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The Kentucky Bourbon Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary three weeks from now, and we'll discuss this year's Festival and its history with Executive Director Linda Harrison. In the news, Four Roses unveils its 2011 Limited Edition Small Batch bourbon to be released at the Festival, the final remaining bottle of Dalmore Trinitas finds a home, and new single cask bottlings from BenRiach, GlenDronach, and Glenglassaugh.

One of the world's most unusual whisky festivals is coming up in a few weeks. Maltstock doesn't take place in a hotel or convention center, but at a former Scout camp in the Dutch woods. Maltstock co-founder Bob Wenting joins us on this week's episode to discuss what makes Maltstock unique. In the news, Abhainn Dearg releases its first official single malt, Catto's celebrates 150 years, and Buffalo Trace releases the second edition of Col. E.H. Taylor Bourbon.

It's the second weekend of the month, and they're raising dust on the dirt road leading to Atlantic City. Not the one in New Jersey, but the one in Wyoming. For the last 3 years, Bob and Barbara Townsend have been holding single malt tastings on the second Saturday of each month at their Miner's Delight Inn...and they've had guests from as far away as California! In the news, Japan's Karuizawa whiskies get a new home, Old Pulteney gets an award, and would you believe someone has created a bourbon-based "spa treatment"?

40 years ago, Dublin's Bow Street Distillery closed down after nearly 200 years of producing Jameson Irish Whiskey. In 1997, what survived of the old distillery reopened as the Old Jameson Distillery, a visitors center devoted to preserving the heritage of John Jameson's original distillery. Nearly 250,000 people visit the old distillery each year, and guide Christopher Goggins gives us a private tour in this week's episode...complete with drams at the end!

As the U.S. faces another debt crisis, this week marks the anniversary of a key event in another U.S. debt crisis...the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794. On August 1, 1794, 7,000 Americans gathered at Braddock's Field in Western Pennsylvania to protest President Washington's tax on whiskey production. The protest led to a declaration of insurrection, and Washington led an army into the area to quash the rebellion. Dr. Dennis Pogue of Mount Vernon explains the history of the Whiskey Rebellion in this episode. In the news, Glen Moray has its first new single malt release under new ownership, Crown Royal lends its name to NASCAR's Brickyard 400, and much more!

New Orleans certainly has a cocktail culture, and this weekend, it's the Mecca for cocktail enthusiasts and bartenders from all over the world. Tales of the Cocktail is in its 9th year, and co-founder Paul Tuennerman joins us to talk about the history of Tales and how it's survived along with New Orleans in the post-Katrina era. In the news, a Canadian distillery starts producing single malt spirit for the future, Auchentoshan wants to "switch" bartenders, and we'll have a sneak preview of an all-new WhiskyCast podcast!

The Scottish town of Oban celebrated its 200th anniversary this week, and the folks at Oban Distillery fired up a Time Machine to celebrate. They went back to 1823 and found a cousin of the distillery's founders to explain life as Oban was being settled. "Alan Stevenson" explains some of the history, along with Joanne McCutcher of the Diageo Archives and Oban visitors center manager Carol Bennett. We'll also hear from Glenmorangie/Ardbeg's David Blackmore and Knob Creek Whisky Professor Bernie Lubbers, and there's breaking news on plans to export Nikka whiskies to the U.S.!

As distilleries replace old equipment with new, the old stuff winds up on the scrap heap most of the time. Not so at Knockdhu Distillery in Scotland. Whether by coincidence, planning, or sheer luck, many of the distillery's artifacts have been preserved for decades after they were replaced by modern equipment. Knockdhu manager Gordon Bruce gives us a tour of his "museum" in this week's episode. In the news, plans for a new distillery in Louisville, management moves at Pernod Ricard, and plenty of new whiskies!

It's been a little over four months since a massive earthquake destroyed much of Christchurch, New Zealand and claimed 181 lives. Today, the city is trying to rebuild, despite occasional large aftershocks. One of those people trying to rebuild is Michael Fraser Milne of Whisky Galore, Christchurch's largest whisky shop. His store was destroyed in the earthquake, which came just three days before Whisky Galore's biennial DramFest festival. Michael tells us about the recovery in Christchurch, and what he calls a "humbling" outpouring of support from the whisky community. In the news, Ian Macleod Distillers has bought Tamdhu Distillery and will bring it back to life, Diageo plans to expand in Speyside, and much more!

Since 1869, Wild Turkey Bourbon has been made on Wild Turkey Hill, just east of Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. Jimmy and Eddie Russell saw a need to expand production to meet growing global demand for bourbon, but no room to grow on the Hill. Now, they're making Wild Turkey at a new $50 million distillery just up the road, and the dedication ceremony for the new distillery was held this week. The Russells tell us how they've gotten the new plant to make spirit that tastes just like the old place, and we'll hear Jimmy's entire speech during the ceremony.

Pulteney Distillery celebrates its 195th anniversary this year in the North Sea fishing town of Wick, Scotland. It's the home of Old Pulteney single malt whisky, and distillery manager Malcolm Waring takes us on a tour in this week's episode. In the news, new whiskies from Islay, Colorado, and the Lowlands of Scotland, an old whisky returns home to Islay, and the winners of the first WhiskyCast Father's Day competition.

It's a busy summer at Balblair Distillery in the Scottish Highlands. Not only are they making whisky, but the distillery is also a movie set this week, the site of a wedding next month, and two days after the wedding...construction starts on the distillery's first-ever visitors center. Distillery manager John MacDonald tells us about his hectic summer in this week's episode. In the news...plenty of new whiskies, including two charity bottlings, and dueling boycotts over the conflict in the Middle East.

In the last episode, I mentioned the Balcones Brimstone blue corn whiskey from Balcones Distillery in Waco, Texas...and how the corn was smoked over Texas scrub oak. Turns out I was wrong, and there's an even more interesting story behind this whiskey and the distillery. In the news, Jack Daniel's neighbors want to tax the distillery's whiskey barrels, Ireland could have a fourth distillery two years from now, new whiskies from Glen Garioch and The Macallan, and tasting notes for craft whiskies from Arkansas and Washington.

Chuck Cowdery was writing about Bourbon back in the days when few people were paying attention to America's Native Spirit, and his work has earned him a spot in the Bourbon Hall of Fame. The author of "Straight Bourbon" and "The Bourbon Country Reader" tells us about Kentucky's love-hate relationship with Bourbon, long-gone distilleries, and the rebirth of interest in Bourbons. In the news, new whiskies from Jim Beam, Bunnahabhain, and Laphroaig, the Islay weather report, and a chat with "Whisky Classified" author Dr. David Wishart.

This is a big weekend on Islay, and not only because it's the first weekend of the Islay Festival of Malt & Music. Bruichladdich is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its 2001 revival this weekend, and we'll look back at the last 10 years with managing director Mark Reynier and the Bard of Bruichladdich, singer-songwriter Robin Laing. Midleton Distillery cooper Ger Buckley tells us about the centuries-old art of making barrels by hand, and shows us in the debut of WhiskyCast HD, a new series of video podcasts. We'll also hear from the Spirit Journal's F. Paul Pacult and Euan Shand of Duncan Taylor.

The Powers family distilled whiskey for seven generations and two centuries on John's Lane in Dublin, and John Ryan is the seventh and final generation to carry on his family's tradition. While the Powers Distillery closed nearly 40 years ago, its legacy is now part of Irish Distillers, and John shares that history with us in this episode. In the news, plenty of new whiskies, awards, auctions, and a chance to buy a piece of Ponzi scheme history!

Irish whiskies once ruled the world, and Dublin was the center of Ireland's whisky industry. There are no distilleries left in Dublin, but there's plenty of whisky history to be found, along with a handful of good whisky shops and great pubs. We'll hear from Michael Hedigan, the latest in a long line of Hedigans to run the Brian Boru pub in Dublin's Glasnevin neighborhood. In the news, Irish Distillers unveils two new single pot still Irish whiskies from Midleton and a massive expansion plan for Ireland's largest distillery.

You've heard of single cask whiskies, but Buffalo Trace is taking the idea to an extreme with its Single Oak Project. There are 192 different bottles in the range, using wood from 96 different trees...and all of the wood in each cask comes from the same tree. It's just one way to control the variables that make the whisky from two barrels different, and there are nearly 1,400 possible combinations! We'll hear from the team behind this unique experiment, along with the week's news and the debut of a new feature -- in which you get to ask the questions!

Charles MacLean is one of the world's top whisky writers, and is marking 30 years of writing about the water of life this year. We'll hear from this Master of the Quaich about how he developed his love for whisky and his nosing skills, along with what he likes and doesn't like about whisky these days. In the news, Graham Eunson leaves Glenglassaugh to become distillery manager at Tomatin, Diageo's Scotch distilleries show an increase in visitor traffic, and the UK prepares to mix whisky with politics...in one polling place.

The last time we heard from Japanese whisky blogger and Malt Maniac Chris Bunting, he was in the middle of writing a book on Japan's drinking culture. "Drinking Japan" has just been published, and Chris joins us to discuss his book and the status of Japan's whisky distilleries after the recent earthquakes.  Chris is also donating part of his royalties from the book to earthquake relief efforts. In the news, Bill Samuels Jr. of Maker's Mark is the toast of Kentucky after his retirement, whiskies for the Royal Wedding, and much more!