Some stories are best told over a dram—and Glencadam has more than 200 years' worth of stories to share.

In this episode of The Barrel Talk, hosts Miri and Manuel sit down with Iain Forteath, Master Blender and Global Brand Ambassador for Angus Dundee Distillers, to uncover the story behind one of the Highlands' best-kept whisky secrets. Elegant, fruit-forward, traditionally crafted, and proudly Highland, Glencadam has quietly built a reputation for authenticity and a style that puts the spirit centre stage.

Drawing on more than 200 years of tradition, Iain reveals what gives Glencadam its distinctive character—from the careful art of cask selection to the distillery's commitment to craftsmanship. Along the way, the conversation explores the Glencadam's approach to whisky-making and why patience and precision remain at the heart of every dram.

Whether you're a longtime Glencadam fan or discovering the distillery for the first time, this episode is packed with behind-the-scenes insights, whisky wisdom, and memorable stories from the warehouse to the glass.Pour yourself a dram and join Miri, Manuel, and Iain for a conversation that celebrates Highland craftsmanship, remarkable whisky, and the people who bring it all to life.

What does it take to build a whisky legacy that lasts over a century?

For this episode, Miri and Martin are joined by Stephen Rankin, Director of Prestige at Gordon & MacPhail for a deep dive into one of Scotland’s most iconic independent whisky families.

Together, they explore the story behind the family business – from its beginnings as a grocery and early international tea trading business to becoming one of the most respected names in Scotch whisky.

Furthermore, in this episode you will find out about the philosophy that has guided Gordon & MacPhail across generations, with a strong focus on community, quality, patience, and long-term cask maturation. Stephen also shares insights into some of the brand’s most legendary old and rare releases and what has made Gordon & MacPhail's approach to whisky so distinctive within the industry.

Pour a dram and enjoy this episode!

What do sherry casks, Speyside tradition, bold character, Spanish flair and Tamdhu Distillery have in common…?

 … They’re at the very heart of this brand-new episode of The Barrel Talk.

For this episode, Miri is joined by two fantastic guests: Sandy McIntyre, distillery manager and the man behind the day-to-day magic at Tamdhu, and Carlos Pérez Arnau, European brand ambassador for Ian Macleod, whose Spanish roots make the distillery’s slogan “From Spain to Speyside” feel especially personal. Together, they make for a dynamic duo to bring both the technical craft and the cultural story behind Tamdhu whisky to life.

Tamdhu is a distillery with a clear identity—fully dedicated to sherry cask maturation—and you can feel that focus as well as the pride and passion that comes with this dedication throughout the entire conversation. From the revival of the distillery to its commitment to exclusively using Oloroso-seasoned casks, Sandy and Carlos share what makes Tamdhu stand out in the crowded world of Speyside whisky.

Pour yourself a rich dram and join us for an episode of Spanish-Scottish storytelling that’s just as full-bodied and characterful as Tamdhu whisky itself.

In this episode, Miri and Manuel sit down with Jamie Morrison, brand ambassador of the young independent bottler One Cask at a Time.

Independent bottlers have played a big role in the whisky world for a long time, but starting a new project today comes with its own challenges. Jamie shares the story behind One Cask at a Time, how the idea developed and what it takes to launch a new independent bottling venture in the modern Scotch whisky landscape.

We discuss the philosophy of focusing on carefully selected single casks, the process of choosing and releasing whisky as an independent bottler, the aspect time and the thinking behind their very first releases.

Whether you’re interested in single cask whisky, independent bottlers, or the people shaping new whisky projects, this episode offers an insightful look behind the scenes of a young and ambitious whisky brand.

Listen now and discover the story behind One Cask at a Time.

What do classical music, vintage motorcycles, brambles, indulgent flavours and The Glendronach have in common…?

… They’re all things Rachel Barrie loves – and you can definitely feel that in this brand-new episode of “The Barrel Talk”.

For the episode with Rachel, Miri teamed up with Davide, better known as @whisky_munich on Instagram, while Martin and Manu are taking a break this time.

Rachel Barrie is a woman who does not need much introduction. She’s a legend in the whisky industry and the master blender of The Glendronach, so we were thrilled, when the opportunity arose to meet her for a chat in our hometown Munich. 

You can feel from the very start how much Rachel loves being Glendronach’s master blender because for her, it is a perfect opportunity to combine the affection for her hometown with the art and science of creating great whisky (such as the stunning, new 40-year-old).

There was so much to talk about, ranging from Rachel’s love for whisky from early on to insights into the whisky industry after having worked in it for decades, and from Glendronach’s history to applying her knowledge about maturation and whisky-making to create “the ultimate sherry cask indulgence”.

So pour your favourite dram and don’t miss out on this absolutely “brambleous” episode.

Whisky and storytelling go hand in hand and very often you associate a special dram with a moment, person, place or situation.

Peter MacLellan Jnr., who together with his family owns and runs Bowmore Hotel on Islay knows a thing or two about special drams and storytelling: Lucci’s Whisky Bar inside the hotel has become synonymous with the place itself and stocks an incredible and enormous selection of Islay whiskies. If there’s one Islay unicorn dram you have always wanted to try, there’s a good chance you will find it there – along with nice company and some stories from times gone by.

And to be honest, Bowmore Hotel itself is the place of many stories on its own, and we also still remember the first time we set foot into Lucci’s Whisky Bar during our very first visit to Islay. So quite naturally, a podcast with Peter had to happen at some point of our whisky journey.

So, pour your favourite dram, lean back, relax and enjoy some whisky and storytelling with Miri, Martin and Peter MacLellan Jnr. of Bowmore Hotel.

This episode is kind of special for several reasons: For starters, it is about a distillery that is very close to our hearts because we have known our guest, David, for quite a while now, second, it is an episode that we had planned to do for some time, but it somehow never materialised until now and third, it is an episode about an English whisky. 

We’ve made the journey to the Yorkshire coast, near the seaside town of Filey, where farming heritage, coastal climate and a bold idea have come together to create an English single malt whisky. The Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery has surely contributed quite a bit to putting England firmly onto the whisky map with their Filey Bay single malt, and we’re joined by the company’s co-founder David Thompson.

In this episode, you will find out more about Spirit of Yorkshire’s field to bottle approach, David’s take on terroir, the unique setup of the stills at the distillery, the discussion revolving around the term “single” malt and what Filey Bay whisky has in common with Roger Federer. So lean back and tune in.

We’ve driven past Tormore so many times, always wondering what it looks like on the inside – since the distillery is not open to the public. Finally, thanks to Oliver Chilton, we got the chance to take a look behind those iconic walls.

The architecture is striking and beautiful, but not exactly the most practical design for a working distillery – and in the episode you will hear why. Beyond the façade, Tormore reveals its own character: a slightly maddening clock tower, the impressive still house, the special atmosphere inside, and of course the whisky itself – a wonderfully light and fruity Speyside spirit. 

Oliver, head blender at Tormore and Elixir Distillers (or how he would say it: "just a wee blender"), shares some interesting insights about Tormore Distillery, about his way into blending along with some entertaining anecdotes he experienced during that journey and about life (and football) in Speyside in general.

So tune in and join Oliver and us on a deep dive into one of Speyside’s hidden gems.

Inside Ardnahoe Distillery? That kind of sounds familiar, doesn’t it?!

And yes, indeed. Our very first podcast episode released back in 2020 is also about Ardnahoe Distillery. Back then, all three of us, Miriam, Martin and Manuel sat down with both, Scott and Andrew Laing – co-founders and owners of the distillery – to discuss all things Ardnahoe and Hunter Laing.

This time, it’s "only" Miri and Andrew for an in-depth talk about the distillery – and it was about time – because in those 5 years between the 2 episodes, quite some things have happened, including important milestones such as the very first official Ardnahoe whisky release(s).

So, this is not a mere repetition of the first episode, but a real update!

Tune in to find out more about Ardnahoe Distillery, their whisky, the visitor experience if you make the journey to Islay, their Fèis day, intriguing collaborations and much more.

Comedian, BBC radio host, Scottish football expert, whisky and history geek, experiential ambassador at Glengoyne Distillery – you could call Gordon Dallas all of that and you wouldn’t be wrong with any of it. Gordon is a man of many talents and as you might have assumed already, that makes him a perfect guest to have on the podcast. Our hopes were high for this one, because, when do you ever have someone with a CV like that on the show? And Gordon did not disappoint one bit! This is an episode full of anecdotes, laughs, a real Scottish original, and, of course, a lot of whisky.

Apart from Gordon’s background story and his way into whisky, we talked all things Glengoyne and you will get a very special insight into this beautiful gem of a distillery. After having listened to this episode, you will surely want to travel to Glasgow right away to take the happy bus (No. X10) straight to the distillery and experience this special place yourself. And you know what? We would head back again right away if we could – the history and the beauty of the place, the exceptional whisky and the wonderful people at Glengoyne make you want to come back again and again and we definitely fell in love with this place ever more after our recording with Gordon Dallas.

So lean back, relax, maybe pour a lovely dram and let Gordon, Miriam and Martin try to bring this wonderful experience straight to your place – wherever you listen to this episode.

The sunniest day during Fèis Ìle (the Islay Whisky Festival)? 

Always Laddie Day! Why? No idea, but someone up there really seems to like the guys at Bruichladdich – and understandably so! 

The people, the hospitality, the whisky, the size of the drams in the warehouse – Bruichladdich Distillery is undeniably one of the most welcoming places on Islay.

And their head distiller, Adam Hannett, is no exception. When he welcomed us for our podcast recording it felt like entering someone’s living room to have tea and coffee with the family. We felt like home right away. And it was just great to hear Adam talk about Bruichladdich (and whisky in general) because he talks about these topics with such affection, with such passion and with this special sparkle in the eyes – just wonderful!

You have probably realised by now that we really enjoyed recording with Adam Hannett… 

… So don’t hesitate and tune in for some Bruichladdich magic (not to say Black Art) and join Adam, Miri and Manu on a deep dive into Bruichladdich Distillery.

And if you’re heading over to Islay for this year’s Fèis, this episode might also serve as a perfect preparation.

*Disclaimer: Watch out for rising excitement levels – you will probably want to leave for Islay right away.