Blackened Whiskey Begins the Next Chapter (WhiskyCast Episode 771: June 9, 2019)

Rock bands often sound differently after they replace a member,
and the members of Metallica considered Master Distiller Dave
Pickerell to be part of their family. They collaborated on
Blackened American Whiskey until Dave's untimely death last
November, and now, Metallica has completed the search for his
successor. Rob Dietrich is leaving Stranahan's to join the band's
Sweet Amber Distilling Company as the master blender and
distiller. We'll talk with Rob on WhiskyCast In-Depth and find
out why it's not his first time working with Metallica, too. In
the news, U.S. regulators are floating a proposal to remove most
of the restrictions on bottle sizes for whiskies and other
distilled spirits, and that could open up the market to whiskies
not previously available in the U.S. Distilling industry leaders
aren't embracing the idea with open arms, while independent
bottlers and importers are practically giddy at the possibility.
What may be the first Chinese acquisition of a Scotch Whisky
company has taken place, with the sale of Loch Lomond Distillers
for more than $500 million, and construction has started on
another cooperage in Kentucky to help supply the booming demand
for Bourbon barrels.