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.
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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.
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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.
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Ep 258 – Allan Logan: A Big Man on a Small Island
Allan Logan is the distillery manager of Bruichladdich distillery on the wee island of Islay. A small community of around 3000 people enriched by whiskey culture and camaraderie due to the limited number of resources. This small community often leads to intimate understandings of whiskey culture and surfaces some, but yet rare, career opportunities. Allan had such an opportunity at the early age of 28. Years later, his team is composed of creative, driven, and Black Arts vibed individuals. We chat sherry, yellow submarine, Bere barley, and more.
