You join me this episode from my armchair in my living room, thanks to a new podcasting setup, to taste a whisky that’s intrigued me for years, to think about what drives us to try and buy particular whiskies, and to confess that I’ve spent much of the time between the last episode and this in the arms of another spirit.

Scotch

Ballantine’s

In which I taste a new whisky on the market, The Singleton’s Malt Master’s Selection, as part of @thewhiskywire’s #WhiskyFlashBlog promo, and I talk a load of bravo, oscar, lima, lima, oscar, charlie, kilo, sierra.

The Singleton Malt Master’s Select

In which I taste a young, boisterous, muscular whisky, finished in Bordeaux red wine casks, and we talk about the value of Scotch whisky to the UK export industry.

Deanston 2008 9 year-old Bordeaux Red Wine Cask

In the first of five podcasts featuring a broad selection of samples from Independent Spirit in Bath, I taste a gloriously smooth and creamy 28 year-old blend from the south east of Scotland, plus, why whisky is better for you than a banana *tongue in cheek emoji*

The Tweeddale The Evolution 28 year-old blend

On World Whisky Day 2018, welcome back to Scotch – and we raise a glass of a very special Japanese whisky – from the distillery started by the father of Japanese whisky – in salute.

Nikka Pure Malt 21 year-old

Let me introduce you to my favourite Scottish whisky – and, for your sins, to me singing.

Bunnahabhain Darach Ùr

It’s my birthday, so I finally opened the 21 year-old Hibiki I brought back from Japan. I was not disappointed. Plus, the two ways whisky can get its colour.

Hibiki 21 year-old

In the second of three special podcasts from my trip to Japan, we taste the raw spirit – the stuff you get before it’s aged in barrels – and some stunning 18 year-old Hakushu. Plus, what is a spirit safe?

Yamazaki raw spirit & Hakushu 18 year-old

Tasting the terrific 12 year-old Hibiki Japanese blended whisky… in Japan! Joined by my brother-in-law, we discuss this accomplished blend, why Scottish whisky is so cheap in Japan, and how disgusting a whisky highball is. (Sorry for the variable sound quality.)

Hibiki 12 year-old

I have discovered my new go-to single malt – join me and discover it too. Plus, what the bally hell does ‘whisky’ mean anyway?

Aberlour 10 year-old

In this episode, we – and I say that because I have another special guest on this episode – taste the Chardonnay cask-finished 10 year-old Glen Moray. Plus, a barrel is a barrel is a barrel, right?

Glen Moray 10 year-old Chardonnay

The first thing you need to know about Glen Garioch is that you have almost certainly just pronounced its name wrong in your head. The second is that it’s rather lovely. Plus, what’s the oldest distillery in Scotland? (Goodness knows; I just Googled it.)

Glen Garioch 12 year-old

Tasting the solid, dependable own-brand single malt Scotch whisky from Sainsbury’s. Plus, what the age of a whisky means and why it matters (and why it doesn’t…).

Sainsbury’s Speyside Single Malt

An interesting whisky from an interesting distillery, bottled by an interesting company; what more could you want? This is also a return to classic-format Scotch; just me and a whisky!

Glen Keith 16 year-old

The things we do for you! Tasting a whole range of cheap whiskies with friends Jim and Matt. Fair warning: this episode is over an hour long, gets a bit shouty, and has quite a lot of quite bad swears. Mostly from Matt. Though I encouraged it.

Shit Whisky Special

A Scot drinks whisky, and tells you about it; I’ll taste one malt or blend every episode, but there’s no set schedule for new episodes. This is not an authoritative guide; I’m just someone who has found he loves whisky and who wants to share my favourites and my new discoveries.