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 in every sip.
This is the spirit of Scotland: distilled in a place; shared around the world.
What makes it so special? Why is it so loved? And who are the people that make it, and the aficionados who drink it?
Join John every Thursday as he explores the alchemy that takes place from cask to glass.
Slàinte!
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Host: John Beattie
Producer: David Holmes
Socials:
@C2GWhisky
@JohnRossBeattie
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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 in every sip.
This is the spirit of Scotland: distilled in a place; shared around the world.
What makes it so special? Why is it so loved? And who are the people that make it, and the aficionados who drink it?
Join John every Thursday as he explores the alchemy that takes place from cask to glass.
Slàinte!
-------
Host: John Beattie
Producer: David Holmes
Socials:
@C2GWhisky
@JohnRossBeattie
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
"You'll know the game, John," admits Stephen Woodcock, head of Whisky Creation and Stocks for Glen Turner, makers of Glen Moray, Cutty Sark and many other fine whiskies and spirits. "You want to play slightly offside..."
Slightly offside?
Perhaps Stephen shouldn't be telling John this. But it's too late now. And besides what's done is done.
"We kind of brand ourselves as cask explorers," Stephen explains. "We're not feart to give something a go."
It's Stephen's job to explore and innovate, and try to create something new out of something traditional and simple: "I'm very lucky because I've got the freedom to do that."
But there's a downside, he continues: "We've been in trouble with the SWA a couple of times."
Trouble for what?
Trying to produce whisky in Champagne casks, cider casks and even maple syrup casks.
Why would that upset the Scotch Whisky Association, which regulates what is and isn't Scotch whisky?
Well for starters, Stephen confesses, "You don't actually get a Champagne cask. You only get white wine. It's not Champagne until you put it in a bottle and add yeast. So, into trouble for that. And cider isn't traditionally aged in oak barrels. So we got into trouble with the SWA for that. But we won't do it again."
And maple syrup casks?
"It wasn't whisky... It's a spirit drink. It doesn't say whisky on the bottle, I need to be clear about that... But the spirit was absolutely sublime. You almost get a kind of smoky bacon note to that. The whole piece was to have an American breakfast in a dram glass."
Innovation aside, Stephen's job is to think 30 years ahead, and as he explains to John, work out how to get there.
So join John, Stephen (and Stephen's dog Ron), as Stephen reveals how he and Glen Turner make something magical out of what is basically just water, cereal and a fungus, matured in very special wood.
Slàinte!
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Socials:
Creator & producer: David Holmes
Art work & design: Jess Robertson
Music: Water of Life (Never Going Home)
Vocals: Andrea Cunningham
Guitars: John Beattie
Bass: Alasdair Vann
Drums: Alan Hamilton
Bagpipes: Calum McColl
Accordion: Gary Innes
Music & Lyrics: Andrea Cunningham & John Beattie
Recorded & mixed by Murray Collier at La Chunky Studios, Glasgow, Scotland
Special thanks: The Piper Whisky Bar, 57 Cochrane Street, Glasgow, Scotland
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.