Bourbon Lens

The crew is back together and we've got a blind bourbon tasting ready to go! This time, it's Buffalo Trace and we line up 3 single barrel store picks against an off-the-shelf bottle of Buffalo Trace. Which will come out on top? Are single barrels better than what you can find on any store shelf?  We share our opinions and the results of our blind tasting. We also discuss Michael's upcoming plans t...

It's National Irish Coffee Day on January 25th and we couldn't have asked for a better guest to celebrate the occasion. We're joined by Alex Conyngham from Slane Distillery in Ireland. Slane Irish Whiskey is the perfect accompaniment to the classic Irish Coffee and they've put their own spin on the cocktail to celebrate.  Partnering with Red Bay Coffee, they've developed their own roast which pair...

Castle & Key Distillery has resurrected a giant in the Kentucky Bourbon industry, the Old Taylor Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky.  And after many years of restoring the fabled location, Castle & Key has released their first whiskey. Restoration Rye, an aptly named whiskey, is the first rye whiskey to be released from this location as well.  We are joined by co-founder Wes Murry and Blend...

Maker's Mark is going on a tear with their Wood Finishing Series and Private Selection Bourbon program and people are starting to take notice. This week, Scott and Jake crack the wax on their brand new bottles of The CommUNITY Batch by Maker's Mark.  Jake and Scott also chat about early New Year resolutions and plans for making 2021 a better year for both. The CommUNITY Batch is a special release...

Terry Bradshaw joined Bourbon Lens to talk whiskey and his new Bradshaw Bourbon. Terry Bradshaw, NFL Hall of Famer and four-time Super Bowl winning quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, is widely acknowledged as today's preeminent NFL studio personality, serving as co-host on Fox NFL Sunday. While Terry is well known for his time on the football field, lately he's been busy with balancing a bou...

Hank Ingram joined us to talk about his namesake whiskey and the unique aging technique it employs. Nashville entrepreneur, Hank Ingram, is the founder of Brown Water Spirits and their line of O.H. Ingram River Aged Whiskey. As the name implies, this whiskey was river-aged inside a floating rickhouse. This rickhouse is a large barge moored to the banks of the Mississippi River, benefiting from the...

We're joined by friends and co-founders of Penelope Bourbon, Mike Paladini and Danny Polise. Penelope Bourbon was founded out of a passion for family, friendship, and great bourbon. We enjoyed sitting down with Mike and Danny to discuss the brand, its origin story, and 3 different bourbons in their lineup. Penelope is distilled at the famed MGP, but blended with diverse input from Mike and Danny....

We're joined by American Whiskey Legend, Greg Metze, for this week's podcast. If you don't know his name yet, you'll definitely know his whiskey.  Greg has decades of experience at one of the largest spirits producers in the United States; MGP in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. As part of his retirement planning, Greg decided to venture out on his own and develop products for the Old Elk Distillery, includ...

It's hard to believe we've produced 100 episodes of Bourbon Lens. The three of us spend some time talking about some of our favorite episodes, guests, and moments over the last 2 years.  We've appreciated each of our guests, our fans, and supporters who've kept us going.  Here's to another 100!! Thank you!  You'll find a full list below of all the episodes we discussed during this week's "look bac...

Gregg Snyder, from Chicken Cock Whiskey, joined the podcast to talk about all things Chicken Cock and to share some of their bourbon and rye whiskey. We discussed the history of the brand, its revival, and plans for the future, including their relationship with the Bardstown Bourbon Company Collaborative Distilling Program. Most of all, Michael and Scott enjoyed getting to hear from Gregg about hi...

This week we are discussing High West Whiskey and their new release of A Midwinter Night's Dram. Midwinter Nights Dram is a wildly popular version of High West Rendezvous Rye finished in French oak port barrels. This year is their Eighth Act (release) in the limited release series. It stands out for its unique and bold style while still appealing to many different types of whiskey drinkers. If you...

'Pappyland' tells the story of the Van Winkle family, the bourbon business, & the demand for rare wheated bourbon bearing the name of Pappy Van Winkle. We were joined by Author & ESPN's Wright Thompson to discuss his new book which just released November 10, 2020: Pappyland: A Story of Family, Fine Bourbon, and the Things That Last . The book is about so much more than bourbon; it tells th...

We're checking out a couple rye whiskies this week, including the  Old Overholt 114 Proof (Ohio only Special Release) and Hudson Whiskey's new Do the Rye Thing Rye Whiskey. The new, higher proof Old Overholt is a spin on a classic rye. It is limited to Ohio only at this point, but it has garnered some good reviews from those who have had the opportunity to land a bottle. Find out how we think thes...

We are joined by Jackie Zykan, Master Taster for Louisville's Bourbon Brand, Old Forester. Jake and Michael sat down to discuss the brand's growth and her rise through the ranks.  We sipped Old Forester Rye Whiskey during this episode, which is another staple to add to any bar.  We also discuss the growth of the lineup from the Whisky Row series, Statesman, and bringing back President's Choice.  Y...

The Bourbon Lens Crew had the privilege of taking a private tour of the Rabbit Hole Distillery in Downtown Louisville recently. We sat down with the Brand's Digital Ambassador, Adam Edwards, to discuss the history of the distillery, its founder Kaveh Zamanian, and the spirits they craft. We discuss the ultra exclusive Founder's Collection and its first offering, Boxergrail Rye Whiskey at Cask Stre...

This week we have a solid lineup of limited edition bourbons from Maker's Mark. Our first podcast back together as a group of 3 since the pandemic started, we had a lot of fun catching up and talking shop. We each brought something different to run through a tasting together. Jake had Maker's 101 and Maker's 46 Cask Strength, Scott brought Maker's Cask Strength (Batch 20-03), and Michael grabbed h...

Raj Peter Bhakta, the founder of WhistlePig and now Bhakta Farms, has left the world of rye whiskey and entered into the world of rare Armagnac brandy. Raj just introduced BHAKTA 50, a marriage of Argmanac's he discovered with Vintages from 1868 - 1970. And he's gone a step further  and finished it in Islay casks. A complex spirit that is ideal for the curious  whiskey lover. Sweet and smoky but n...

Maryland Style Rye Whiskey is the topic today.  We explore a handful of rye whiskies from Sagamore Spirit in Baltimore Maryland.  We're joined by Brian Treacy to talk about what makes Sagamore Spirit unique, their core lineup, and some exciting limited release rye whiskies.  Sagamore Spirit jump started their brand sourcing some of the wildly popular "MGP Rye" from Indiana's largest distillery, bu...

Jake and Scott are at it again with another Bourbon Heritage Month episode.  This time, we dive into the world of Bourbon Hunting and the madness created every Fall surrounding "Bourbon Hunting Season." Jake and Scott discuss their different perceptions of bourbon hunting and seeking out the rare and expensive bottles that pop up around this time every year.  We also discuss some of this year's hi...

Jake and Scott taste through two heavy-hitting Bottled in Bond Bourbon releases; Old Fitzgerald 15 Year Old and Wild Turkey Master's Keep 17 Year Bottled in Bond. While both are limited releases, we discuss how they stack up against each other and in the bourbon world. Each has their own highlights, high price points, and we both had to pick a winner after a side-by-side tasting. We appreciate eve...

We're continuing National Bourbon Heritage Month with a relatively new Kentucky distillery. This week, it's New Riff Distillery, which claims to put "A New Riff on an Old Tradition". We are joined by Jay Erisman, vice-president of strategic development and co-founder of the distillery in Newport, Kentucky. We discuss the meaning of "New Riff", the brand's focus on bottled in bond whiskey, and what...

Jake and Scott are finally back on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.  This time, we stop in Lebanon Kentucky at Limestone Branch Distillery, producers of the famed Yellowstone Bourbon.  We sit down with Steve Beam and share the full lineup of Limestone Branch whiskies.  Steve Beam is in the Beam Family Tree, which has had their hands in the bourbon of nearly every major distillery in Kentucky. In additi...

Just in time for National Bourbon Heritage Month, we are exploring a first for us, bourbon barrel aged wine. We may be familiar with wine barrel-finished bourbons, but what about the other way around?  Josh Cellars recently introduced their Reserve Bourbon Barrel Aged Cabernet Sauvignon which was matured in Redemption Bourbon barrels for two months.  We shared some whiskey and wine with the Founde...

We're joined by Marianne Eaves to discuss her career in the whiskey world and her aspirations for the future. Marianne is currently the Master Blender behind Sweetens Cove Tennessee Bourbon. We were lucky enough to taste through Batch #1 with Marianne and learn her process behind selecting whiskey for blending and for single barrel selections. About Marianne Eaves: She's no stranger to the spirits...

MGP is well known in the bourbon and whiskey world, though there is a bit of mystery behind the historic Lawrenceburg Indiana distillery. We're joined by MGP Master Blender, David Whitmer, to explore the history of MGP, King of The Bootleggers George Remus, and MGP's core lineup of whiskies. We taste through two offerings of Rossville Union Rye, George Remus Bourbon, and a very special limited rel...