Cask to Glass

About Cask to Glass

How do you take your whisky? Neat? Splash of water? Block of ice? Or even a mixer? However you take it, join John Beattie, former Scotland rugby international and semi-retired BBC radio and TV news presenter, as he celebrates the heritage and flavour of Scotland's national drink and the world's favourite spirit. Whether you call it whisky, whiskey, uisge beatha, aqua vitae, or the water of life... there's a story behind every dram; a craftsman behind every drop; an aroma with every nose; and a flavour in every sip. This is the spirit of Scotland: distilled in a place; shared around the world. What makes it so special? Why is it so loved? And who are the people that make it, and the aficionados who drink it? Join John every Thursday as he explores the alchemy that takes place from cask to glass. Slàinte! ------- Host: John Beattie Producer: David Holmes Socials: @C2GWhisky @JohnRossBeattie Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Publisher

David Holmes

Category

arts · history · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

30 Jan 2025

Latest episode

1 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

79 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   1 Oct 2026

   The Tax Trap: Mark Kent on the "Unfair" Duty on Scotch Whisky

   Is Scotch Whisky "unfairly" taxed in the UK compared to other drinks? Yes, says Mark Kent, CEO of the Scotch Whisky Association (https://www.scotch-whisky.org.uk/). "72% of the cost of an average bottle of Scotch goes on tax of one form or another," he says. And it's sometimes cheaper to buy whisky shipped to other countries than to buy it in Scotland because the UK has the fourth highest level of excise duty on spirits in Europe, and the highest in the G7 group of nations. "Scotch falls under spirits," he says, "and 70% of all spirits made in the UK are made in Scotland." Consequently excise duty on Scotch per litre of alcohol per unit is three times that on beer or cider. "It's simply unfair on consumers, producers and the supply chain," he concludes. "Would the French do that with Champagne or with other national drinks?" he asks. And it’s counter-productive. ”The curves are clear that the more you tax, especially premium products, the less you get back,” he says. “And every time we’ve seen a freeze or a cut, we’ve had a couple of cuts over time, that’s led to more revenue to the Treasury.” However, it's not all gloom and doom, Mark says, despite "the job losses, the pauses in investment and the day-to-day difficulties of distillers." "We've got the potential to get back to that long-term curve that we saw before COVID," he says. The India free trade agreement has brought down the import tariffs into India, the largest whisky market in the world, from 150% to 75%. US tariffs on whisky have been removed. And tariffs in China have been reduced from 10% to 5%. "But," he warns, "it's not plain sailing by any means. The state of the industry is still very delicate. There's a lot of domestic headwinds." "As we speak," Mark concludes, "You're seeing job losses, you're seeing pauses in investment, you're seeing day-to-day difficulties of distillers which are then reflected in the wider supply chain. [But] if we get that Government support in the here and now, to support us, to fan the embers of what could be a recovery and a return to long-term growth, then I think the potential will be fulfilled and Scotch will be back." 🎧Tune in as John and Mark discuss: ➡️the fragile state of the Scotch Whisky industry ➡️how the UK tax & excise system makes it cheaper to buy Scotch Whisky in other countries rather than in Scotland ➡️how evidence suggests that when tax on whisky is reduced, the Treasury makes more money ➡️how Scotch is part of the UK's soft power abroad ➡️how global markets are opening up to Scotch Whisky Slàinte! ------- Socials: @C2GWhisky (https://x.com/C2GWhisky) | @JohnRossBeattie (https://x.com/JohnRossBeattie) Creator & producer: David Holmes Art work & design: Jess Robertson Music: Water of Life (Never Going Home) Vocals: Andrea Cunningham Guitars: John Beattie Bass: Alasdair Vann Drums: Alan Hamilton Bagpipes: Calum McColl Accordion: Gary Innes Music & Lyrics: Andrea Cunningham & John Beattie Recorded & mixed by Murray Collier at La Chunky Studios, Glasgow, Scotland Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

2. 

   24 Sept 2026

   Inside the Cooperage with Ray Prosser from Oakwood Cooperage

   "If you take away the cooper, you take away the cooperage, you take away the barrels, then you don't get whisky," says Ray Prosser (https://www.linkedin.com/in/raymond-prosser-847a2b6a/), Sales & Operations Manager at Oakwood Cooperage (https://www.oakwoodcooperage.co.uk/), the largest independent cooperage in the UK. Not just because Scotch Whisky must by law be matured in oak casks for a minimum of three years, but because, Ray says, 70% of whisky's flavour comes from the wood. Ray's been a cooper for 36 years. “I always had a fascination with wood, even from my days at school,” he tells John Beattie. “It was one of those things. I used to go to my old auntie’s down in Partick, and the neighbour used to come in and help her with the groceries and stuff like that. And they came in one Sunday and said, would I be interested in being an apprentice cooper. “I didn’t know what a cooper was at the time. Obviously these were the days before internet… So I found out more about it, and I haven’t looked back.” In this episode he takes John inside the cooperage, where the "unsung heroes" of the whisky industry apply passion, skill and tradition to rejuvenate, repair and restore the casks that give whisky its exceptional flavour, whether they're "your sherry casks, your wine casks, your Bourbons, or your virgin oak". Join John as Ray reveals: ➡️the 60-to-100-year lifespan of a barrel; ➡️how casks are decharred, recharred and rejuvenated to start all over again; ➡️tips on how to identify what type of barrel a whisky was matured in, even if the label doesn't say; ➡️how coopers will resize casks to get a more wood to spirit ratio to speed up maturation; ➡️and provides a step-by-step walkthrough of barrel repair, hoop driving, and testing. Slàinte! ------- Socials: @C2GWhisky (https://x.com/C2GWhisky) | @JohnRossBeattie (https://x.com/JohnRossBeattie) Creator & producer: David Holmes Art work & design: Jess Robertson Music: Water of Life (Never Going Home) Vocals: Andrea Cunningham Guitars: John Beattie Bass: Alasdair Vann Drums: Alan Hamilton Bagpipes: Calum McColl Accordion: Gary Innes Music & Lyrics: Andrea Cunningham & John Beattie Recorded & mixed by Murray Collier at La Chunky Studios, Glasgow, Scotland Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

3. 

   17 Sept 2026

   Sun, Scotch & Coconut Water: Andre de Almeida on Cracking the Brazilian Whisky Market

   How do you take your whisky? On a Brazilian beach, with coconut water obviously. Or better still coconut water ice. In 2025 Brazil was the joint-fifth largest market for Scotch whisky by volume - 54 million bottles. But with a population of some 200 million people, Brazil's still an untapped market. So how do you crack it? In this episode of Cask to Glass, we sit down with industry veteran Andre de Almeida (https://www.linkedin.com/in/andredealmeida-insidethecask/) (Founder of Inside the Cask (https://insidethecask.com/) and former Export Director for Loch Lomond Group). Born in Brazil and now based in Scotland, Andre offers a rare insider look at one of the world's most dynamic and challenging spirits markets. We dive deep into: ➡️The unique drinking culture of Brazil - from beachside standard blends to premium single malts. ➡️The role duty free stores on Brazil's many border crossings play in getting whisky to consumers. ➡️Common mistakes international brands make when entering South America. ➡️The story behind the official Brazilian tartan. ➡️How a Brazilian born Scot taught Brazil how to play football. ➡️The exciting rise of domestic Brazilian single malts like Union and Lamas. Whether you're in the drinks industry looking to expand into Latin America or simply a whisky enthusiast curious about global drinking cultures, this conversation is packed with actionable insights and fascinating stories. #whisky #scotchwhisky #podcast #interview #WhiskyPodcast #madetobemeasured Slàinte! ------- Socials: @C2GWhisky (https://x.com/C2GWhisky) | @JohnRossBeattie (https://x.com/JohnRossBeattie) Creator & producer: David Holmes Art work & design: Jess Robertson Music: Water of Life (Never Going Home) Vocals: Andrea Cunningham Guitars: John Beattie Bass: Alasdair Vann Drums: Alan Hamilton Bagpipes: Calum McColl Accordion: Gary Innes Music & Lyrics: Andrea Cunningham & John Beattie Recorded & mixed by Murray Collier at La Chunky Studios, Glasgow, Scotland Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Who has been a guest on Cask to Glass

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Gordon Dundas
• Graeme Littlejohn
• Ryan Grant
• Max McFarlane
• Dave Alcock

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

76,689

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 33 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

35

Social presence

0

YouTube

76

Engagement

0

Contact Cask to Glass

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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