Whiskey Chats – Details, episodes & analysis

Join me for My Chat with Willie Jack in The Friend at Hand in Belfast.

Willie Jack is a legend in Belfast. He is a publican, whiskey museum curator, architectural salvager and restorer, antiques dealer, community builder, cultural ambassador and a seriously well connected and sound fella.

I have wanted to speak to Willie for many years about the shrine to Irish Whiskey he has built at The Friend at Hand "whiskey shop"...... it's far more than a whiskey shop.

It is a must go to in Belfast and Sonya and I were given a massive welcome from Willie and the 3 grumpiest of old men, who Willie calls staff........ Ray, Marty & Jim... They're sound too.

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by:

• www.boanndistillery.ie
• www.killowendistillery.com 

Don't forget to sign up to my Patreon channel for early access episodes and more, for a few euros a month and help me deliver the best podcasts to you.

https://www.patreon.com/whiskeychatspodcast

I really hope you listening in to our chat.

Laurie

Join me for My Live Festival Chat with Noel Sweeney - Master Distiller.

Noel is famous for his amazing time as Master Distiller at Cooley Distillery, where he became responsible for releasing alot of the amazing Irish whiskeys that we all love today. His Cooley malts and single grains are still being released by different brands and bottlers to this day, to massive plaudits.

Right now, one of Noel's focuses is on his blended whiskey from his collaboration with the famous dancer Michael Flatley called...... Flatley Whiskey. He was at the Cork on a Fork festival in Cork in August 2024, where we sat down for a Live audience chat, as one of the many events at the festival.

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by:

• www.boanndistillery.ie
• www.killowendistillery.com 

Don't forget to sign up to my Patreon channel for early access episodes and more, for a few euros a month and help me deliver the best podcasts to you.

https://www.patreon.com/whiskeychatspodcast

I really hope you enjoy listening in to our chat.

Laurie

Join me for My Chat with Enguerrand Vandenbossche.

Enguerrand is a French trained cooper, who was the Head Cooper in Tullamore Dew Distillery until 2022, owned by Beam Suntory, after working in France and for a time in Scotland at some of their industrial cooperages.

For the past 2yrs, he has been working at the Good Spirits Co. in Dundalk. They are behind the Grace O'Malley whiskey brand and also store and bottle for many of the whiskey brands you see on the shelves.

He is a very knowledgeable fella and I've been looking forward to chatting with him for a long time.

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by:

• Irish Whiskey Auctions 
• www.boanndistillery.ie

Don't forget to sign up to my Patreon channel for early access episodes and more, for a few euros a month and help me deliver the best podcasts to you.

https://www.patreon.com/whiskeychatspodcast

I really hope you enjoy listening in to our chat.

Laurie

Join me for My Chat with Finbarr Curran, Irish Distillers Wood Planning & Maturation Team Lead. Fin is very involved in all the wood innovation projects like Method & Madness and Dair Ghaelach and I enjoyed picking his brain for insights to Midleton's exciting wood program. Drops of the night: Dair Ghaelach Knockrath Forest tree no. 1 Method & Madness SPS Mulberry finish Method & Madness SPS Wild Cherry finish Method & Madness SPS Acacia finish Have a listen in on our chat, Slainte!

Join me for My Chat with Ivor O'Loughlin, founder of www.tinytipple.com This is a website where you can buy 50ml measures of whiskeys, whiskys, cognacs, vodkas, poitins and other fine spirits. This is a great way to try all those new releases that you might not necessarily want to buy a full bottle of. The flights and boxes are also a fantastic present for that whiskey fan in your life. Ivor honoured me by asking me to curate a special WhiskeyChats flight on the site. Check it out:

https://www.tinytipple.com/products/a-whisp-of-smoke-guest-curated-tasting-flight-number-3-5-x-50ml

He joined me on Zoom for a chat in my back garden and I hope you enjoy our chat.

Drops of the night:

Thomondgate Ruby Port cask finish

Wild Turkey Rare Breed CS bourbon

The Liberator Port 'n' Peat

Have a listen in on our chat, Slainte!

Join me for My Chat with Daithi O'Connell from WD O'Connell Independent Bottlers. Daithi started his one man band in 2019 and has proven to be a massive hit with his sourced releases so far. He can take some credit in the recent resurgence of Irish peated whiskey offerings through the popularity of his Bill Phil range. He joined me on Zoom for a chat and we did end up going on a bit, but only because we were having such craic. Drops of the night:

WD O'Connell Bill Phil B3

WD O'Connell Bill Phil CS

WD O'Connell Lochindaal 10yr old

WD O'Connell Single Grain finished in Rye barrels

Have a listen in on our chat, Slainte!

Join me for Part 2 of My Garden Chat with Brendan Lynch, Paul Costello & Rory McGee who came up to my back Garden for cocktails, whiskey, poitin and cigars. We had a great laugh putting the whiskey world to rights. This is part 2 of 2. We did go on a bit, but had great fun, I hope you enjoy listening in.  Drops from the garden:

Dunvilles 14yr old Carry-Out Killarney

Thomond Gate Ruby Port Edition

Redbreast Lustau Edition

Paul John Single Malt Unpeated

Killowen Cuige Poitin.

Have a listen in on our chat, Slainte!

Join me for My Cigar Chat with Yiorgos Manesis, Managing Director of James Fox Cigar and Whiskey shop in Dublin city. Yiorgos is one of the foremost experts in cigars in Ireland and he joined me on Zoom, in my back garden, where I got a schooling in cigars. Great fun.

https://jamesfox.ie/

Drops of the night:

Celtic Cask 31

Dingle FF Carry-Out Killarney part 1

Octomore 7.3

Have a listen in on our chat, Slainte

 

Join me for Part 1 of My Garden Chat with Brendan Lynch, Paul Costello & Rory McGee who came up to my back Garden for cocktails, whiskey, poitin and cigars. We had a great laugh putting the whiskey world to rights. This is part 1 of 2. We did go on a bit, but had great fun, I hope you enjoy listening in. 

Drops from the garden:

Waterford Sheestown 1.1

Redbreast 10yr old

Redbreast 10yr old 1960's

John O'Connell's West Cork Poitin.

Have a listen in on our chat, Slainte!

Join me for My Chat with Carl McDermott, who has developed an app called The Whiskey Companion. You can upload your bottle collection and get up to date valuations, without having to trawl through all the auctions plus alot more. Do check it out and see how much it can benefit you.

Twitter: @Carl_TWC

https://thewhiskeycompanion.com/

Have a listen in on our chat, Sláinte