John Campbell has lived on the wee island of Islay his entire life. Ensconced in the culture of Scotch production, fishing, and shepherding, Mr. Campbell couldn’t represent the tradition of Laphroaig any deeper. Working his way through all positions at the distillery, John now travels the world talking about the delicious world of peat, and the exceptional liquid that is Laphroaig. What has the 25+ years at the distillery taught him? We chat fatherhood, inspiration, numbers, and more.
-
-
Ep 281 – Simon Brooking: The Host with the Most Toasts
The deeply unique and rich flavors of Laphroaig can only be represented by the most exceptional of hosts; enter stage right, Mr Simon Brooking. Simon has a wealth of knowledge about literature, poetry, acting, and the essence of culture. When his passion of acting is combined with the eccentric yet traditional flavors of a heavily peated Scotch, the ensuing fun is unparalleled. The road to Scotch is winding, but Simon punctuates it with eloquence and excellence. We chat about Lore, pairings, Shid, and more.
-
Ep 267 – Dr. Bill Lumsden: The Soul of Ardbeg & Glenmorangie
Sometimes you never realize where an advanced degree in fermentation might take you. Now decades later, it’s easy to say, you get to create the best Scotches in the world with creative carte blanc. Dr. Bill Lumsden is one of the most insightful and humorous figures in Scotch whiskey. A fan of music, art, and dream journaling, his creative output is unparalleled. So much so, that in the last Glenmorangie Private Edition series Allta, he found a yeast never before used and made a Scotch out of it. We chat Prince, writing, inspiration, and age.
-
Ep 259 – Adam Hannett & James Donaldson: All the Way From Islay
The shores of Islay have been described as beautiful, gray, and obscured. However, this small area of Scotland produces some of the most beautiful and vibrant spirits in the world. Master distiller of Bruichladdich, Adam Hannett and master forager, James Donaldson, have constructed something different on Islay, something truly unique to the flavors of the area. The resulting Botanist Gin is the beauty, smoke, and grayness of Scotland in a bottle. The painstaking process of hand picking botanicals, using different distillates, and crafting something outside the comfort zone of Scotch, is the perfect of The Botanist gin. We chat fatherhood, humility, not recognizing actors, and more.
