SingleMalt TV – The Whisky Dialogues

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Conversations with the people and characters who shape the world of whisky.

Hosted by cinematographer and storyteller Rob Draper, SingleMalt TV explores the personalities behind the world’s great whiskies.
Each episode features candid conversations with master distillers, blenders, founders, historians, and industry insiders — the characters whose vision, craft, and sometimes stubborn individuality have shaped whisky as we know it today.
These are the stories behind the bottle, told by the people who lived them.

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17 episodes
Avg 1 hr 3 min
English

Episodes 17

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September 19 · 1 hr 19 min
Nc’Nean | Annabel Thomas — Leaving Corporate London to Rethink Scotch Whisky
Annabel Thomas left a corporate career in London and moved to her family farm on Scotland’s rugged west coast with an ambitious idea — to build a Scotch whisky distillery differently. The result was Nc’nean Distillery, founded around organic barley, renewable energy, sustainability and a willingness to question some of the conventions of Scotch whisky. In this episode of The Whisky Dialogues, Annabel talks with Rob Draper about leaving London, taking the risk of starting a distillery, working with the late Dr. Jim Swan, choosing organic barley despite being told it was an expensive waste of time, experimenting with fermentation and maturation, and creating Nc’nean’s distinctive recycled-glass bottle. It’s also a conversation about instinct versus data, why innovation sometimes means proceeding without proof that something will work, and Annabel’s determination to make Scotch whisky more approachable for a new generation of drinkers. The Whisky Dialogues from Single Malt TV — conversations with the people shaping the world of whisky.
September 16 · 1 hr 1 min
Black Gate Distillery – Brian Hollingworth | Australia’s Cult Whisky
Black Gate Distillery has never been interested in doing things the conventional way. From a small distillery in Mendooran, rural New South Wales, Brian and Genise Hollingworth built a cult following for big, bold Australian whisky — heavily peated malts, handcrafted stills, single casks and releases that could be dramatically different from one cask to the next. In this conversation with Rob Draper, ACS, Brian tells the remarkable story of going from mine worker in Broken Hill to schoolteacher and ultimately distiller. He talks about researching whisky production in Scotland, why specialising in peated whisky may not have been his smartest business decision, building his own stills, and the Australian climate that pushed some Black Gate casks beyond 75% ABV — strong enough to create a Dangerous Goods shipping problem. Brian also explains why Black Gate has now stopped distilling, why walking away from production has given Brian and Janice the lifestyle they wanted, and why some of the finest Black Gate whisky may still be ahead of us. With around 15 years of maturing casks remaining in the warehouse, Black Gate may have stopped making spirit — but its story is far from finished. Single Malt TV The Whisky Dialogues
September 14 · 59 min
Spirit of Yorkshire | From Field to Bottle — David Thompson
What happens when you build a whisky distillery around the farm rather than simply source the ingredients? David Thompson, co-founder of Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery, joins SingleMalt TV’s The Whisky Dialogues to tell the story behind Filey Bay and England’s first single malt whisky made from field to bottle. The conversation explores the distillery’s deep connection to farming, its approach to regenerative agriculture and barley production, and why controlling the raw material from the field onwards has become such an important part of the Spirit of Yorkshire philosophy. David also takes us inside the distillery — from its Forsyths copper pot stills to the unusual addition of a column still — and explains how experimentation, maturation and blending are helping define the character of Filey Bay. It’s a conversation about farming, provenance and building a genuinely Yorkshire whisky from the ground up. SingleMalt TV — The Whisky Dialogues Long-form conversations with the distillers, blenders, founders and whisky makers shaping the industry.
September 12 · 51 min
Pōkeno Whisky | Creating the Language of New Zealand Whisky — Matt Johns
Matt Johns, founder of Pōkeno Whisky Company, joins SingleMalt TV’s The Whisky Dialogues to talk about building a whisky with a distinctly New Zealand identity — rather than simply recreating Scotch on the other side of the world. From New Zealand barley and volcanic spring water to long fermentation, slow distillation and maturation in a subtropical climate, Matt explains the thinking behind Pōkeno’s approach to flavour. The conversation also explores some of the distillery’s most distinctive experiments: native Tōtara wood, Mānuka smoke, the influence of New Zealand’s climate on maturation, and why Matt believes age statements can sometimes get in the way of understanding whisky. It’s a conversation about provenance, experimentation and what it takes to establish a new whisky tradition — one rooted firmly in Aotearoa New Zealand. SingleMalt TV — The Whisky Dialogues Long-form conversations with the distillers, blenders, founders and whisky makers shaping the industry.
September 11 · 58 min
Isle of Raasay Distillery — Alasdair Day | The Whisky Dialogues
Isle of Raasay Distillery co-founder Alasdair Day joins Rob Draper for a Whisky Dialogue exploring the ideas, decisions and people behind one of Scotland’s most distinctive modern island distilleries. Alasdair’s journey into whisky began with a family blending book dating back more than a century. That eventually led to an ambitious idea: determine the character of the whisky he wanted to make, then design the distillery, production process and maturation programme capable of delivering it. We explore Raasay’s approach to peated and unpeated spirit, long fermentation, its unusual still configuration and distinctive six-cask maturation using ex-rye whiskey, Chinkapin oak and Bordeaux red wine casks. Alasdair also discusses the Isle of Raasay Signature Single Malt, Dùn Cana, Chinkapin and Na Sia, experiments with Raasay-grown barley, the influence of the island’s water and maturation environment, and the question of whether a whisky can truly reflect the place where it is made. But the story extends well beyond whisky. Alasdair talks about what the distillery has meant to the Isle of Raasay itself — creating careers, encouraging younger people and families to return, and contributing to the future of a small Hebridean community. And we look ahead to what could come next, including ambitions for a second distillery and a future Campbeltown single malt. The Whisky Dialogues from SingleMalt TV — conversations with the people shaping whisky, in their own words.
September 10 · 53 min
Corowa Distilling | From a $1 Flour Mill to Legendary Australian Whisky | The Whisky Dialogues
From a family farm in Junee to a historic flour mill purchased for just $1, the story of Corowa Distilling is deeply rooted in the Riverina region of New South Wales. In this episode of The Whisky Dialogues, Rob talks with Corowa founder Dean Druce and Master Cooper John Carberry about building a distinctly Australian whisky distillery around local grain, traditional craftsmanship and an extraordinary sense of place. Dean shares the journey from his family's farming, liquorice and chocolate business to restoring Corowa's derelict flour mill and establishing the distillery. John recounts more than three decades as a cooper in Scotland, including crafting casks from oak from the Queen's Sandringham Estate, before leaving Scotland for rural Australia. They also explore Corowa's Riverina barley, local malting, Australian maturation, the influence of oak, establishing an in-house cooperage and the challenge of creating a whisky with a recognizably Corowa character. The Whisky Dialogues from SingleMalt TV — conversations with the people behind the whisky.
September 9 · 59 min
Kilchoman Distillery: Building an Islay Whisky from Scratch | Anthony Wills
When Anthony Wills filled Cask #1 at Kilchoman, I was there to interview him as he began what was then an extraordinarily ambitious project — building a new farm distillery on Islay. Twenty years later, we sat down again. In this episode of The Whisky Dialogues, I catch up with Kilchoman founder Anthony Wills to look back at those early days and the journey from a fledgling distillery to one of Islay's most successful independent whisky producers. We talk about the original vision for Kilchoman, bringing whisky production back to the farm, barley, peat and provenance, the challenges of building a distillery from scratch, and how Kilchoman has grown without losing the independence and identity on which it was founded. For me, this conversation is also something of a full-circle moment: from interviewing Anthony as he filled his very first cask to sitting down with him again 20 years later. The Whisky Dialogues from SingleMalt TV — conversations with the people shaping the world of whisky.
May 22 · 1 hr 3 min
Hellyers Road Whisky – Fiona Coutts: The Woman Shaping the Whisky
Welcome to SingleMalt TV — the whisky conversation. In this episode, Rob Draper sits down with Fiona Coutts, Head Distiller at Hellyers Road Distillery in Tasmania, for a thoughtful conversation about distillation, maturation, and the evolution of Australian whisky. Fiona shares the story of Hellyers Road — from its beginnings as a dairy farmers’ co-operative to becoming one of Australia’s best-known whisky distilleries — and explains why long, slow distillation and careful cask selection remain central to the Hellyers Road style. The conversation explores bourbon casks, fermentation, maturation in Tasmania’s climate, and the changing global perception of Australian whisky, along with Fiona’s own journey through the industry. If you enjoy conversations about the people and ideas shaping whisky, subscribe to SingleMalt TV – The Whisky Conversation. Watch the full video version on the SingleMalt TV YouTube channel.
May 8 · 1 hr 12 min
Stirling Distillery — Building Small, Thinking Long (Cameron & June McCann)
At the foot of Stirling Castle, one of Scotland’s smallest distilleries is taking shape. Cameron & June McCann and threir son Hugo—head distiller—are building Stirling Distillery with a clear focus: small scale, long timelines, and a commitment to doing things properly from the ground up. From their beginnings in gin to the slow transition into whisky, this is a conversation about patience, family, and the reality of starting a distillery where time is the most important ingredient.
May 5 · 43 min
Maltstock Down Under — A Different Kind of Whisky Gathering (David Ligoff)
Maltstock redefined the whisky festival by removing hierarchy, formality, and expectation. Maltstock Down Under brings that same philosophy to Australia. David Ligoff joins us to talk about what makes it different—why a more relaxed, open approach to whisky resonates, and what happens when the focus shifts from structure to shared experience. This is a conversation about community, accessibility, and how whisky culture changes when the rules are taken away.
May 1 · 49 min
Franz Scheurer — Rethinking Flavor, Pairing, and Whisky Itself
Franz Scheurer approaches whisky from outside its traditional framework. Drawing on experience in food, wine, photography, and fermentation, he challenges how flavor is understood and how whisky is typically experienced—from pairing to perception. This is a conversation about stepping beyond convention—and what whisky becomes when you do.
April 28 · 56 min
Maltstock — Successfully Rethinking the Whisky Festival (Teun van Wel & Bob Wenting)
Maltstock began as a quiet departure from the traditional whisky festival. Created by Teun van Wel and Bob Wenting, it removed hierarchy, formality, and expectation—replacing them with something simpler: people sharing whisky on equal terms. In this conversation, we explore how that idea took hold, why it resonated, and what it reveals about whisky culture when the barriers are stripped away. This is about community, atmosphere, and a different way of experiencing whisky.
April 24 · 1 hr 3 min
Douglas Laing — From Bottler to Distiller (Dougal Barr)
For decades, Douglas Laing built its reputation selecting and bottling whisky created elsewhere. Now, with the move into distilling at Strathearn, the company is entering a new phase. Dougal Barr, Global Brand Ambassador, brings a perspective shaped by years of working with casks—now applied to creating spirit from the beginning. A conversation about transition, experience, and what changes when you move upstream.
S1 · E3
April 21 · 1 hr 4 min
Heartwood — Whisky Without Compromise (Tim Duckett & Franz Scheurer)
Heartwood sits firmly outside the whisky establishment. Tim Duckett doesn’t distill—he selects and shapes whisky through cask, guided by instinct and a clear sense of outcome. Joined by Franz Scheurer, this conversation explores whisky as intent rather than process. This is about independence, flavor, and what happens when you stop trying to follow the rules.
April 17 · 1 hr 6 min
Belgrove Distillery — Taking Terroir Seriously (Peter Bignell)
If terroir matters in whisky, Belgrove is what it looks like in practice. At Belgrove, nothing follows convention. Peter Bignell grows his own rye, builds his own equipment, and rethinks every part of the process—from fuel to fermentation. The result is whisky shaped as much by environment and ingenuity as by tradition. This is a conversation about self-sufficiency, experimentation, and redefining what a distillery can be.
April 15 · 1 hr 59 min
Mark Reynier — Why the Whisky Industry Is Getting It Wrong
Mark Reynier has never been comfortable following the accepted narrative. As the driving force behind Bruichladdich and now Waterford, he has consistently challenged one of whisky’s most deeply held assumptions: that the cask defines the spirit. In this conversation, Mark takes that argument further—questioning why the industry resists talking about barley, terroir, and origin, and what that reluctance reveals about how whisky is made, marketed, and understood. This is not a polite discussion. It’s a direct challenge to the way whisky has been framed for decades—and to the people shaping that narrative.
S1 · E1
March 29 · 1 hr
Andrew Derbidge — Whisky Has a Marketing Problem
Andrew Derbidge brings a broad perspective shaped by years working across brand, production, and global positioning with Starward—and deep involvement with the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. In this conversation, the discussion moves well beyond Australian whisky. We look at the relationship between Australian and Scotch whisky, the current state of global markets, and how changing attitudes—particularly among younger drinkers—are reshaping the category. Andrew also addresses where whisky marketing is getting it wrong, the assumptions the industry continues to make, and how those missteps affect perception and growth. This is a wide-ranging discussion about whisky as a global category—how it is evolving, how it is communicated, and where it may be heading next.

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