Bourbon Lens

Is rye whiskey having a moment? Jake Lewellen reviews Proof & Precedent, a brand-new 11-year-old straight rye whiskey from Illinois bottled at 121.6 proof (60.8% ABV). It's a small batch blend of Illinois ryes, created with Brian Harris of Sipping Corn, Matt Cusack, and Marcus Neiman. In this Five Minute Fridays tasting, Jake covers: 🥃 Why rye is surging, with Angel's Envy's Peach Brandy Cask...

How did Bardstown go from a quick distillery stop to a true bourbon destination? Bourbon Lens hosts Jake and Scott sit down with Sam Lacy, Executive Director of the Bourbon Capital Alliance (BCA), to break down the growth of Bardstown bourbon tourism, from new hotels and downtown tasting rooms to the Bourbon Capital District, where you can carry your drink from bar to bar. Sam shares the story beh...

Steve Beam of Limestone Branch joins Bourbon Lens to pour and break down the brand-new 2026 Yellowstone 101, a limited edition blend of 14 and 8 year old Kentucky straight bourbon double finished in Ruby and Tawny port casks. Steve shares how he builds these limited releases from scratch: sourcing barrels through brokers, buying the port at the liquor store to test flavor pairings, blending in gra...

This week on Thursday Thoughts, Jake sits down with Coby and Ben Franzini, co-founders of Chevalier Casks, to unpack one of the least understood — but most critical — corners of the bourbon industry: bulk spirits. Ben is also a co-owner of Bluegrass Distillers, and Coby spent 25 years as a commercial banker in central Kentucky before moving into bourbon finance, giving the two a unique combined vi...

This week, Bourbon Lens heads to Bardstown, Kentucky to sit down with Whitney Rye — founder and CEO of The Parlor Room, host of The Mash Bill podcast, and better known on Instagram as Bourbon Duchess. Whitney built The Parlor Room around a simple idea: teach people the story behind the bottle, not just tasting-note jargon, in a space designed for rare, allocated, and vintage pours. In this episode...

It's Bourbon Heritage Month, and on this episode of Five Minute Fridays, Jake goes straight to where it all started: Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, one of the most talked-about — and most divisive — releases in the bourbon world. This year's edition lands at 11 years old and 97 proof, released earlier this month. Fresh off Kentucky Bourbon Festival, Jake sits down (with a little personal timing —...

Special edition of Thursday Thoughts, recorded live at Kentucky Bourbon Festival! Bourbon Lens sits down with Walter of Whiskey Thief for breaking news straight from the farm. In this episode, Walter announces that Whiskey Thief is officially sourcing whiskey — a major strategic shift for the brand after explosive growth (60,000+ visitors last year, 65,000+ expected this year at the farm, and 100,...

Episode Summary To celebrate their landmark 400th episode, The Bourbon Lens crew heads to one of the most hallowed sites in American whiskey — Stitzel-Weller Distillery in Shively, Kentucky — for a sit-down with Nicole Austin , Diageo's Director of American Whiskey Liquid Development and Capabilities. Nicole pulls back the curtain on the mystery of why decades-old bourbon aged in Stitzel-Weller's...

Explore the craft of American Single Malt whiskey with the team at New Riff Distillery. In this episode, we dive deep into New Riff's oldest whiskey release to date, exploring their hands-on approach to mash bills, barrel maturation, and complex blending strategies. Learn how different barrel types, unique yeast strains, and warehouse climate management shape the rich, evolving flavor profiles of...

Chef and restaurateur Brian Landry joins Bourbon Lens to share his journey from line cook to multi-concept hospitality owner — and the story behind his new book exploring the deep connection between food and music. In this episode, Brian walks through the origin of his acclaimed Kitchen Table restaurant, the Beam family history woven into its story, and why community focus — not trends — has been...

Danny Polise, Founder and Master Blender of Penelope Bourbon, joins Jake Lewellen and Scott Dilley for a long-overdue Bourbon Lens catch-up — five years after his last appearance on the show. In this episode, Danny walks through how Penelope Bourbon has grown from a three-product lineup into a full portfolio spanning the Cooper Series finishes, light whiskey single barrel picks, ready-to-pour cock...

Wyoming Whiskey just got its biggest reset in years — and David DeFazio explains why bringing the brand back into Wyoming ownership could change everything. Jake Lewellen sits down with the longtime friend of the podcast to break down the buyback, the emotional reaction from locals, and why this moment feels like a second chance to earn trust all over again. What starts as a quick catch-up turns i...

Bruce Russell (Wild Turkey) sits down with Jake Lewellen on The Bourbon Lens to break down one of the hottest bourbon summers in recent memory. Bruce opens up about blending, barrel hunting, and what it means to carry the Russell family legacy forward. In this episode, Bruce shares how a side project turned into two mystery 2007 barrels that ended up defining Russell's 13, why his dad Eddie Russel...

What if the difference between "just water" and an unforgettable tasting experience came down to total dissolved solids, source, and treatment? In this Five Minute Fridays episode, Bourbon Lens turns a glass of water into a side-by-side flavor experiment that will change the way you think about hydration, bottled water, and even bourbon tasting. Host Jake teams up with Kelly from Louisville Water...

Ever wonder what actually happens between the Ohio River and the glass of water on your kitchen counter? In this episode of Thursday Thoughts, Bourbon Lens Studio heads to the Crescent Hill Water Treatment Plant to talk with Chris, Manager of Water Quality and Compliance for Louisville Water Company, about the science and chemistry behind every glass of Louisville tap water. Chris walks through th...

Most people never think twice about the water coming out of their tap — until they hear how Louisville turned it into a source of civic pride, a public health milestone, and a hidden ingredient in the bourbon industry. At the historic Louisville Water Tower, host Jake sits down with Kelly Dearing Smith, VP of Communications and Marketing at Louisville Water, to explore why this landmark matters fa...

Five Minute Fridays is back, and this week Jake Lewellen pours Rabbit Hole Raceking — a Kentucky Straight Bourbon built around a five-grain, double chocolate malt recipe unlike anything else on the shelf. Jake breaks down what "chocolate malt" actually means (hint: it's about roast, not flavoring), then walks through the nose, palate, and finish to show how this bourbon balances roasty coffee char...

Why do independent bottlers matter, and how do they let you taste whiskey that never makes it into a distillery's core range? In Episode 3 of Whiskey Lens, Jake Lewellen sits down with Sam Filmus, founder of Impex Beverage, to unpack the world of single casks and curated collections — and how Scotch whiskey makes its way onto American shelves. Sam walks through his path into the business, starting...

What happens when Kentucky bourbon meets Japanese storytelling? In this episode of Bourbon Lens, Jake sits down bar-side with Kojin Tashiro of Mugen Spirit for a tasting and wide-ranging conversation about building a whiskey brand as a cultural bridge between Kentucky and Japan. Kojin breaks down his recent trip to Japan and how it tied directly into launching Oni, Mugen's first small batch blend...

What happens when bourbon culture collides with America's pastime? In this episode of Bourbon Lens, we sit down with Walter of Whiskey Thief to unpack the brand's partnership with the Louisville Bats at Louisville Slugger Field — a collaboration redefining what experiential bourbon looks like. We dig into the "Backstop" branded experience zone bringing whiskey tastings into the ballpark, how Whisk...

Step inside the newly reimagined Dalmore Distillery with Craig Bridger, Head of Advocacy at The Dalmore, as he sits down with Jake Lewellen to unpack the artistry behind one of Scotland's most iconic single malt Scotch whiskies. After a three-year renovation that doubled production capacity and reinvented the visitor experience, The Dalmore is entering a new era — and this conversation goes deep i...

In this episode of Five Minute Fridays, Jake Lewellen breaks down the Wild Turkey Austin Nichols Archives Gold Foil , a limited-edition 16-year-old, 120-proof whiskey that pulls straight from Wild Turkey's 1980s and '90s heritage. This one's a nostalgic throwback dressed up in a bold, high-proof finish — and Jake puts it to the test. Jake walks through the nose — confectionery sugar, leather, dark...

In this episode of Whiskey Lens, we step into the world of bespoke, age-old Scotch whisky with James Mackay of Artisan Cask (Artisanal Spirits Company). From rare drams to the art of private cask ownership, this conversation unpacks how exclusive cask experiences can elevate your entire whisky journey — and what it actually takes to own one. James shares stories from his years in premium Scotch, i...

Chip Tate (Foley Family Wine & Spirits) joins Bourbon Lens to break down the creative process behind some of the most talked-about whiskey projects on the market today — including Gambit No. 6 and Ampersand. In this episode, Chip dives deep into Gambit No. 6 , a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished across wine, apple brandy, sherry, and Tokaji casks. He explains how the final blend is bu...

What does it take to craft a whiskey that actually tells a story? In this episode, Jake Lewellen sits down with Lauren Patz, Master Blender for Redwood Empire Whiskey, to pull back the curtain on one of the most creative and regionally inspired brands in American whiskey today. Lauren walks us through her journey to becoming a master blender, the philosophy behind Redwood Empire's unique flavor pr...