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No April Fool's Day jokes in this episode...just cask-strength whisky news! The winners of the annual San Francisco World Spirits Competition have been announced, and we have the details. Also, Whisky Magazine's editors are training for the "Islay Triathlon", and we'll find out more from Glenfiddich's Ian Millar about the world's oldest whisky to be auctioned off in New York Tuesday night. Plus...one Glenfiddich single malt is "forbidden fruit" for American whisky drinkers, but that's about to change...

The numbers are in for 2005, and Scotch distillers had one of the best years on record -- despite sales declines in Europe. We'll get the details, along with a charity auction of what may be the world's oldest whisky, new Kentucky Derby releases, and a newcomer to the world of whisky...with a Swedish accent and rave initial reviews for Mackmyra Reserve.

Tullibardine Distillery in the Scottish Highlands is making up for lost time after reopening in 2003, and we'll get an update from veteran distillery manager John Black. In the news, a new "pillaged malt" is being sold for charity, along with a rare whisky that raised $30,000 for the Himalayan Trust, and master blender Richard Paterson heads off on a worldwide mission to promote Glasgow's 2014 Commonwealth Games bid.

WhiskyCast goes on location to Fitzer's Bar at the Fitzpatrick Hotel on Madison Avenue in New York City...right along the parade route for New York's St. Patrick's Day Parade. We'll look at Irish whiskeys in this episode, featuring interviews with Bushmills Master Distiller Colum Egan and Cooley Distillery's John Teeling and Willie McCarter on the new whiskey named after Irish revolutionary hero Michael Collins.

The title "Best Whisky Bar in the World" is sought by many, earned by few. This year, Whisky Magazine's Icons of Whisky award went to The Pot Still in Glasgow, and that prompted owner Ken Storrie to buy a round for the house! We'll hear from Ken, and in the news, we'll have word of a new Balvenie single malt release, a brewing trade war between Europe and India over whisky, and why China matters so much to whisky producers.

Time for an update on new whiskies heading for your local bar or retailer, including the 2006 lineup for Diageo's Classic Malts and Rare Malts series and new releases from Bunnahabhain and Compass Box. We'll hear from the folks at Glenfarclas, just named Whisky Magazine's Distiller of the Year, Also, an update on next month's Spirit of Speyside Festival and more on the "weapons-grade whisky" controversy.

It's a milestone of sorts for WhiskyCast, with 25 episodes now on the web! We'll celebrate independent spirit in this episode. Bruichladdich's Mark Reynier explains just what he and his mates were thinking when they distilled a weapons-grade whisky from a 300-year-old recipe last week. We'll hear from Penderyn co-founder Brian Morgan on his distillery's delays in getting the first Welsh whisky in a century into the United States, and news of a new distribution deal for one of Canada's most underrated whiskies...all on this special edition of WhiskyCast!

This cask-strength episode spans the globe, from controversies in India to whiskies that are fiery and smoky in Islay. We'll also re-visit an old friend of WhiskyCast, as Dawn Callan's group "Gopher Baroque" debuts their new song "Shipwrecked Whisky"!

What's a whisky lover to do when tasting and collecting just aren't enough? How about taking the ultimate distillery tour...where you actually work at the distillery for a few days. We'll learn about getting a graduate degree in "whisky science" from Bladnoch Distillery owner Raymond Armstrong. In the news, registration is open for a new conference bringing together whisky industry leaders, plus honors for The Whisky Shop, a new release from Ian Macleod, new developments at Glengoyne, and much more...all on this episode of WhiskyCast!

In the last episode, we discussed the controversy in Greece and India over an Athens bar display featuring a Hindu goddess carrying bottles of Southern Comfort. The display infuriated members of the Hindu faith, and Brown-Forman executive Phil Lynch explains how the company is trying to resolve the situation. On a happier note, we have news of new releases from Arran and The Glenlivet, along with the one place whisky and cars do go together -- on the race track!

Whisky inspires passion, and we'll get the proof on this episode of WhiskyCast. Why else would a man release a special single malt to honor his great-great-great grandfather's 200th birthday? Why else would Misako Udo travel from Japan to Scotland to make her home and her career helping others discover whisky, then self-publish one of the best books ever written on Scotch Whisky history? And unfortunately, why would Hindus be upset over what they see as blasphemy when a bar portrays one of their goddesses toting a bottle of whisky? All that...and more on this episode of WhiskyCast.

The next few weeks will be full of whisky events around the world, and we'll find out more about Whisky Live, the Whiskies of the World Expo, and WhiskyFest Chicago. In the news, bidding continues in Whisky Magazine's charity auction, the Spirit of Speyside Festival is looking for Moray's best photos, and one man has found a new way to mix whisky with computers.

It's Super Bowl weekend in the US, and we'll get some tips for planning the big event from Brown-Forman's CEO -- "Chief Entertaining Officer" Tim Laird. In the news, Heaven Hill reaches a milestone, a Penderyn co-founder is honored, and new data shows the extent of binge drinking in Great Britain.

Internet whisky forums are buzzing with rumors about the fate of The Balvenie Founder's Reserve, and we'll have the answer to those rumors directly from The Balvenie's global brand manager, Jens Tholstrup! Also, a facelift and new name for Jim Beam Brands, a top Diageo executive announces his plans to leave the company, and the answer to a whisky newcomer's question about Johnnie Walker Swing...all on this episode of WhiskyCast!

Plenty of new developments to talk about in this episode...new leadership in place at the Scotch Whisky Association, Johnnie Walker honored in an unusual way, Sazerac Rye Whisky returns to New Orleans just in time for Mardi Gras, and Bruichladdich's Mark Reynier gives us an in-depth look at the Burns Night distillation of an unusually rare whisky. Plus...is that Bruichladdich 10-year-old whisky really 10 years old? Yes...and then some!

It's time to celebrate one of Scotland's legends...the poet Robert Burns. While Burns Night is associated with Scotch Whisky, only one distillery is allowed to use Burns' name and image on its whiskies. We'll talk about the Robert Burns whiskies with Douglas Davidson of Arran Distillery in Ayrshire. Also, an update from Whisky Magazine's Dominic Roskrow on the new issue of Whisky Magazine, new releases from Kentucky and Scotland, and the events calendar.

We'll span the world in this episode, and hear the story of a Kentucky lawyer who took his great-great-grandfather's whiskey formula and turned it into a modern classic. Tom Bulleit explains the legend behind his Bulleit Frontier Bourbon Whiskey. In the news, bidding has opened for one of two special bottles of Whisky Magazine's Speyside vatting to combat hunger and poverty, Bruichladdich brings back an ancient classic for Burns Night, and another pronunciation lesson...all on this episode of WhiskyCast!

Bowmore's new visitors center will open later this year, and one of the key exhibits will be something most distilleries can only dream of: a nearly-complete collection of every Bowmore expression ever produced! We'll get the details from Bowmore's Glen Moore, along with a bad break for frequent fliers, a new whisky forum on the Web, and classes open soon at the Woodford Reserve Bourbon Academy. Oh, and we finally have the correct pronunciation of "Groningen" once and for all!

Everyone makes mistakes, and on this episode, we'll look back at the controversy over how I botched the pronounciation of a certain city in the Netherlands, as well as a tongue-in-cheek look at the unique pronunciations you'll find in Scotland. There's also a news update and a complete events calendar. Also, thanks to WhiskyCast listener Jeof Vita for creating a new logo for the show!

Feel like a vacation? We'll take a look at planning the perfect whisky vacation with Caroline Dewar of Distillery Destinations. In the news update, Glen Garioch's preparing to welcome guests to its new vistors center, Glasgow is gearing up for the Festival of Whisky later this month, and John Hansell's putting the final touches on the new edition of Malt Advocate Magazine. Finally, how would you pronounce "Groningen" on your first try. Apparently, I didn't get it quite right in the last episode.