Hiring Lessons From a Legend (From Whisky to Luxury Industries) - Guarav Glen More - Admark Asia President

Whisky Unfinished Special Episode - Singapore Office Opening

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2602344/fan_mail/new] “People don’t want to be treated as an account. They want to be treated as a person.” This is a special episode of Whisky Unfinished - filmed in Singapore for the very first time. Not part of the regular season format, this episode marks the beginning of a new Singapore chapter for Casks of Significance, with Joseph joining the team and leading the presence on the ground. Rickesh sits down with Joseph for a conversation about whisky, trust, relationships, leadership, and why the human touch still matters in a world increasingly shaped by AI. Across four very different drams - Blair Atholl 18-year-old sherry cask, a 34-year-old Aultmore cask sample, Caol Ila 12, and a Caol Ila 14 sherry cask bottling - they explore Joseph’s journey from Calcutta to Australia to Singapore, his first whisky at 15, the difference between doing business in Australia and Asia, and why relationships can never be treated as transactions. Joseph also shares his CARE strategy. Connect, Appreciate, Relate, Engage — and explains why listening twice as much as you speak may be one of the most important skills in business. And somewhere between rare casks, family lessons, Indian whisky culture, Richard Branson, Patek Philippe, and the long game of trust, the episode lands on one of the best lines of the show: Whisky is time bottled. 🥃 Whiskies tasted in this special episode: • Blair Atholl 18-Year-Old - Sherry Cask / Pedro Ximénez Finish • Aultmore 34-Year-Old - Cask Sample, Cask Strength • Caol Ila 12-Year-Old - Islay Scotch, Bourbon Cask • Caol Ila 14-Year-Old - Berry Bros. & Rudd Sherry Cask Bottling ⏱ CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction - A Special Singapore Episode 01:45 People First Always - Why Trust Starts With Relationships 03:19 Transparency, Integrity & The Long-Term Connection 05:14 Who Is Joseph? Calcutta, Australia & His First Whisky 07:29 Whisky #1 - Blair Atholl 18 Sherry Cask / PX Finish 09:04 Christmas in a Glass - Joseph’s First Tasting Notes 10:42 India, Australia & Singapore - How Culture Shapes Business 15:01 Why People Say No - Consistency, Trust & Follow-Up 18:47 Whisky #2 - Aultmore 34-Year-Old Cask Sample 20:57 Joseph’s Whisky Journey - Royal Stag, Single Malts & Cigars 23:38 India’s Whisky Evolution - Single Malts, Weddings & National Pride 28:13 Career Pivots - Telecom, Property, Finance & Consulting 34:15 Learning to Adapt - Moving Cities, Renewable Energy & Richard Branson 37:25 Humility, Family & Treating Everyone the Same 40:20 Whisky #3 & #4 - Caol Ila 12 Bourbon vs Caol Ila 14 Sherry 46:50 The CARE Strategy - Connect, Appreciate, Relate, Engage 53:25 Listen Twice As Much As You Speak 56:35 Legacy, Collectors & Whisky as Bottled Time 59:43 Closing - The Signed Glass Tradition 🔔 Subscribe for a new episode every Thursday at 6PM HKT 📩 Join the newsletter: https://whiskyunfinished.com 💬 Join the WhatsApp community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/Gsm7ZW8fm2XEZ3yaVVgg7Q 🎙️ Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/01IYF1Q39l2dTrWGTOpcen?si=c50adf256c7d484e 🎙️ Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whisky-unfinished/id1884496168 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whiskyunfinished 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickesh/

20 Years Around Bankers, Billionaires & Presidents | Scoring a Hibiki 21 YO

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2602344/fan_mail/new] EP10 - Paris Shepherd: Asia's Private Banking World, Myanmar, Vietnam & a Whisky Education Paris Shepherd spent 25 years in Asia running financial media businesses at the centre of the region's private banking and wealth management industry. He was Managing Director at Asian Private Banker, where he grew the publication and events business from five to 45 people, and later served as Managing Director of Citywire Asia. Before that, he spent nearly a decade at Euromoney, producing large-scale foreign investment conferences across the Philippines, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other Asian markets. In this episode, Rickesh Kishnani sits down with his 26-year friend Paris — a self-confessed red wine and champagne man — for a whisky education session across four drams: Hibiki 21-Year-Old, the Dalmore Cigar Malt, Bowmore 15-Year-Old Sherry Finish, and Oban 14. They talk about Australia's cost-of-living crisis, wealth inequality, compulsory voting, and Hong Kong's enduring resilience as a capital markets hub. Paris shares stories from his Euromoney years — including a thousand-person conference in Naypyidaw when Myanmar first opened for business, and the Vietnam event that had to be cancelled with a million dollars of sponsorship locked in because the government refused to acknowledge 40% inflation. Topics covered: * Adelaide as Australia's only free settled colony and what that means * Australia's cost-of-living crisis and housing affordability * Wealth inequality — 18 Australians own as much as the bottom 40% of the country * Compulsory voting and its effect on political outcomes * Hong Kong's resilience and its unique role bridging East and West capital markets * Euromoney — running foreign investment conferences in the Philippines, Myanmar, and Vietnam * The Vietnam conference cancellation: a million dollars of sponsorship, 40% inflation, and a government that refused to acknowledge the problem * Meeting finance ministers and heads of state across Asia * Growing Asian Private Banker from five to 45 people * Entrepreneurship, COVID, and the mental health reality of building a business Whiskies tasted: Hibiki 21-Year-Old · Dalmore Cigar Malt · Bowmore 15-Year-Old Sherry Finish · Oban 14 Subscribe: New episode every Thursday at 6PM HKT Website: https://whiskyunfinished.com [https://whiskyunfinished.com] WhatsApp Community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/Gsm7ZW8fm2XEZ3yaVVgg7Q [https://chat.whatsapp.com/Gsm7ZW8fm2XEZ3yaVVgg7Q] Instagram: @whiskyunfinished

He Cashed in his Wife's Life Insurance. Then was Forced to Dump Out 700 Litres of Beer - Luke Yardley from Yardley Brothers (The Beer Episode)

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2602344/fan_mail/new] EP9 — Luke Yardley: Craft Beer, Whisky Prototypes & the Art of Flavour Luke Yardley co-founded Yardley Brothers with his brother Duncan in 2015, starting with a homebrew setup in a Lamma Island living room and selling beer from a shack on the side of a hiking trail. Today, Yardley Brothers is one of the most respected craft breweries in Asia, known for its sour and barrel-aged program and a relentless focus on flavour innovation. In this episode, Rickesh Kishnani sits down with Luke to taste four Yardley Brothers beers — including the Voss Boss Hazy Kveik IPA (Norwegian farmhouse yeast, fermented at 36°C) and Seize the Means Chocolate Fudge Milk Stout — and four prototype whisky expressions Luke has been quietly developing: a mango new make, a cacao-inspired spirit, a rye-corn blend, and a peated expression using 40 PPM New Zealand malt. They cover the founding story of Yardley Brothers, the science of Kveik yeast, flavour as creative expression, collaborating with Track Brewing in Manchester on a bourbon barrel-aged peach hazy sour, and the economics of bootstrapping a craft brewery with no outside investment. Topics covered: •       Founding story and the Lamma Island beer shack •       Cashing in a life insurance policy to fund the brewery •       The 700-litre contaminated batch disaster •       Norwegian Kveik yeast and fermentation at 36°C •       The cacao beer made with freshly roasted beans from a local HK chocolate factory •       Luke's whisky prototypes — mango new make, peated spirit, cacao wash, rye-corn blend •       The economics of bootstrapping a craft brewery with no outside investment •       Flavour as creative expression and artistic identity Drinks tasted: Voss Boss Hazy Kveik IPA · Seize the Means Chocolate Stout · Mango New Make · Cacao Spirit Prototype · Rye-Corn Blend · Peated NZ Malt Prototype Subscribe: New episode every Thursday at 6PM HKT Website: https://whiskyunfinished.com [https://whiskyunfinished.com] WhatsApp community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/Gsm7ZW8fm2XEZ3yaVVgg7Q [https://chat.whatsapp.com/Gsm7ZW8fm2XEZ3yaVVgg7Q] Instagram: @whiskyunfinished

The Morgan Stanley Exit That Built Asia Bankers Club with Kingston Lai Scoring a Strathmill 28 YO Whisky

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2602344/fan_mail/new] EP8 - Kingston lai: The Morgan Stanley Exit That Built Asia Bankers Club  In Episode 8 of Whisky Unfinished, Rickesh Kishnani sits down with Kingston Lai, Founder of Asia Bankers Club. Before building the Club, Kingston was an Executive Director at Morgan Stanley Hong Kong, where he worked across institutional sales and distribution before making the leap from corporate banking into entrepreneurship.  The conversation traces the unusual origin story of Asia Bankers Club, from a domain name bought on GoDaddy to a 110,000-member community covering property, collectibles, wellness, longevity, and other physical assets. Rickesh and Kingston discuss the psychology of leaving a comfortable job, the early challenge of building trust with members, and how Thailand property became one of the first major growth areas for the business. They also explore Dubai, the Middle East, Macau, whisky cask investing, and why the next phase of wealth may involve health as much as financial return. Key topics include; - Kingston’s exit from Morgan Stanley - The growth of Asia Bankers Club - Overseas property and alternative investing  - The shift into longevity and wellness - How whisky sits within the wider world of tangible assets. Listen or watch the full episode to hear the complete conversation with Kingston Lai on Whisky Unfinished. Drams tasted: Kavalan · Glenfarclas · Strathmill · Loch Lomond  Subscribe: New episode every Thursday at 6PM HKT Website: https://whiskyunfinished.com [https://whiskyunfinished.com/] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhiskyUnfinished WhatsApp community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/Gsm7ZW8fm2XEZ3yaVVgg7Q [https://chat.whatsapp.com/Gsm7ZW8fm2XEZ3yaVVgg7Q] Instagram: @whiskyunfinished

When To Fire A Customer - Scoring A Yamazaki (NAS) With Cristiane Ross - Group Head of Customer Experience, Pure Group International

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2602344/fan_mail/new] EP7 - Cristiane Ross: When to Fire a Customer, the Link Between EX and CX, and What 20 Years in Hospitality Taught Her Cristiane Ross is the Group Head of Customer Experience, Corporate Sales, and CSR at Pure Group International in Hong Kong - one of Asia's leading premium fitness and wellness brands. She pioneered the customer experience function at Pure Fitness in 2010 and has spent two decades building loyalty strategies across hospitality, fitness, and corporate sectors. In this episode, Rickesh Kishnani sits down with Cristiane over three exceptional drams - Woven Hemispheres, Yamazaki, and Springbank - to talk about what it really takes to build a customer experience that earns genuine loyalty. They cover why the best CX starts with your employees, the surprisingly strategic case for firing a customer, how to de-escalate any difficult interaction, what Southwest Airlines got right that most companies still get wrong, and how AI is reshaping the future of customer experience. Topics covered: • Why you cannot have good CX without good EX • The case for firing a customer and when to do it • How to de-escalate difficult customer interactions • Mapping the customer journey across industries • What Southwest Airlines built that others couldn't copy • AI and the future of customer experience Drams tasted: Woven Hemispheres · Yamazaki · Springbank Subscribe: New episode every Thursday at 6PM HKT Website: https://whiskyunfinished.com [https://whiskyunfinished.com/] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhiskyUnfinished WhatsApp community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/Gsm7ZW8fm2XEZ3yaVVgg7Q [https://chat.whatsapp.com/Gsm7ZW8fm2XEZ3yaVVgg7Q] Instagram: @whiskyunfinished