I interview the Whisky Sisters
Your first distillery visit was Tobermory. I think that was mine too! What can you remember about it?
Jen – I fell in love with whisky the day of that tour. I felt so intrigued by the whole experience. I hadn’t anticipated the scale of the stills, the alchemical process of distilling or that I would be able to see the casks in a treasure trove of a warehouse. I think the harbour setting in Tobermory with the scent of the sea air seemed to enhance the magic. I loved Tobermory Single Malt at the tasting but at that time Ledaig was a peated step too far for me!
INKA – I’ve actually been there as well, but unfortunately, they weren’t able to offer tours at the time. We did sample a selection of Tobermory and Ledaig at the gift shop. I’ve always wanted to return to Mull, especially with Jennifer as she has all the inside knowledge of the island life.
You both like Guns and Roses (great band!) but have either of you got a leather jacket with the logo on the back?
INKA – I have a leather jacket that’s pretty rock n’roll, but not with the logo. However, I did rock the concert wearing a denim vest Slash-style and it had roses on the back.
Jen – Yes, we definitely bonded over our shared love of the rock gods Guns n Roses. I have a standard leather jacket, minus a logo, that gets a regular airing and another I purchased in Ibiza Old Town whilst tipsy. Don’t drink and shop is the key take away here! It has huge metal spikes on the shoulders and has ‘Nevada My Love’ emblazoned on the back in silver studs! It’s quite something.
Do you have day jobs outside of whisky or do you work in the industry?
INKA – I used to work in hospitality when I still lived in Brighton. I worked as a venue manager for an event company organising weddings etc and as a bar manager for a large concert & event venue.
However, I’ve been writing about spirits for several years now and have been working with various whisky brands over the years, whether it was in the form of photography, social media management or writing. I even had the unique opportunity to name the stills of a London based whisky distillery. You can find some of my whisky articles on my blog ‘On the Sauce Again’.
Jen – I have never worked in the whisky or spirits industry although have often wondered what my life would be like if I’d ventured into it years ago. I have actually worked within the mental health field for over 20 years and love my job
You walk into a whisky bar – what are you ordering and do you go back for the same again or onto something else?
INKA – Usually I would order something new as I feel that the best way to expand my whisky knowledge and my tasting skills is to keep trying new whiskies. Often, I’ve seen something on Instagram or read about a whisky that sounds interesting and then I try to find it when at a bar. I also love chatting with like minded whisky people, so I am happy to try their recommendations. Not all bars have such a wide selection (especially here in Italy) so in these cases I would reach for something peaty or a classic Bunna.
Jen – So many tasty decisions so this is a tricky question. At the moment, I am keen to try more Kilchoman whisky. First up I think would be the Madeira Cask matured limited edition. It sounds juicy and delicious. I’m also keen to try as many as I can at the moment so in a whisky bar, I’d be changing it up and going for something else.
What is your most prized bottle of whisky outside if Bunna?
INKA – Oooh that’s a tough one. I don’t think I have such strong feelings about any other distillery as Bunnahabhain has the advantage of being the first distillery I ever visited and the first whisky I ever really enjoyed. I’m currently loving Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2021 and Raasay Distillery has also piqued my interest in many ways. And I am always partial to peat….
Jen – I’m not sure if I’ve any prized bottles as such as I’m not currently collecting special releases or old and rare whisky however this is something I’ve love to venture into. If I feel flush I will be treating myself to a bottle of Glendronach Parliament 21. I first tried it this year and am so impressed.
What made you start a whisky podcast earlier this year?
INKA – It took me sometime before I started to focus on whisky and now that I’ve been immersing myself into the category (well, mainly scotch), I can’t get enough. Starting a whisky podcast had been a dream for a few years, but I never wanted to do it alone and you want a co-host who you really connect with. I’m so glad Jen said ‘yes’ pretty much straight away when I popped the question. The whisky stars were aligned, and we finally took the leap this January.
Jen – Any time Inka and I got together we spoke constantly about all things whisky. I loved hearing about her adventures researching her blog and I shared my goal to one day have visited every Scottish distillery. We then began to develop ideas around enjoying our whisky journeys together and it was Inka that suggested a podcast. This immediately felt right to me. The opportunity to regularly chat with your pal, drink whisky, learn about a subject you are passionate about and to connect with likeminded people in the whisky community, what’s not to love?
Tell me about the podcast and what it will be offering?
Jen – We wanted to keep the feel of the podcast fun and upbeat, true to our thoughts and opinions and of course a little bit rock n roll. Season one already has hosted some amazing guests and there are more lined up as well as tastings and on the road adventures to distilleries. We have some regular features to ensure we are staying up to date with whisky news and facts in addition to our main features.
INKA – Yes, what she said. We wanted to keep it short and lively to keep people coming back for more. We are sharing our whisky journey with our listeners, whether they are whisky newbies or seasoned sippers. The regular features allow our listeners to learn something new and interesting which they can use to impress their fellow drinkers. Season one is focusing on Scotch whisky, but we will be traveling further afield in season two…
You have a road trip planned for the podcast – can you divulge where you will be visiting?
Jen – Yes, we are visiting three distilleries’ together in season one and I’ll be solo venturing over to the Isle of Arran this spring for some top-secret business. All will be revealed soon!
INKA – Well you have the season one exclusive as we haven’t announced our distillery tour plans yet for later this month. We are heading to a beautiful ‘west coast whisky triangle’ and visiting Nc’nean, Tobermory and Ardnamurchan for that unbeatable experience of being up close and personal in the distillery and the surrounding elements. Road trippin’! I’m also heading to Orkney in May but that’s not top secret.
What distillery would you most like to visit?
INKA – I would definitely want to go to visit Bunna with Jennifer as I haven’t been there for years, and it would be a riot. I’m always drooling for a sip of their warehouse editions. I would love to travel to Japan to visit some distilleries, but if we are focusing on scotch it would have to be Glenmorangie as I’d love to see those giraffe stills.
Jen – So predictable, Bunnahabhain. I’ve not been to Islay yet which I am almost embarrassed to admit and must remedy soon.
Do you drink bourbon and other whiskies?
INKA – I went though a time when I was drinking bourbon and Tennessee whiskey, but haven’t really focused on it that much recently. Some of the American whiskies are very sweet so I’ve mainly used them in cocktails.
I’ve had some excellent whisky from Waterford Distillery and also truly enjoyed Arbikie’s rye whisky. Like mentioned previously, we will be covering some whiskies outside of Scotland in the future, so any recommendations are welcome.
Jen – Considering I have a ridiculously sweet tooth I haven’t tried that much in the way of bourbon other than Makers Mark. I want to learn more about bourbon and other whiskies. I was lucky enough to visit Tennessee a few years ago and should have optimised the opportunity then but was too busy in downtown Nashville! I’m keen to try Blackened American whisky before we see Metallica this summer.
Which other instagrammers would you love to meet?
Jen – Lars Ulrick the drummer from Metallica is on Instagram, if he listened to Whisky Sisters I’d combust! I imagine this question was geared to whisky instagrammers so in that case I’d love to meet Nate Woodruff creator of @whiskywithaview and @whisky_nate. His pictures are beautiful and there is such a wholesome vibe to his barn life with his dogs.
INKA – I have met a few actually and already planning ways to meet Sona @thespiritedwoman again as she’s a very special lady but unfortunately lives all the way in Australia. Obviously, me being Finnish I’d love to do a whisky tour of Finland with @whiskygirlsfinland. Also, I’m sure we will plan a meet up with Juste @myscottishdiary when we eventually make it to Islay.
Where can people listen to your podcast?
Apple, Google, Spotify, Amazon Music, Tune in, Player Fm, Listen Notes, Podcast Addict, Stitcher, Deezer or via the Whisky Sisters Podcast website www.whiskysisterspodcast.com
So, pour yourself a dram and tune in! You can also find us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook!