Bourbon Lens

Bruce Joseph, Master Distiller of Hotaling & Co., joins us to discuss one of the original craft rye whiskies post-Prohibition.  Old Potrero emerged out San Francisco after a few brewers decided to try their hand at distillation in the mid-1990s.  Hotaling & Co. (formerly the Anchor Distilling Company) produces several rye whiskies under the Old Potrero namesake. This unique rye whiskey is made from 100% malted rye grain and distilled using pot stills.  We had the opportunity to try Old Potrero Straight Rye (aged 4.5 years in new charred oak) and 18th Century Rye (aged 2.5 years in toasted oak), each of which bear some similarities but are unique due to the influence of the barrels used in aging.  

About Old Potrero and Hotaling & Co.
Hotaling & Co., formerly Anchor Distilling Company, was established in 1993 by Fritz Maytag, the same beverage visionary who sparked the craft beer movement with his purchase of Anchor Brewing in 1965. After several decades of exclusively producing beer, Maytag and his team saw an opportunity in craft distilling in the early 1990s. The team began experimenting after realizing that there were no copper pot-distilled whiskies or gins still being made legally in America. The Return of Pot-Distilled Whiskey to the United States Old Potrero recreates the original whiskey of America, and marks the return of pot-distilled whiskey in the
United States, with rye being the grain of choice for America's first distillers. Finding inspiration in the rye whiskies of America's past and the great single malt whiskies of Scotland, the original distilling team, which included master distiller Bruce Joseph, who now marks his 40th anniversary at Hotaling & Co., began building a distillery. The first whiskey went into barrel in 1994, and the distillery soon began producing three rye whiskies, all pot-distilled from a mash of 100% malted rye at the Hotaling & Co. Distillery on
San Francisco's Potrero Hill: Old Potrero Straight Rye Whiskey (48.5% ABV); Old Potrero 18th Century Style Rye Whiskey (51.2% ABV), and Old Potrero Single Malt Hotaling's Whiskey (50% ABV), in addition to limited-edition special finishes. Leading spirits historian David Wondrich has since named Old Potrero the "#6 most influential spirit of the last 25 years."

A New Chapter as Hotaling & Co.
In 2017, Anchor Brewing Company was sold, and although Anchor Distilling Company was not part of the sale, it relinquished the rights to use the "Anchor" trademark. In early 2018, the new name of "Hotaling & Co." was announced, a reference to one of Anchor Distilling's most beloved small batch whiskeys and to the San Francisco legend A.P. Hotaling, who came out West during the Gold Rush and quickly became one of the original and most reputable spirits dealers in the country. Born in 1828, Hotaling moved from New York to California in 1852, where he found his calling in San Francisco as a purveyor of fine whiskeys and proceeded to build the largest liquor wholesaler in the West. In San Francisco drinks culture, Hotaling's name became immortalized when his whiskey warehouse on Jackson Street survived the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire.

Today, Hotaling & Co. is a quickly growing distiller and importer representing a curated portfolio of super-premium artisanal spirits like Luxardo Liqueurs, Nikka Whisky, and HINE Cognac, and celebrates 26 years of production.

Learn more at www.HotalingandCo.com

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Cheers!
Scott, Michael, & Jake
The Bourbon Lens

We are joined by Alexander Berezowski, founder of My Cigar Pack and Cigar Yard, to talk cigars. We discuss the parallels in cigar culture and the world of whiskey as well as what makes the modern cigar smoker different. Alexander generously shared some fine cigars with us to pair with our whiskies of choice. Alexander is a driven entrepreneur who is constantly striving to bring the world's best cigars to all types of cigar lovers. My Cigar Pack and its sister company, Cigar Yard, have partnered with some of the world's premier cigar makers and brands. This subscription service is very affordable at $35 per month for 5 premium cigars plus a smoking accessory (HINT: We even landed a code for a discount for our listeners. See below). The only choice you need to make is whether you prefer Mild, Medium, or Full strength cigars and My Cigar Pack will handle the rest. We appreciate Alexander for sharing some cigars with us and we look forward to enjoy many more as we learn how to pair cigars with whiskey.

We encourage you to check out MyCigarPack.com and subscribe;  use Code: BOURBONLENS10 and pay ONLY $25 for your first month of 5 cigars.

The Benefits of My Cigar Pack Explained

We would appreciate you giving us a 5 star rating on your podcast app and please leave us a written review. This will help others discover our podcast and will help us expand our reach.

Also, be sure to follow us @BourbonLens on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please email us at [email protected].

Visit our website BourbonLens.com to check out our blog posts and see what we are up to.

Cheers!
Scott, Michael, & Jake
The Bourbon Lens

We had a great time learning the history of Jefferson's Bourbon, sourcing whiskey in Kentucky, and sending bourbon on trips around the globe.  Trey Zoeller, Founder of Jefferson's Bourbon, joins us for a great evening enjoying two of Jefferson's popular offerings, Jefferson's Ocean Aged at Sea and Jefferson's Reserve Pritchard Hill Cabernet Cask Finish.  We also talked about a little friedly competition between himself and Julian Van Winkle (of the Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery aka Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon) in the mid to late 1990s and early 2000s.  

Photo Credit:  Jefferson's Bourbon
Links:
Jefferson's Bourbon Official Website
Popular Mechanics Article on Aging Bourbon on a Boat (discussed during podcast)
Details on Each Ocean Voyage
Maxim Featuring Jefferson's
Learn more about Ocearch

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Cheers! 
Jake, Michael, & Scott
The Bourbon Lens

Michael and Scott catch up over some bourbon and discuss some exciting, upcoming releases in the whiskey world.  We also discuss our hopes in getting back out on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail as COVID-19 has dealt a heavy blow to the tourism industry.

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Also, be sure to follow us @BourbonLens on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

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Cheers! 
Scott, Michael, & Jake
The Bourbon Lens

*Images Credit: Buffalo Trace Distillery

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a firefighter and first responder at one of the world's largest bourbon distilleries? This week, we sit down with Jim Beam Fire Chief Kevin Mercer and some whiskies from Knob Creek. You'll hear all about the fire department and some details about distillery operations at The James B. Beam Distilling Co.  And hear our thoughts on the new Knob Creek 12 Year Old Bourbon and Single Barrel of Knob Creek Rye.  Finally, be sure you check out what Chief Mercer is doing on Instagram in the Bourbon and Fire communities.  Follow along with @Chief_Mercer and #FireCompanyAlliance and at his website, www.ChiefMercer.com

Be sure to follow Chief Mercer on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook for some excellent behind the scenes photos of the Distillery.  

Links to some great images from Chief Mercer:

Jim Beam American Stillhouse at Night
Jim Beam's Fire Truck
Chief Mercer in Action
T.W. Samuels Distillery in Deatsville, KY  

*Please note:  All opinions of Kevin Mercer on this podcast are his own and do not express the views or opinions of his employer.

We would appreciate you giving us a 5 star rating on your podcast app and please leave us a written review. This will help others discover our podcast and will help us expand our reach.

Also, be sure to follow us @BourbonLens on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please email us at [email protected].

Visit our website BourbonLens.com to check out our blog posts and see what we are up to.

Cheers! 
Scott, Michael, & Jake
The Bourbon Lens

We line up 4 single barrel, store picks of the ever-popular Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon.  We also discuss life during the Covid-19 quarantine.  The quarantine has provided us with an opportunity to sample some great and some unique whiskies. 

The four picks we sampled are from:
A) Louisville Bourbon Club/Evergreen Liquors,
B) Bottles Unlimited,
C) Liquor Barn, and
D) Keg Liquors Indiana

We think we've found a clear winner, but we discuss the nuances of store picks and single barrel programs.  And, finally, we discuss the prospect of having a single barrel, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof.  Maybe just a dream of ours.  What about you?

For more on Elijah Craig, check out the following links from:

Vine Pair on Elijah Craig

Heaven Hill Distillery - Elijah Craig Small Batch

About Elijah Craig Small Batch

Elijah Craig Small Batch is made exclusively from batches of 200 barrels or less of 8- to 12- year-old Bourbon. First brought to market in 1986, Heaven Hill's Master Distillers were selecting a small number of barrels of the finest Bourbon to make Elijah Craig long before the term "small batch" even existed. It is this attention to detail and superb craftsmanship that give Elijah Craig an ideal balance of age, robust body and rich flavor. Its accolades have included a "Double Gold Medal" at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and two-time "Best of the Best" Bourbon by Whisky Magazine.

This signature spirit bears the name of the Rev. Elijah Craig, "The Father of Bourbon" who established his distillery in 1789. He is credited with being the first distiller to age his Kentucky whiskey in charred oak barrels. The clear, unaged corn liquor became transformed into a bold amber liquid with a distinctively smooth flavor that makes Bourbon what it is. Produced by Heaven Hill Distillery and one of its bestselling Bourbons by case volume, it is complemented by Elijah Craig 12-Year-Old Barrel Proof, Elijah Craig 18-Year-Old Single Barrel and Elijah Craig 23-Year-Old Single Barrel in the portfolio. For more information, please visit www.elijahcraig.com.

We would appreciate you giving us a 5 star rating on your podcast app and please leave us a written review. This will help others discover our podcast and will help us expand our reach.

Also, be sure to follow us @BourbonLens on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please email us at [email protected].

Visit our website BourbonLens.com to check out our blog posts and see what we are up to.

Cheers! 
Scott, Michael, & Jake
The Bourbon Lens

On this week's episode we sit down with Chattanooga Whiskey Co-Founder and CEO Tim Piersant. Their signature Tennessee High Malt whiskey is made up of four grains including 3 specialty malts that provide a unique and very complex flavor profile (which, is a technically a Straight Bourbon also). Tim walks us through the history of distillation in the city of Chattanooga and the role they played in getting distillation legalized again in his hometown. Tim also talks about what made him start Chattanooga Whiskey and their interesting trial and error method of discovering their flagship whiskey mash bill. Their wild method of finding that perfect mash bill also lead to one of the most interesting experimental distillery programs we've heard of yet.  

Scott, Jake, and Michael really enjoyed this whiskey after much anticipation to try it. Kick back and pour yourself a dram and enjoy this episode. We were happy we discovered a great whiskey brand. This is a Tennessee whiskey that we can really get behind!

We would appreciate you giving us a 5 star rating on your podcast app and please leave us a written review. This will help others discover our podcast and will help us expand our reach.

Also, be sure to follow us @BourbonLens on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please email us at [email protected].

Visit our website BourbonLens.com to check out our blog posts and see what we are up to.

Cheers! 
Jake, Michael, & Scott
The Bourbon Lens

LINKS:

Chattanooga Whiskey Website

Forbes: Meet The Bourbon Distiller Who Refuses To Brand His Bourbon 'Bourbon'

Branching out and exploring Australian Whisky in this week's episode with David Vitale, Founder of Starward.  Starward Australian Whisky was founded in 2007 but recently released in the US with two solid expressions; Nova Single Malt Whisky and Two-Fold Double Grain Whisky. We were able to enjoy both of with Founder David Vitale via Skype.

Since its Australian debut in 2016, Starward Nova has received numerous accolades including two gold medals at the 2016 San Francisco World Spirits Competition for both the "World's Best Craft Distilled Whisky" and the "Best Australian Single Malt Whisky". Starward was also named "Best Australian Whisky Innovator" from Icons of Whisky and crowned "Best Australian Single Malt" by the World Whiskies Awards in 2016 and 2017.

Starward was founded by David Vitale in 2007 in Melbourne, Australia and is a modern Australian whisky, matured in Australian red wine barrels.  The ingredients used to distill Starward are a day's drive away from the Melbourne-based distillery. The red wine barrels that mature the whisky are built around a broad cross section of big Australian reds, including 100L Barossa Shiraz barrels. The quick turnaround time between the barrels being disgorged at the winery and arriving at Starward means that the barrels retain much of their original character that is apparent in the flavor and texture of the whisky.  You'll find ample red fruit notes and complex aromas, we definitely enjoyed the departure from our usual American bourbons and ryes. 

LINKS:

Find Starward on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @StarwardWhisky.

Follow David on Instagram at @IAmDavidVitale

Starward Whisky Website

New York Times Feature on Australian Whisky 

Goodfood.com on Australian Whisky

We would appreciate you giving us a 5 star rating on your podcast app and please leave us a written review. This will help others discover our podcast and will help us expand our reach.

Also, be sure to follow us @BourbonLens on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please email us at [email protected].

-Jake, Michael, Scott
The Bourbon Lens

*Photo Credit: Starward Whisky

Self-proclaimed "Whiskey Farmers", Colby Frey and Ashley Frey recently introduced their first bourbon and have staked their claim in the craft bourbon space.  Frey Ranch Distillery is a true ground-to-glass "whiskey farm" and distillery located in Northern Nevada's Lake Tahoe Watershed, where the Frey family has been farming since 1854. The 1,500-acre Frey Ranch is owned and operated by fifth-generation farmer Colby Frey and his wife Ashley, who founded a distillery on the property in 2006 and began aging whiskies onsite in a hand-built barrel warehouse in 2014.

This past December, Frey Ranch released its first Straight Bourbon Whiskey ($49.99) in Nevada. This 90-proof bourbon is aged for a minimum of four years and boasts a 4 Grain mash bill of non-GMO corn, winter cereal rye, winter wheat, and two-row malted barley, 100% of which is grown onsite at Frey Ranch. This 4 year old, 4 grain bourbon is complex with a long finish, thanks to the varied climate and broad temperature swings in Northern Nevada. 

Frey Ranch is looking to expand their market share and will be available in California soon.  Also, it will be available this summer, along with their Rye Whiskey, through online retailers, such as https://www.bountyhunterwine.com/.  We recommend you seek out this bourbon, which stands out on any shelf and will stand out on your bar.  

We would appreciate you giving us a 5 star rating on your podcast app and please leave us a written review. This will help others discover our podcast and will help us expand our reach.

Also, be sure to follow us @BourbonLens on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please email us at [email protected].

Visit our website BourbonLens.com to check out our blog posts and see what we are up to.


Thanks for listening, 
Scott, Jake, and Michael
The Bourbon Lens

*Blog Post Images Credit to Frey Ranch Distillery

On this week's episode we take a trip to Starlight, Indiana to visit the Starlight Distillery located at Huber's Orchard & Winery. Huber's is most known for their world-famous wine and entertainment at the winery. We were met by co-owner and Master Distiller Ted Huber and his son and associate distiller, Christian Huber. They were kind enough to give us a private tour of the distillery and share some very special whiskies with us.  

We then sat down to do what we do, record a podcast. Ted and Christian give us and you an inside look into what it takes to run a grain-to-bottle distillery, what they look for in their whiskies, and how their wine making experience plays a vital role in how they make whiskey. We were also joined by the Starlight Marketing Director, James Wood. James walks us through how Starlight is able to  compete in a crowded marketplace and what sets Starlight apart through the distribution channel. 

If you have some Starlight whiskey or some Huber's wine, pour yourself a glass and listen to this exciting podcast. We think you will learn a lot from our great conversation with the Starlight team, cheers!

We would appreciate you giving us a 5 star rating on your favorite podcast app and please leave us a written review. This will help others discover our podcast and will help us expand our reach.

Also, be sure to follow us @BourbonLens on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please email us at [email protected].

Visit our website BourbonLens.com to check out our blog posts for news and reviews.

Thanks for listening,
Scott, Jake, and Michael
The Bourbon Lens