Shows
Whisky TalkThe founder of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society | Pip HillsIn this episode Richard Goslan sits down with Pip Hills, the founder of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society. Pip lost contact with the Society in the 1990s, and didn't rekindle his relationship with the SMWS until Richard tracked him down in 2018. Here the pair reflect on Pip's return to the Society, his health at the age of 85 and how the Society became a force for good with more than 40,000 members across the world.
2025-10-2419 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 75: Anthony Delcros and SMWS April OutturnThis month Calum and Richard are joined by The Scotch Malt Whisky Society's Anthony Delcros as the trio prepare for this year’s whisky festivals. Anthony reveals his own whisky journey while covering all the adventures he has planned to take the Society’s tastings off the beaten track at the Speyside, Campbeltown and Islay festivals.
2025-04-0257 minWhisky TalkEpisode 74: Lucy Connor and SMWS March OutturnThis month Calum and Richard get zen as they’re guided through a ‘dramaste’ styled tasting by Lucy Connor. Lucy took a day out from her time behind the bar at The Vaults to chat through this year’s International Women’s Day bottlings, discuss some of her maverick tasting ideas, and share her own whisky journey.
2025-03-051h 01
Whisky TalkEpisode 73: Matt Bailey and SMWS February OutturnRichard and Calum catch up with Matt Bailey, who recently joined The Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s European team as managing director. The trio discuss Tasmanian whisky, psychotic dram decisions and delve into some of the Society bottlings coming out in the UK and Europe in February.
2025-02-0455 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 71: Scotch & SherryIn this episode we’re going on a special journey across Spain, to tell the story of whisky and sherry and the wonderful synergy between the two worlds when it comes to sherry cask matured whisky.
We travel to the oak forests of Galicia in the far northwest of Spain to take the creation of Spanish oak casks right back to the beginning, in the Cantabrian forest, before heading south to Jerez and the Sherry Triangle, to visit the cooperages and bodegas where the casks are built and then seasoned with different styles of sherry wine.
2024-05-0230 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 70: Paul JohnRegular listeners will know that we are fortunate at The Scotch Malt Whisky Society to welcome representatives from distilleries, who visit us in our Members’ Rooms, share some special samples of their whiskies with our members, and give us their insights and knowledge about their distilleries.
In March we had a visit to the Vaults by Heemanshu Ashar from Paul John, the pioneering Indian distillery based in Goa on the country’s tropical west coast.
Before enjoying the tasting, we took the chance to find out more about Paul John distillery, India’s whisky journey since independence in 194...
2024-04-1728 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 69: Flavour Journey with Kami NewtonIn this episode, we’re taking a deep dive into the flavour journey that takes place every time we uncork a bottle of whisky and then nose and taste it. It’s a process that the Tasting Panel at The Scotch Malt Whisky Society goes through with every sample that is presented for possible inclusion in a Society bottling. So we caught up with Tasting Panel chair Kami Newton, to find out more about the different steps on this flavour journey and why we should take time to appreciate the complexities of what’s in our glass.
2024-04-0341 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 68: Blair AtholWe were fortunate to have a visit from two of the team from Blair Athol distillery to The Vaults in February, for a special tasting of four expressions of Blair Athol whisky, along with a sample of one of the Society’s own single cask offerings. Blair Athol distillery manager Derek Younie was joined by Peter Milne from Diageo’s Whisky Specialist Team to talk members through the samples and provide insight into the history and working of the distillery, what to expect from Blair Athol’s spirit character, and how it works with different casks and forms of matura...
2024-02-2840 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 66: Pip's Prague AdventureThe vintage Lagonda belonging to Society founder Pip Hills played an instrumental part in our whisky club’s foundation, carrying the first precious cargo of single casks from Speyside back to his Scotland Street home in Edinburgh to share with friends. In 1990, Pip Hills and his brother-in-law Dick Pountain decided to take a road trip to Prague in the Lagonda, to witness Václav Havel’s inauguration as president of the Czech Republic. The magazine The Classic Motoring Review subsequently commissioned Pip and Dick to write a piece about the journey – and how Society whisky helped to make it a succe...
2023-12-0420 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 64: Val McDermidCrime writer and whisky enthusiast Val has been a fan of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society since its early days, after receiving an educational journey across the whisky regions from a friend’s father who was something of an aficionado. Whisky Talk caught up with Val in an Edinburgh coffee shop to find out more about her whisky passion, her writing career and who would be her fantasy whisky-drinking companion.
2023-08-2522 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 63: Maverick - The Founder's Tale with Pip HillsThe Scotch Malt Whisky Society is marking its 40th anniversary with an updated and revised edition of Pip Hills' memoir, "Maverick – The Founder’s Tale", which now includes the story of 'coming in from the cold' after leaving the whisky club in the 1990s. Pip tells Richard Goslan about reconnecting with the Society and what we can expect from the new version of his book.
2023-08-0223 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 62: The sound of Glen ScotiaHow do you capture the sense of sound in a distillery and its location – and then incorporate that into a song? That’s what the team at Glen Scotia set out to do, with a whisky and music collaboration in its Campbeltown home. Whisky Talk caught up with the contributors to find out more.
2023-05-3118 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 60: Kythe DistilleryWith so many new distilleries coming online across Scotland, it’s sometimes hard to keep track. But when Angus MacRaild dropped the news at the start of April about his plans for Kythe distillery, it felt like time to sit up and pay attention. Angus has teamed up with partners Jonny McMillan and Aaron Chan to bring their vision for a new distillery that produces an old-style, traditional Highland style of whisky to life – complete with a fermentation of more than two weeks, a wood-fired wash still and worm-tub condensers. In their own words, efficiency is the enemy of char...
2023-04-1942 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 57: Richard PatersonOur guest on this edition needs little in the way of introduction to any whisky fan. Richard Paterson has been working in the whisky industry for the past 57 years, with more than half a century of his career spent with Whyte & Mackay Distillers.
We were delighted to welcome Richard to the Society’s spiritual home at The Vaults in Leith recently, where one of the whisky industry’s biggest entertainers put on a special show for a room full of lucky members – taking us on a tour that included his stories and memories about Tamnavulin, Fettercairn, Jura and Dalmor...
2023-03-221h 32
Whisky TalkEpisode 53: Pip Hills and his whisky epiphanyThe origin of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society can be traced back to the founder, Pip Hills, visiting his friends at a farmhouse in deepest rural Aberdeenshire, where he first experienced single cask, cask strength whisky, served up from a lemonade bottle by a neighbouring farmer. Richard Goslan returned with Pip to his friends' farmhouse to hear them tell the story in their own words.
2023-01-0329 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 52: Iain McAlisterGlen Scotia distillery is a favourite of Society members, and we were delighted in early December to welcome distillery manager and master distiller Iain McAlister to The Vaults in December to present a fantastic selection of cask samples, along with an SMWS bottling from distillery 93. Tune in to Whisky Talk to sip along with Iain and Olaf.
2022-12-261h 29
Whisky TalkEpisode 51: Brendan McCarronAt The Vaults recently, we welcomed Brendan McCarron, master distiller at Distell’s Bunnahabhain, Deanston and Tobermory distilleries. We recorded Brendan’s tasting, presented in full, with some strong language for good measure alongside strong whisky. Settle down for an illuminating insight into Brendan’s experience, knowledge, and some cracking drams from Deanston, Tobermory and Ledaig.
2022-12-261h 32
Whisky TalkEpisode 49: Dr Bill Lumsden Part 2The name Dr Bill Lumsden doesn’t need much of an introduction in the whisky world – the head of distilling and whisky creation at Glenmorangie and Ardbeg has been a constant force of innovation and flavour development over the past 30 years or so.
Members of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society were fortunate to attend a tasting conducted by Dr Bill at The Vaults in October, to taste some fantastic whiskies from Glenmorangie, Ardbeg and of course the Society….and also to hear his thoughts on everything in the whisky world from additional maturation, to non-aged statements, the use of she...
2022-10-2751 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 48: Dr Bill Lumsden Part 1The name Dr Bill Lumsden doesn’t need much of an introduction in the whisky world – the head of distilling and whisky creation at Glenmorangie and Ardbeg has been a constant force of innovation and flavour development over the past 30 years or so.
Members of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society were fortunate to attend a tasting conducted by Dr Bill at The Vaults in October, to taste some fantastic whiskies from Glenmorangie, Ardbeg and of course the Society….and also to hear his thoughts on everything in the whisky world from additional maturation, to non-aged statements, the use of she...
2022-10-271h 32
Whisky TalkEpisode 45: Dave Broom and A Sense of PlaceWhisky writer Dave Broom has an endless curiosity and fascination for whisky, and in his latest book he has set out to explore the story of Scotland’s whisky history, the spirit’s importance within the country’s culture and the diverse landscapes that it comes from.
In "A Sense of Place" he takes the reader on a journey across the country, with pictures by photographer Christina Kernohan.
Mads Schmoll sat down with Dave to find out more about the book.
2022-08-3133 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 44: Stuart MacPherson Master of WoodDepending on who you speak to, the cask that you put your whisky into to mature can contribute anything from 50 to more than 70 per cent of its final flavour. Whatever figure you land on, it plays a crucial role. One person who knows more about the impact of various forms of oak on whisky – and especially from sherry influenced casks – is Stuart MacPherson, until very recently Macallan’s Master of Wood. Stuart has now retired from the role, but Whisky Talk caught up with him to find out all about his life’s work in the world of wood – which goes...
2022-08-3042 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 40: The Islay FestivalThe SMWS returned to Islay for the first in-person festival since 2019, with an Open Day at Islay House to share drams, the Society's festival Rare Release bottlings, tastings and good times. We caught up with members from near and far to find out about their combined passions for Islay and whisky.
2022-05-3030 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 38: Whisky StorytellersIn this episode we dig into the rich tradition of whisky storytelling, with contributions from two Scottish musicians, storytellers and whisky lovers. First up is Hamish Napier, a musician from Strathspey in the heart of Scotland’s whisky country. From Speyside, we travel to Islay to hear from Whisky Bard, musician and SMWS Tasting Panel chair, Robin Laing – with music supplied by Robin himself.
2022-04-2251 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 37: SMWS member Pete BeggFrom studying engineering, Pete Begg found himself drawn to the world of cooking, working in various restaurants before becoming friends and subsequently colleague of Jamie Oliver. Now Head of Food Development with Jamie’s organisation, Pete is also a devoted member of the SMWS. Our master brand ambassador John McCheyne caught up with him for a dram in our London Members’ Room at 19 Greville Street to find out more about his journey and whisky passion.
2022-03-2524 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 36: Lochlea with John CampbellThis farm distillery in Ayrshire has quietly started producing whisky and lured John Campbell away from Laphroaig in Islay in the process. Whisky Talk's Richard Goslan paid a visit to find out more and hear about the distillery’s ambitions.
2022-03-2427 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 35: Malts & Music with Val McDermidWriter Val McDermid joins BBC Scotland DJ and writer Vic Galloway for Episode 6 of Whisky Talk: Malts & Music, brought to you by The Scotch Malt Whisky Society. Val describes her early introduction to whisky, her life and work and how these SMWS drams transported her to different times and places throughout her life.
TUNES and DRAMS
Cask No. 73.121: Meemaw’s Moonpie / Aztec Camera, Somewhere in my Heart
Cask No. 39.209: Apple aperitif / Mungo Jerry, In the Summertime
Cask No. 35:269: Banana balaclava / Nitin Sawhney, Nadia
Cask No. 36.164: Bittersweet Xmas stocking treat / Alison Moyet, The Coventry Ca...
2022-03-101h 15
Whisky TalkEpisode 34: Malts & Music with Nicola MeighanMusic and arts broadcaster and writer Nicola Meighan joins BBC Scotland DJ and writer Vic Galloway for Episode 5 of Whisky Talk: Malts & Music, brought to you by The Scotch Malt Whisky Society.
Whiskies tasted and Nicola's tunes were:
Cask No. 1.245: Pour it around midnight / My Baby Just Cares For Me by Nina Simone
Cask No. 5.81: A fruity prescription / Feed the Tree by Belly
Cask No. 24.153: Midsummer night’s dream / Utopia by Goldfrapp
Cask No. G10.33: Co-co-nut / Young Hearts Run Free by Candi Staton
Cask No. 112.90: Fruit alloy / January February by Barbara Dickson
2022-02-101h 29
Whisky TalkEpisode 31: Charlie MacLean MBECharlie MacLean is one of the whisky world’s leading writers and experts, and this year saw him honoured as a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire – better known as an MBE – in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. Whisky Talk caught up with Charlie at 28 Queen Street to find out about the award and his long-term connection with the SMWS.
2021-11-2247 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 30: Malts & Music with Norman Blake from Teenage FanclubIn Episode 2 of Whisky Talk: Malts & Music, BBC Scotland DJ and writer Vic Galloway sits down with Norman Blake, co-founder of Scottish indie rock legends Teenage Fanclub. Vic pours a few Society drams and finds out why the whiskies get Norman thinking about Gang of Four, Captain Beefheart, The Kinks, Ennio Morricone and the Wicker Man.
Tune in to the SMWS Malts & Music playlist at: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/75sE4HLHMMwlcECyNB8ryzSpecial Guest: Norman Blake.
2021-11-101h 11
Whisky TalkEpisode 28: Glenturret DistilleryWith a new owner, a new look – and even a new date of birth – Glenturret distillery is emerging from the shadows to take its place in the single malt spotlight. The Scotch Malt Whisky Society paid a visit for Whisky Talk to find out more.
2021-07-2113 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 27: Dennis Malcolm and Glen Grant DistilleryDennis Malcolm started out at Glen Grant distillery in Speyside as a 15-year-old apprentice cooper. He worked his way up through different roles in the distillery, and 60 years later he is now Scotland’s long-serving distiller. He tells Whisky Talk about his life, career and the momentous changes he has witnessed in an incredible six decades of life in distilleries.
2021-05-2745 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 26: Ardnamurchan distilleryArdnamurchan distillery is tucked away at the end of Scotland’s most westerly peninsula, where the natural environment is playing a major role in both fuelling and flavouring the spirit. Alex Bruce, managing director of distillery owner Adelphi, tells Whisky Talk all about it.
2021-03-0141 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 25: Whisky and perfumeImogen Russon-Taylor started out working in whisky before her nose led her to explore the possibility of creating her own perfumes, and after a period of in-depth research she launched Scotland’s first perfume house, known as Kingdom Scotland.
Madeleine Schmoll from the SMWS caught up with Imogen to explore the subject of scent memories, being inspired by The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, and why a splash of perfume can enhance our mood, whether we’re able to leave the house or not.Special Guest: Madeleine Schmoll.
2021-02-0227 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 24: Irvine WelshHis ground-breaking 1993 novel Trainspotting centered on a bunch of heroin addicts in Leith, but these days whisky is more likely to be a plot point in author Irvine Welsh's work. He’s now a member of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, and sat down with Unfiltered editor Richard Goslan at The Vaults over a few drams to discuss his whisky journey, the influence of mind-altering drugs on the work of Robert Burns and why Scotland in general and Leith in particular will always be an exotic location for his fiction.
2021-01-1154 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 23: Pip Hills and The VaultsPip Hills, the founder of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, tells Whisky Talk the remarkable and unlikely story of how The Vaults in Leith became the Society's spiritual home.
2020-09-0212 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 22: Meet the whisky podcastersWith thousands of whisky podcasts to choose from, we put out a call to our members and the SMWS team to ask them for their top picks. The Society's Mads Schmoll compiled her list and found out more from the top podcasters about who they are and how they started out.Special Guest: Madeleine Schmoll.
2020-08-0423 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 21: The English Whisky Company with Andrew NelstropThe first of England's new distilleries to set up was at St George's in Norfolk, where Andrew Nelstrop helped his father realise a long-held dream of opening his own whisky distillery in 2006. He tells Whisky Talk all about it.
2020-08-0420 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 20: Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery with David ThompsonTraceability is at the heart of Spirit of Yorkshire distillery's operations, which started distilling in 2016, explains co-founder and crop scientist David Thompson.
2020-07-1520 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 19: Lakes Distillery with Dhavall GandhiThe Lakes Distillery started operations in December 2014 and recruited Dhavall Gandhi in 2016. Since then he has brought a whole world of inspiration and creativity to whisky making and maturation.
2020-07-1434 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 18: Bimber DistilleryBimber Distillery was founded in London in 2015 and laid down its first casks in May 2016. In this episode of Whisky Talk, we talk to the distillery's Matt McKay about the distillery's origins, what it does differently, and the future of the English whisky scene in general.
2020-06-2421 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 17: Cotswolds distillery with Daniel SzorDaniel Szor, founder of the Cotswolds distillery, tells Whisky Talk about how he turned his passion for single malt whisky into a radical career change, from working in finance to setting up his own distillery in the English countryside in 2014.
2020-06-1639 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 16: Lagg Distillery on ArranThe SMWS paid a visit in early 2019 to the Isle of Arran to check on the progress of the new Lagg distillery on the south of the island, which will be the 'peated' sister to Lochranza distillery in the north.
2020-05-1803 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 15: Ardmore distilleryArdmore distillery is nestled in a remote corner of Aberdeenshire, and isn't usually open to visitors. Thankfully, distillery manager George Forsyth and the team threw wide its doors to the team from Unfiltered on a memorable visit we made in 2018.
2020-05-0502 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 14: Raasay distillery and island tourMaking whisky on the Isle of Raasay is a modern success story that is down to determination and hard work, but it's also bringing new life to an island that has seen more than its share of hardship in the past, as Richard Goslan discovers.
2020-04-2833 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 13: From filling casks to fighting coronavirusWith demand for hand-sanitiser outstripping supply, distilleries big and small have been playing a key role in providing frontline care workers with essential supplies. Richard Goslan caught up with the team at the Glasgow Distillery Company to find out about how they’ve been able to help out.
2020-04-1525 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 12: The birth of Leith's Bonnington DistilleryIts construction has been delayed because of archeological finds and it finally started distilling as the coronavirus pandemic took hold in the UK. But the stills are running at Bonnington distillery in Leith, and the team are looking to a bright future.
2020-04-0854 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 11: Charlie MacLean's SMWS whisky masterclassCharlie MacLean is not only a leading authority on all things whisky, he's also a long-standing member of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society's Tasting Panel. In this episode of Whisky Talk, he describes his role on the Society's Tasting Panel and provides a masterclass in the appreciation and evaluation of single malt whisky.
2020-03-1821 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 10: Masataka and Rita Taketsuru, A Whisky Love StoryIt's 100 years since Rita Cowan fell in love with her family's Japanese lodger, Masataka Taketsuru, when he stayed with her family while studying Organic Chemistry at Glasgow University. They were married in January 1920 and by the end of the year they had spent time at Hazelburn Distillery in Campbeltown before setting sail for Japan, where Rita supported Masataka's dream of creating a little bit of Scotland in Japan. Whisky Talk tells their story, with the help of Scottish Distillers Association chairman Professor Alan Wolstenholme, whisky writer Dave Broom, co-ordinator of Mandarin Chinese at Imperial College London Ruth Herd, chief...
2020-02-0622 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 9: Sam HeughanWhisky Talk travels to Glencoe to catch up with Scottish actor Sam Heughan, otherwise known as Jamie Fraser in the historical time travel series Outlander. We find out about his passion for Scotch, his own new whisky project, as well as the travel and history documentary he’s shooting around Scotland with Outlander co-star Graham McTavish – who plays the role of Dougal McKenzie.
2019-11-0706 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 8: JerezJoin us on a journey to Jerez, to immerse ourselves in Spain’s Sherry Triangle and explore the synergy between the worlds of whisky and sherry. We visit cooperages to find out about the booming industry to build and season casks for the Scotch whisky world, tour the region’s bodegas to sample an astonishing range of sherries, and talk to the characters working in partnership with the world of Scotch to help bring us the sherried whisky style loved by so many.
2019-11-0118 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 7: Leith's whisky history, Tomatin and TamdhuJoin us to find out more about Leith's whisky history with a walking tour of the area, with the Society's Vaults members' room at the heart of it. Then we'll head north to visit Tomatin distillery and general manager Graham Eunson, before travelling into the heart of Speyside to catch up with Tamdhu's manager, Sandy McIntyre, to hear about that distillery's change in fortunes.
2019-07-3124 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 6: From Glen Scotia to Jura and Islay's ArdnahoeThe Scotch Malt Whisky Society travels from Glen Scotia in Campbeltown, where Iain McAlister explains why there's a new buzz around the distillery, to Jura to meet distillery manager Graham Logan and finally on to Islay to chat to Stewart Laing, who has recently realised his dream of opening Hunter Laing's new distillery on the island, Ardnahoe.
2019-06-2025 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 5: Whisky pilgrims at the Islay FestivalJoin The Scotch Malt Whisky Society in the splendid surroundings of Islay House, where members and whisky pilgrims have gathered for the Islay Whisky Festival and the Society’s Open Day. Whisky Talk meets members who have travelled from around the world, and catches up with SMWS ambassador Matt Bailey before he presents a sensational ‘Old & Rare’ masterclass. Special Guest: Matt Bailey .
2019-05-2909 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 4: Tobermory, The Golden Dram and the Northern Pole of InaccessibilityIn this episode, we catch up with Tobermory distillery’s master blender Kirstie McCallum, find out about the documentary Scotch – The Golden Dram from its director Andrew Peat, and hear from an adventurous Scotch Malt Whisky Society member about his preparations to walk to the as-yet-unreached Northern Pole of Inaccessibility. From the Scottish islands to the Arctic Circle, pour yourself a dram and settle down for the latest episode of Whisky Talk.
2019-05-1827 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 3: Sandy HyslopSandy Hyslop, director of blending at Chivas Brothers talks to our Spirits Manager, Euan Campbell from his sample room in Dumbarton near Glasgow. Hyslop has spent a lifetime working in whisky and is responsible for some of the most iconic names in the whisky world from Chivas Regal to Ballantine's and Aberlour A'Bunadh. But how did his whisky journey begin? Tune in to find out.
2019-04-2930 min
2019-03-1844 min
Whisky TalkEpisode 1: Pip Hills & The Flavour Revolution - Pt 1Welcome to the first ever podcast of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society. Hosted by Unfiltered editor Richard Goslan, we'll be introducing you to some of the people who make whisky, the places it comes from and the characters who bring it to life. This is Whisky Talk.
Scotch Malt Whisky Society founder Pip Hills talks about the early rebellious days of the Society. Recorded at The Vaults in Edinburgh on Monday 18th February 2019, the talk was part of Pip Hills & The Flavour Revolution, a special event where the first ever Society bottling, 1.1 was opened and tasted. Pour...
2019-03-1857 min