Spirit of Scotland: Recent Episodes
David Calder
The Spirit of Scotland Podcast is all about Scotch Whisky - single malts, blends and special bottlings - as well as craft beer and craft gin and vodka.There's been an explosion of interest in these sectors with a range of new producers coming on the market, everything from gins made on the farm to whisky festivals, from craft beers and lagers to the latest single malts from the well-known and long established distilleries.
If you go to some of the markets around Edinburgh, look out for a stand selling bottles of a new spirit called Pochle. It’s the name chosen by the man who’s making Scottish Calvados or cider brandy or eau d vie from our excess apples. Rather than see them go to waste, Chris Miles will collect and store them until he can turn them into apple juice which he then sends off to be fermented and then distilled into a clear, and very strong, spirit. And Pochle? It’s an old Scots word meaning to have something without quite having permission.
https://pochle.co.uk/
His subject matter is unique, especially in its quantity. His popularity around Northern Europe means that his songs and poetry are probably better known in parts of Germany, the Netherlands and Scandinavia than they are in parts of Scotland. But it’s not for nothing that Robin Laing is known as The Whisky Bard! His latest book, Whisky Muse 2, has just been published. Producer David Calder met him to find out more.
To some, he’s been the ‘bad boy’ of whisky – the man who set himself up as the self-styled ‘thorn in the flesh’ of the industry. He would berate it for failing to exploit its potential as a tourist trap. He would attack the conservatism of the way whisky was presented – too much of the highland mist and leather arm chairs. He claimed it was aimed too much at the traditional drinkers and ignoring the younger generation, something he said it did at its peril. He was barred from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society for criticising it. And he’s used his tutored whisky sessions around the world to argue for change. Well, now Victor Brierly is older and has mellowed somewhat; his aching joints have also slowed him down. He can no longer move around as freely as he once did. But at least he’s now allowed back into the members’ room at the SMWS which is where the Spirit of Scotland Podcast producer David Calder met him.
It’s an iconic establishment, located in a small town in Moray. The Dufftown Whisky Shop boasts that it’s the “Whisky Capital of the World” – quite a claim. However, when you walk through the doors and see the breadth of brands, of bottles on the shelves, you realise that the boast is justified. Spirit of Scotland producer David Calder met the owner Mike Lord and asked him about the origins of the shop.
Of the various regions that produce Scotch whisky, Speyside is the largest. There are some 50 distilleries in the area producing a wide range of single malts and blends. The style of the single malts in particular has been characterised as rich and fruity. That is certainly true of The Glenlivet, the flagship of Chivas Brothers, itself part of the French company Pernod Ricard. Chivas owns a significant part of the sector on Speyside – so we went to find out more.
The craft beer market not just in Scotland but throughout the UK is increasingly crowded. In Scotland alone, there are well over a hundred craft breweries, each one fighting for its share. So how does a new entrant differentiate itself? We’ve already heard from the Bellfield Brewery which makes gluten free beers. Now, we’ve found another – Eyeball Brewing – which is trying to find its own unique place.
For a really different, exciting and interesting holiday (or even a treat for business clients or colleagues), the Spirit of the Spey is unique. Taking a leisurely trip down the river in a Canadian canoe, watching the wildlife, learning about the distilleries passed along the way, tasting their products in outdoor locations, staying in boutique hotels, what’s not to like? In this episode, we hear from Dave Craig who founded the business nearly 20 years ago.
Craig Johnstone is flying high in the whisky world. He was recently taken on by the American company Brown Forman to promote its recently acquired single malts - BenRiach, Glendronach and Glenglassaugh - in key and emerging markets. Put simply, his “patch” is the world – apart from Europe and North America! Some of these markets – China and Japan, Australia and New Zealand, South Africa – are very mature. Others are just beginning to understand that the whisky made in Scotland is different, special and perhaps rather more expensive that other global spirits. We met up with him to find out something of his background.
For five days in May, Speyside becomes the international focus for whisky lovers the world over. With some 500 events, visitors can taste a wide range of single malts, paid them with the excellent food of the area and tale trips by coach, train and even canoe. Podcast producer David Calder has been hearing about this year's up and coming event.
Benjamin Franklin is reputed to have said "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." But there are some people who cannot drink a traditional pint, those who have to live on a gluten-free diet for example. That was the reason behind the creation of the Bellfield Brewery in Portobello, Edinburgh’s seaside, as the Spirit of Scotland Podcast producer, David Calder, heard when he went to pay a visit. But he found that they had taken it one step further and were now registered vegan as well.
The production of gin in Scotland is definitely on the up! It seems that hardly a month goes by without news of another distillery opening. One of the early entrants in the recent upsurge is Edinburgh Gin. It boasts two distilleries in the Capital, a relatively new one in Leith almost dedicated to producing large quantities based on the original recipe. That one is not open to the public – but the one in the centre of town certainly is! And it’s one of the most unusual, unique distilleries in the country, as David Calder has been finding out:
Whisky tourism is a popular pastime, especially when someone else is prepared to do the driving! But for many visitors to Scotland, there’s the problem of choosing between the huge number of malts and blends – what’s the difference between them; what do they taste like; and how the heck do you pronounce some of their names? Well, help may be at hand from America in the form of the Dramophone Whisky App.
Whisky is a vital industry to Scotland. The heart of that industry lies in Speyside. So where better to start the Spirit of Scotland Podcast than with the eponymous Speyside Distillery, one of the most southerly throughout Strathspey, and home of Spey Whisky.