Not Another Whisky Podcast

Mitch and Daz are back together for a long-overdue August catch-up, recorded from the glamour of Daz’s self-proclaimed “bitchin’ kitchen.”
They compare notes on what they’ve been up to, the whisky they’ve been drinking and the general chaos of a busy summer before diving into some of the more unusual stories from around the whisky world.

There’s the retired farmer storing a £750,000 whisky collection in converted pigsties, Woven and Civerinos combining whisky, Scottish honey and a fairly aggressive collection of chillies, and the arrival of the new Stannergill Distillery in Caithness.
Mitch also shares his experience at The Macallan’s Coconut Dreams pop-up beside the Spey, including the slightly surreal sight of Macallan being poured into a blender to make piña coladas.

The pair also discuss the new signature single malt from the Isle of Harris and whether whisky drinkers occasionally need to become a little less precious about how their drams are enjoyed.

Later in the episode, Mitch catches up with Victoria Miller, founder of Sip Seekers, to hear about the platform she has created to make discovering and booking Scotland’s distilleries, tastings and drinks experiences considerably easier.

Expect whisky news, old drams, questionable kitchens, expensive pigsties and the usual amount of informed nonsense.

Links to news and Sip Seekers

£750k Pigsty Whisky Collection – The Whiskey Wash
Woven x Civerinos Hot Honey
The Macallan – Inspired by Fresh Coconut
Stannergill Distillery Starts Production – The Spirits Business
The Isle of Harris Single Malt Whisky
Sip Seekers
Not Another Whisky Podcast on Acast


Hosted by Mitch Bechard and Daz Haldane, this is where the whisky world gets pulled apart properly, with stories, insights, and the occasional bit of chaos along the way.

🥃 New episodes every week(ish)
🎤 Live shows & tastings across Scotland
🎟️ Web: www.notanotherwhiskypodcast.com
📩 Enquiries & partnerships: whiskypodcast@gmail.com
📲 Follow us on Instagram
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/not-another-whisky-podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is a wee bit different.

Earlier this year, Mitch met Graeme and Angus from Whisky Stories and the idea was simple: get both podcasts in the same room, pour a few drams, and record something together.

That idea quickly grew into a live event, a charity night, and a raffle that raised an incredible £1,400 for The BEN, supporting people across the hospitality and licensed trade.

Recorded live at Uno Mas, this episode sees Not Another Whisky Podcast go head to head with Whisky Stories, with the brilliant Mark Thompson trying his best to keep everyone in line.

Expect drams, audience votes, questionable tactics, brilliant whisky chat, and a few strong opinions along the way.

We get into favourite distillery visits, cask finishes, whisky bars, and the kind of stories that only come out when you put whisky people in front of a live audience.
A huge thank you to everyone who donated bottles, prizes, minis and support for the raffle, and to Sian at Uno Mas for letting us use the venue.
Pour yourself something good and enjoy a proper live whisky night with NAWP and Whisky Stories.
Hosted by Mitch Bechard and Daz Haldane, this is where the whisky world gets pulled apart properly, with stories, insights, and the occasional bit of chaos along the way.

🥃 New episodes every week(ish)
🎤 Live shows & tastings across Scotland
🎟️ Web: www.notanotherwhiskypodcast.com
📩 Enquiries & partnerships: whiskypodcast@gmail.com
📲 Follow us on Instagram
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/not-another-whisky-podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Daz is flying solo this week as he sits down with Highland Park’s Martin Markvardsen on the eve of his twentieth anniversary as the distillery’s brand ambassador.

Martin takes us back to his early days managing the legendary Quaich Bar at the Craigellachie Hotel, where 784 whiskies, industry characters and the occasional lock in provided a fairly thorough education. He explains how repeatedly including Highland Park 18 in his tastings eventually led to a phone call offering him the ambassador’s job.

They look back at what whisky ambassadorship involved in 2006, from lengthy technical masterclasses and enormous whisky festivals to the characters who shaped the industry, including Jim McEwan, Charlie MacLean, Dave Broom, Ronnie Cox, Ian Miller and Ian Logan.

Martin and Daz also discuss how the role has changed. Today’s ambassadors need to understand social media, online tastings, cocktails and content creation alongside the traditional production knowledge and storytelling. There are tales of sideways Zoom tastings, Facebook mistaking Martin’s Highland Park tattoo for pornography and Daz missing his own masterclass after a particularly enthusiastic night aboard the Viking Line.

Finally, they attempt to choose their greatest Highland Park releases of all time, covering bottles including Leif Eriksson, the 1977 Bicentenary, Hjarta, the original 50 Year Old, Dark Origins and the ever dependable Highland Park 18.

A relaxed and wonderfully nostalgic conversation about two decades with one distillery, the people who make whisky special and why Martin still has no plans to slow down.
Hosted by Mitch Bechard and Daz Haldane, this is where the whisky world gets pulled apart properly, with stories, insights, and the occasional bit of chaos along the way.

🥃 New episodes every week(ish)
🎤 Live shows & tastings across Scotland
🎟️ Web: www.notanotherwhiskypodcast.com
📩 Enquiries & partnerships: whiskypodcast@gmail.com
📲 Follow us on Instagram
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/not-another-whisky-podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After more than 200 episodes, we have finally given Irish whiskey the proper attention it deserves. Mitch and Daz are joined by Barry Chandler, better known as Irish Whiskey Barry, an independent educator, community builder and three-time Whisky Magazine Ireland Communicator of the Year.

Barry guides us through Irish whiskey’s past, present and future using three pot still whiskeys. We begin with Redbreast 12 and uncover the story of Gilbey’s, Dublin’s historic whiskey bonders, the “priest’s tipple” and the surprising connection between Redbreast and the original Baileys bottle.

For the present, Barry chooses Boann Legacy, an accessible modern pot still whiskey that represents Ireland’s extraordinary growth from just four working distilleries to more than 50.

Finally, we head to the Mourne Mountains and Killowen, a tiny direct-fired distillery Barry describes as “Ireland’s Springbank,” where historic mash bills, radical transparency and hands-on production point towards the future.

Along the way, we discuss the Dingle effect, the myths surrounding the malt tax, oats in Irish whiskey, triple distillation, Jameson’s dominance, the current review of the Irish whiskey technical file and the commercial pressures facing the country’s newer distilleries.

Plus, Barry explains why “smooth” might be one of whiskey’s most useless compliments.

Follow Barry on Instagram and TikTok at @irishwhiskeybarry, and discover Stories & Sips, Three Drams and Irish Whiskey Experiences through his channels.
Hosted by Mitch Bechard and Daz Haldane, this is where the whisky world gets pulled apart properly, with stories, insights, and the occasional bit of chaos along the way.

🥃 New episodes every week(ish)
🎤 Live shows & tastings across Scotland
🎟️ Web: www.notanotherwhiskypodcast.com
📩 Enquiries & partnerships: whiskypodcast@gmail.com
📲 Follow us on Instagram
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/not-another-whisky-podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mitch heads to Fife for Lindores Abbey Distillery’s annual Bear Burning ceremony, where an enormous bear and ragged staff carved into the hillside is set alight.

First, Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Donaldson discusses her journey through the whisky industry, joining Lindores at a pivotal moment, the challenges the business has faced and her plans for building a sustainable future.
Then Distillery Manager Gary Haggart takes us into the stillhouse. Gary discusses developing the Lindores spirit character, why good whisky doesn’t necessarily need to be old, the different personalities of two supposedly identical spirit stills and his ambition for drinkers to recognise Lindores simply by its aroma.

There’s whisky, history, business, Angel Delight, Star Trek and the crucial importance of not fucking up the wash still.

A huge thank you to everyone at Lindores Abbey Distillery for the invitation, accommodation and excellent hospitality.

Find out more about Lindores Abbey Distillery:
https://lindoresabbeydistillery.com

Listen to more episodes and find out what we’re up to:
https://www.notanotherwhiskypodcast.com

If you enjoyed the episode, please follow the podcast and leave us a rating or review. It genuinely helps more whisky lovers find the show.
Hosted by Mitch Bechard and Daz Haldane, this is where the whisky world gets pulled apart properly, with stories, insights, and the occasional bit of chaos along the way.

🥃 New episodes every week(ish)
🎤 Live shows & tastings across Scotland
🎟️ Web: www.notanotherwhiskypodcast.com
📩 Enquiries & partnerships: whiskypodcast@gmail.com
📲 Follow us on Instagram
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/not-another-whisky-podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.