Not Another Whisky Podcast

Time For Whisky’s Martin Eber on Hong Kong’s Generosity, Japan’s Bar Magic, and Keeping Whiskey Blogs Alive

Daz welcomes Martin Eber of Time For Whisky, an Australian whisky blogger he has known for about 11 years, to discuss his journey from collecting travel-retail bottles in 2008–2009 to starting the Time For Whisky blog in 2012 and moving to Hong Kong in 2014 as the scene rapidly expanded. They highlight Hong Kong’s uniquely generous whisky culture, where rare bottles are opened and shared, and discuss the decline of long-form whisky blogs amid social media and AI-generated content, with Martin aiming to keep authentic writing going. Martin recalls standout moments including a 2018 media trip for The Macallan’s new distillery launch, and hosting an early international Starward tasting. He names Japan as the best place to drink whisky for vintage selections and pricing, then shares updates on returning to Australia, growing Time For Whisky with contributors, and observations on Australia’s booming but crowded distilling scene.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
01:37 Whiskey Beginnings in Australia
02:37 Starting the Time for Whiskey Blog
03:51 Moving to Hong Kong Scene
05:17 Hong Kong Generosity and Rare Drams
06:48 Why Blogs Still Matter
09:32 Standout Whiskey Moments
14:37 Japan the Best Place to Drink
17:56 Back in Australia Whats Next
20:21 Australian Whiskey Boom and Challenges
22:58 Tasmanian Highlights and Wrap Up

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/not-another-whisky-podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

India is the largest whisky market in the world , yet Scottish whisky still represents only a tiny slice of what’s actually being drunk. In this episode, Mitch and Daz unpack the reality behind the headlines and explore how the Indian whisky ecosystem really works.

From IMFL (Indian Made Foreign Liquor) and the role Scottish Whisky plays inside local blends, to changing consumer trends, tariffs, cocktail culture, and the rise of Indian single malts, this episode dives into one of the most complex — and fascinating — whisky markets on the planet.

To get a proper on-the-ground perspective, Mitch speaks with two industry insiders working directly in the Indian drinks scene.

First up is Angad Singh Gandhi, former Glenfiddich ambassador turned drinks consultant and founder of Drams With Drama, who explains how Indian drinkers are becoming more adventurous and how bars, whisky experiences, and local producers are reshaping the market.

Then Fraser Morrison joins the show from just outside Delhi to discuss the reality of selling Scotch in India — from state-by-state regulations and pricing differences to the aspirational role single malt still plays for many drinkers.
Along the way Mitch and Daz break down:
What IMFL actually is and why it dominates the Indian whisky market
Why India imports huge amounts of bulk Scotch for blending
The impact of the UK–India tariff changes
How the middle class and travel culture are driving premium whisky demand
The rise of Indian single malts like Amrut, Paul John and Rampur
Why India might become the most important whisky market of the next decade
If you’ve ever wondered why India drinks so much whisky — and what that means for Scotch — this episode explains it all.

Guests

Angad Singh Gandhi – Founder of Drams With Drama
Fraser Morrison – Whisky ambassador working in India

Live Podcast Events

Join Mitch & Daz in person at one of our upcoming live whisky tastings.

🎟️ Tickets & upcoming events:
https://www.notanotherwhiskypodcast.com/live-events

Follow the Podcast
Instagram: @notanotherwhiskypodcast
Website: https://www.notanotherwhiskypodcast.com
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/not-another-whisky-podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nicholas Pollacchi joins Mitch and Daz for the 200th episode of Not Another Whisky Podcast — which feels equal parts milestone and minor miracle.
We rewind to April 2021 when the audio was ropey, the format was loose, and Mitch decided he’d edit every episode himself (questionable life choice). From there, listener questions take over — which means things escalate quickly.

We relive:

A VIP bourbon night in New York
Tequila egg-white cocktails (don’t ask)
A celebrity moment at The Edition
Car-crash tastings in Campbeltown and Las Vegas
Hecklers in Vegas
Festival highs in Chicago, Seattle, and Taiwan
And tastings in Moscow… and a Siberian banya

There’s debate on single grain, whether Fife counts as a region, innovation vs regulation, collecting vs opening bottles, dream guests, dream casks, and the ultimate “last bottle” gift.
Mostly though, this one’s about the listeners. The people who’ve turned up, sent questions, bought tickets, and backed two Speyside lads talking whisky for far longer than anyone expected.
200 episodes down.
Still serious about whisky.
Still not taking ourselves too seriously.

Timestamps

00:00 Cold Open Bar Banter
00:33 Episode 200 Kickoff
01:37 Roasting the Fits
03:29 How We Got Here
04:15 New York VIP Night
05:52 Tequila Egg White Cocktail
08:21 Afterparty & 30 Rock Cameo
11:19 Catching Up With Mitch
11:56 Early Podcast Days
14:18 Fan Questions Begin
17:58 Car Crash Tasting Stories
20:35 Vegas Heckler Showdown
24:42 Best Whisky Festivals
30:31 Is Fife a Region?
31:53 Rethinking Grain Categories
33:10 Innovation vs Regulations
35:22 Favourite Bottles
37:01 Snow Phoenix Alcatraz Story
39:54 Dream Distillery Manager Year
42:43 Celebrity Dream Guests
46:05 Last Dram Gift Picks
49:03 Tariffs & The US Market
50:23 Weirdest Tasting Locations
52:17 Siberia Banya Adventure
56:17 Owning a Dream Cask
01:00:49 Closing the 200th Episode

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/not-another-whisky-podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we welcome Ardnahoe distillery manager David Livingston to discuss the Islay distillery’s location, origins, and whisky style. Livingston explains Hunter Laing’s long-held ambition to create their own distillery, Ardnahoe’s opening in 2018, and his own third-generation Islay whisky background. He reflects on how Islay has changed with tourism and the rise of single malts, and why whisky is vital to the island’s economy as farming and fishing decline. The conversation covers Fèis Ìle’s growth and 40th anniversary, Ardnahoe’s early production moments, and the distillery’s approach to making spirit—slow mashing, fermentations over 70 hours, slow distillation, and worm tubs aimed at a sweet, heavy-bodied, fruity spirit with peat on the finish. We also discuss Ardnahoe’s core range (including Infinite Loch), cask strength releases, future aging ambitions, the visitor experience and staff, and how Ardnahoe benefits from Hunter Laing’s independent bottling heritage and bar selection, including the Kinship range.

00:00 Welcome to Islay: Introducing Ardnahoe & Distillery Manager David Livingston
00:49 That View (and the Coffee): Why Ardnahoe’s Location Is So Special
01:35 How Ardnahoe Happened: Hunter Laing’s Dream Becomes a Distillery (2018–Now)
03:26 Born & Bred Islay: David’s Whisky Upbringing and Peat-Bog Memories
04:43 Islay Then vs Now: Tourism, Single Malts, and the Island Economy
07:25 Fèis Ìle at 40: Music, Whisky, Culture—and 2026 Plans
10:40 From Banter to Build: David’s Role, Arran Detour, and the First Spirit Run
14:35 Making the Spirit: Slow Mashing, Long Ferments, Worm Tubs & Flavor Goals
16:19 Tasting Notes & Core Range: Infinite Loch, Cask Strength, and Smoke Level (40 PPM)
20:58 Production Split & Switching Styles: Peated vs Unpeated Campaigns
23:23 Looking Ahead: Quality Over Quantity, Visitor-Centre Vibes, and Independent Bottlings
27:40 Wrap-Up & Invitations: Ferry Logistics, Twin Rooms, and Final Thanks
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/not-another-whisky-podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Mitch sits down with David Stirk — whisky writer, independent bottler, whisky historian — for a wide-ranging conversation on Campbeltown, the rise (and early struggles) of indie bottlers, and where the Scotch industry is and might actually be heading.

From his first life-changing dram of Glenlivet 21 in 1996 to building Creative Whisky, rewriting the history of Campbeltown, and diving into a Master’s in History to sharpen his research, this episode covers David's graft, controversy, and some properly strong opinions about surplus production and the future of Scotch.

Before all that, though…

Daz and Mitch chat about existential dread about Scotland’s rugby chances. Standard start to the week and kick of with with winter vibes, whisky chat, and a public service announcement about the pies at Glasgow’s Pot Still (worth the train fare alone).

LIVE TASTING ALERT
We’re hosting the Thompson Brothers (Phil & Simon) at the Craigellachie Hotel on March 26th at 7pm. It will be loud, it will be chaotic, it will sell out. Tickets at notanotherwhiskypodcast.com or via the Instagram link.

BUY TICKETS HERE

We also get into Spirit of Speyside prep — nine events hosted by us this year, four live podcast tastings, and listings landing mid-February. If last year’s sell-outs taught us anything… move fast.
00:00 Snowy Speyside Catch-Up: Whisky, Fire & Winter Vibes
00:23 Rugby Reality Check: Dreading the England Match
00:43 Glasgow’s Pot Still Love-In: Pies, Beans & Whisky Bar Chat
02:00 Valentine’s Weekend Welcome + A Pink Port-Cask Promise
02:36 Big News: Thompson Brothers Live Tasting (Craigellachie, Mar 26)
03:52 Spirit of Speyside Prep: Uploading Events & Hosting Nine Tastings
04:47 Meet the Guest: David Stirk Returns to the Podcast
06:32 How It Started: A Glenlivet 21 Dram That Changed Everything
09:35 Breaking In: Speyside Festival Tastings to Whisky Magazine Days
11:28 Detours & Turning Points: America, 9/11, Cadenhead’s & Campbeltown
14:14 Writing Whisky Books: Campbeltown, Publishing Realities & Archives
19:16 Where He’s At Now: Master’s in History & The Drive to Carve Your Path
21:33 Next Up: What Exactly Is Creative Whisky?
21:49 The cask sample that sparked the idea to create whisky
22:22 Early indie bottling struggles: price pushback & skeptical drinkers
23:48 Why indie bottlers are booming now (and how big brands see them)
27:20 Back to uni: the whisky history books David wants to write
29:57 State of the industry: SWA numbers, India, and the next-gen drinking shift
34:15 Book plug: David Stirk’s whisky library (and what each one covers)
36:41 What’s next: festivals, Little Brown Dog, and a Glasgow distilling dissertation
39:47 Wrap-up & host banter: upcoming trips, Islay stories, and next episode tease
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/not-another-whisky-podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.