The State of Scotch

Mark Kent left the UK’s diplomatic service 14 months ago to become the new CEO of the Scotch Whisky Association, and admits he didn’t know much about Scotch when he started. With the industry in a state of flux over issues ranging from a potential marketing and advertising ban in Scotland to free trade and climate change, it’s been a busy 14 months for Kent. He’ll join us on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth to discuss the state of the Scotch Whisky industry and those key issues it faces. In the news, Islay distillers are scrambling to find new sources of peated malt after Diageo’s Port Ellen Maltings stopped supplying outside customers. We’ll also look at record U.S. spirits exports, even though some key markets are still recovering from the impact of trade tariffs, and on this week’s Behind the Label, we’ll look at the role enzymes play in mashing and why many distillers use a small amount of malted barley in their mashes.

Episode 995: March 12, 2023

Links: Scotch Whisky Association | Kilchoman Distillery | Distilled Spirits Council | Dewar’s | Green Spot | The Macallan | WhistlePig’s Women in Whiskey Externship | Kingsbarns Distillery | Michter’s | WhistlePig | Sagamore Spirit