of an introduction in the whisky world – the head of distilling and whisky creation at Glenmorangie and Ardbeg has been a constant force of innovation and flavour development over the past 30 years or so. Here's part 2 of Dr Bill's presentation to SMWS members at The Vaults in October.

Episode 48: Dr Bill Lumsden Part 1

Episode  |  27 October 2022  |  1 hr 32 mins

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

The name Dr Bill Lumsden doesn’t need much of an introduction in the whisky world – the head of distilling and whisky creation at Glenmorangie and Ardbeg has been a constant force of innovation and flavour development over the past 30 years or so.

Episode 47: Malts & Music with The Whisky Sisters

Episode  |  18 October 2022  |  1 hr 8 mins

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

Vic Galloway catches up with the Whisky Sisters – Inka Larissa and Jennifer Rose – in the latest episode of Whisky Talk: Malts & Music, to find out where their passion for whisky came from and what tunes their selection of Scotch Malt Whisky Society drams helped to inspire.

Episode 46: Malts & Music with Doug Johnstone

Episode  |  7 September 2022  |  1 hr 10 mins

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

Writer Doug Johnstone shares four SMWS drams with DJ Vic Galloway in the latest episode of Whisky Talk: Malts & Music, with reflections on how his love of whisky inspired his novel Smokeheads and how these Society drams pair perfectly with music from Little Simz to Biffy Clyro.

Episode 45: Dave Broom and A Sense of Place

Episode  |  31 August 2022  |  33 mins 47 secs

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

Whisky writer Dave Broom has an endless curiosity and fascination for whisky, and in his latest book he has set out to explore the story of Scotland’s whisky history, the spirit’s importance within the country’s culture and the diverse landscapes that it comes from.
In "A Sense of Place" he takes the reader on a journey across the country, with pictures by photographer Christina Kernohan.
Mads Schmoll sat down with Dave to find out more about the book.

Episode 44: Stuart MacPherson Master of Wood

Episode  |  30 August 2022  |  42 mins 54 secs

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

Depending on who you speak to, the cask that you put your whisky into to mature can contribute anything from 50 to more than 70 per cent of its final flavour. Whatever figure you land on, it plays a crucial role. One person who knows more about the impact of various forms of oak on whisky – and especially from sherry influenced casks – is Stuart MacPherson, until very recently Macallan’s Master of Wood. Stuart has now retired from the role, but Whisky Talk caught up with him to find out all about his life’s work in the world of wood – which goes all the way back to his schooldays in the late 1970s.

Episode 43: Malts & Music with James Yorkston

Episode  |  11 August 2022  |  1 hr 13 mins

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

Musician, writer and whisky fan James Yorkston shares four SMWS drams with DJ Vic Galloway in the latest episode of Whisky Talk: Malts & Music, with an eclectic mix of music inspired by a wide range of Society whiskies. James and Vic reflect on their musical journeys, their passion for whisky and why you can’t beat exploring music with an SMWS single cask dram in your glass.

Episode 42: Jake King and Whisky Place-Names

Episode  |  2 August 2022  |  28 mins 21 secs

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

Ever wondered about the origin of a whisky's place-name? Jake King, a Gaelic researcher from the Sabhal Mòr Ostaig campus of the University of the Islands and Highlands on the Isle of Skye, certainly has. He is the author of a new book, The A to Z of Whisky Place-Names: Landscape, Language & Invention, which explores the place-names found on whisky bottles, provides both their identity and their origin and explodes a few myths along the way. Mads Schmoll caught up with Jake at The Vaults to find out more.

Episode 41: Malts & Music with Gemma Cairney

Episode  |  15 June 2022  |  1 hr 10 mins

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

Broadcaster Gemma Cairney sits down at The Vaults with DJ and writer Vic Galloway in the new episode of Whisky Talk: Malts & Music, to chat about her creative world, her move to Edinburgh, and memories of childhood holidays in Scotland. Gemma also finds the Society’s selection of single cask whiskies bringing up associations with the music of Erykah Badu, George Benson and more.

Whiskies tasted and Gemma's tunes were:
Cask No. 2.132: Taking the pith / Erykah Badu, On & On
Cask No. 72.108: Gobstopper / The Langan Band, Winter Song
Cask No. 73.130: Sticks and stones / George Benson, Give Me The Night
Cask No. 108.50: Mountain bothy morning / PJ Morton & Yebba, How Deep is your Love