The recipe for making Scotch is pretty simple: malted barley, water and yeast—that’s it.

Talented distillers and blenders across Scotland transform these humble ingredients to produce delicious whisky. But Scotch is also one of the most heavily regulated spirits on the planet. The Scotch Whisky Association has very strict rules and regulations that you must follow if you want to call your spirit Scotch. (At the top of the list, of course, is that the whisky must be made and aged in Scotland!)

As a result, whisky makers have to be very creative in order to come up with new and interesting bottlings, experimenting with everything from the type of water and variety of barley used to the type of barrel that the spirit is aged in.

On this episode of award-winning podcast, Life Behind Bars, co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum discuss the history of Scotch and how whisky brands have been able to innovate despite the inherent constraints of the category. They are joined by David Blackmore, the global brand ambassador for Glenmorangie and Ardbeg Single Malt Whiskies. He called in from Scotland to discuss how Glenmorangie and its legendary director of distilling & whiskey creation, Dr. Bill Lumsden, have been so successful coming up with unique ideas. Blackmore also weighs in on the future of Scotch innovation, shares the backstory of their latest Private Edition release, Allta, and hints at what’s next for the brand. So pour yourself a dram and sit back and listen to this spirited conversation about Scotch. Slàinte!

Life Behind Bars features Half Full’s editor Noah Rothbaum and its Senior Drinks Columnist David Wondrich as they discuss the greatest bartenders and greatest cocktails of all time. It won the 2018 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award for the world's best drinks podcast.

Edited by Alex Skjong

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