Episodes

  • The Birth of DCL // Distillers Company Limited
    Jan 22 2025

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    For this week's episode, we are exploring the origin story of the DCL, or the Distillers Company Limited. Formed in 1877 of six Scottish distilleries, it would grow to become a controlling giant during the 19th century, leading into the 20th. Tune in as Sarah and Kurt go back to the origins of the DCL and how it impacted the Scottish whisky industry in the 1880's.

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    13 mins
  • Scottish Distilleries in the 1880's // Continuing the Story of Alfred Barnard
    Jan 15 2025

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    On this week's episode, we are continuing the story of Alfred Barnard, a whisky historian, who journeyed throughout the 1880's British distilleries. As Sarah and Kurt discussed last week, Alfred is considered one the most important men in whisky history, who toured iconic distilleries during the late 19th century. Tune in as Sarah and Kurt take you back in time to the the expanding Scottish whisky industry!

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    19 mins
  • Journey Through 1880's Ireland // With Whisky Historian Alfred Barnard
    Jan 8 2025

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    This week we are diving into the story of Alfred Barnard, a whisky historian, who journeyed throughout the 1880's British distilleries. And Alfred may be one the most important men in whisky history--as his notes from his visits to many now iconic, or even lost to time, distilleries helps tell their stories more then a hundred years later. Tune in as Sarah and Kurt walk you through Alfred's importance and his visit to Ireland!

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    19 mins
  • The Growth of Speyside // Blended Scotch, Railroads and Regulation
    Dec 18 2024

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    For this week's episode we are returning to Scotland as we embark on the growth of the whiskey region, Speyside, in the 1880's. It would be this decade that would put Speyside on the map and become the dominant region for whiskey in the country. Located in Northeastern Scotland, the region is located around the River Spey. So tune in as Kurt and Sarah take you back in time for another episode of Decades Distilled!

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    17 mins
  • French Wine and Phylloxera // The Little Pest that Changed the Wine Industry
    Dec 11 2024

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    This week we're continuing the conversation around the history of whiskey in the 1880's. And yes, today's episode will lean more on wine, but it was phylloxera, a little insect that would set the stage for the story we'll tell this season. As you'll learn, it was this plaque that would vastly change the wine industry, and thus help grow the whiskey industry into what it is today.

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    20 mins
  • Introduction to the 1880’s // Season Two Now Live!
    Dec 4 2024

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    The 1880’s was a dynamic decade marked by rapid industrialization, innovation and significant political change around the world. And this was true within the liquor industries, including for whiskey. So for this season, we embark on the story of how the spread of global trade and early whiskey blogging helped build the industry we know today. Tune in for this week’s episode as we lay out the groundwork of the 1880’s and why it matters.

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    25 mins
  • Raise a Glass // The End of Prohibition
    Sep 4 2024

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    In the law-breaking spirit of the decade that spawned bootleggers, speakeasies, and organized crime, we realized that we had to bend the rules and cover events that stretch beyond the 1920s. In this, the "final" episode of the season, we discuss the factors that brought about the end of Prohibition. We will be back soon so be sure to like, rate, and subscribe, and keep an eye out for some extra episodes to hold you over until we go back to the 1880s for Season Two of Decades Distilled!

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    24 mins
  • Bourbon's Tales // Ingenuity & Defiance during Prohibition
    Aug 28 2024

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    This week is all about American Whiskey, aka Bourbon, during the 1920's! Prohibition was a rocky time for the bourbon industry, but it also sparked some cool tales of ingenuity and defiance which we are excited to talk about today.

    Plus we welcome our first guest, friend, author and Editor in Chief of the Whiskey Reviewer, Richard Thomas. He'll join us later on to speak to the winners--and losers--of prohibition.

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    39 mins