Bourbon Lens

Today's episode features the limited release Double Barrel Maple Bourbon from Taconic Distillery.  Michael and Scott also dive into the world of Whiskey Instagram and how we see things changing  on the platform.  The Double Barrel Maple Bourbon is the 115 proof release and it was barreled in Catskill Mountain Sugarhouse maple syrup barrels.  We also compared it to Taconic's Mizunara finished bourbon from Episode 48.  Enjoy today's episode and be sure to keep an eye out for the whiskies coming out of New York's Taconic Distillery.

About Taconic Distillery:

Taconic Distillery, established in 2013, is a purveyor of fine craft spirits located in the Hudson Valley of New York. We handcraft our award-winning bourbon and rye whiskies in small batches using the finest ingredients, including grains grown in New York and natural spring water from our farm. 

Inspired by hunting and fishing, Taconic embraces a passion for the outdoors and that passion is imprinted on all our spirits.

All of our spirits are brilliant for simple sipping. They also make excellent traditional and signature cocktails.

We are proud members of the American Distilling Institute, the American Craft Spirits Association and the New York Distillers Guild.

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.

The three of us are back together again and we have 3 barrel proof bourbons ready to go.  This time, we taste a flight of the 2019 offerings of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof.

Heaven Hill released three high proof, 12 year old bourbons in 2019, as they do every year of their popular Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon.  The Batches are as follows:

RELEASE DATE        BATCH NO.         PROOF

January 2019         A119                       135.2

May 2019                B519                      122.2

September 2019    C919                      136.8

From Heaven Hill:  

To sip our Barrel Proof Bourbon is to experience Bourbon in its purest form—uncut, straight from the barrel, and without chill filtering. Each bottle is hand labeled with its unique proof and batch number but the nose, taste, and finish of every sip is pure Elijah Craig. We're proud to say that remarkable consistency earned us the award of Whisky Advocate's "Whisky of the Year."

With Barrel Proof, you can enjoy Elijah Craig much the same way our Master Distillers do when they sample straight from the barrel in our Kentucky rickhouses.

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.

On this week's episode, while Scott is out for the birth of his new son, Jake and Michael take time to reflect back on The Bourbon Lens' first year and highlights for us in 2019, and oh yeah, put some rye whiskies to the test.

We put eight rye whiskies through the rye flight challenge. Comparing the match-ups by proof, we sipped some really fine rye whiskey, and one that was a real letdown, who will it be?

Rye Flight Fights:

•     Bulleit Rye 12 Year (92 Proof) vs. Colonel EH Taylor Straight Rye (100  Proof)
•     Angel's Envy Finished Rye (100 Proof) vs. Wild Turkey 101 Rye (101 Proof)
•     Parkers Heritage Rye 8 Year (105 Proof) vs. Pikesville Rye (110 Proof)
•     Willett Family Estate Small Batch Rye 4 Year (111 Proof) vs. Wilderness    Trail Rye (112 Proof)

Tune in to see which was our favorite and least favorite. The beautiful thing about whiskey is that everyone's pallet is unique, so be sure to let us know which of these rye whiskies you prefer!

As always, 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.

On this week's episode Michael sits down with glassmaker Denver Cramer, co-owner of Denver & Liely. Denver & Liely is a company founded by two engineers in Melbourne, Australia with a passion for designing spirits glasses that enhance the drinker's connection with the spirit they are consuming. 

This episode takes a trip down memory lane as we discuss Denver's passions and life journeys that have been inspirational for his success. We discuss his decision to quit his day job and pursue the idea of creating a premier glass company, and the travels taken to gain inspiration in the designs of the glass. 

It was a lot of fun getting to chat with our new mate from the land down under. We have been long time fans of the glasses they make and certainly enjoy our whiskey just a little bit more when consuming from them. So enjoy the episode and go check out Denver & Liely, they have a glass to suit every type of drinker, cheers!

Check out our full review on their Bourbon Glass on our website: https://bourbonlens.com/denverliely/  

www.denverandliely.com

Instagram: @denverandliely

Facebook: Denver & Liely

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

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].

The Bourbon Lens version of a Christmas Gift Guide.  Gift guides can be found everywhere on the internet, but this podcast episode is a fresh spin on that idea. We take several "Whiskey Friend" stereotypes and suggest bottles of whiskey for each. Some of these gifts might be serious, most are sarcastic, but you're sure to find the perfect whiskey bottle to gift your friends.  

Here's the listing of those typical "Whiskey Friend" stereotypes:

• Whiskey Tater
• The guy who calls Old RIP Van Winkle, "Pappy"
• The guy who refers to all Whiskey as Bourbon
• The guy who drinks Bourbon and Coke on the rocks
• The guy who self proclaimed as "The Wheater"
• The guy who just started buying bourbon 
• The guy who claims all bourbon is made in Kentucky 

Be sure to let us know if we missed any stereotypes or if there are any whiskies we may have overlooked in our episode. 

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.

On this week's episode we sit down with Broken Barrel Whiskey Founder and CEO, Seth Benhaim. Seth started the Infuse Spirits Company in 2012 when he was 25 years old. The Infuse Spirits line focuses on naturally infusing and blending spirits with natural fruits and spices. Seth's passion for infusing spirits led him to become the youngest brand owner to ever win Best-in-Show and Double-Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.  

While the Infuse Spirits line primarily focuses on blending and infusing Vodka spirits, Seth realized he wanted to expand his blending experience to whiskey. This created the spin off from Infuse Spirits to Broken Barrel. We sat down with Seth and shared some pours of his Single Oak series of Broken Barrel Whiskey. The premise of this project, was sourcing Kentucky and Indiana whiskey, and then additional aging in steel containers, using staves from used barrels. In the single cask series, Seth has created a Mizunara finish, a Peated Scotch finish, and an Amontillado Sherry finish. Seth's process for accomplishing this, is to use reclaimed barrels that have seen a life of aging other whiskies. Once Seth receives the used barrels at his Los Angeles warehouse, he removes the barrel hoops and then the fun part, smashing the barrels with a sledge hammer, giving him the staves needed to age his whiskey and created unique flavor profiles.

It was fun getting to sit and talk with Seth for this podcast. Seth is not a Master Distiller, he is a spirits enthusiast who loves to blend sourced spirits and create new and interesting flavors that stand out in a crowded market. So pour yourself a dram and enjoy the show as we discuss what it's like to start a business in the spirits industry and the inspiration behind creating the Broken Barrel Single Cask Series: Mizunara, Isle of Peat, and The Cask of Amontillado.

Cheers!

Details on The Single Oak Series Lineup from Broken Barrel Whiskey:

Isle of Peat

Mizunara

The Cask of Amantillado

Read The Cask  of Amontillado from Edgar Allen Poe

As always, 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.

Where is Broken Barrel Whiskey / Infuse Spirits Available?

Available across the US (ask your retailer)
In Kentucky (small sampling): 

• TOTAL WINE & MORE 
• BARDSTOWN BOURBON CO
• MAMMOTH LIQUORS 
• LIBBYS COVINGTON
• DEPS FINE WINE & SPIRITS COVINGTON
• DEPS FINE WINE 424 ALEXANDRIA PIKE FORT THOMAS
• CORK & BOTTLE 584 BUTTERMILK PIKE FT MITCHELL  
• GO BIG BLUE LIQUOR 1260 FOX CREEK RD STE B LAWRENCEBURG  
• LUCKYS MARKET LIQUOR  210 N HURSTBOURNE PKWY LOUISVILLE
• ASPEN CREEK #376 8000 BARDSTOWN RD LOUISVILLE
• DOC CROWS SMOKEHOUSE 127 W MAIN ST LOUISVILLE  
• JS LIQUORS 2216 NEW HARTFORD RD OWENSBORO  
• SOUTHSIDE WINE & SPIRITS 222 S MAYO TRL PIKEVILLE
• THE BOURBON BARN 640 W KY 92 STE 1 WILLIAMSBURG

From Buffalo Trace to The Big Apple.  Brandon Collins, Head Distiller for Taconic Distillery, joins us for this week's episode of The Bourbon Lens.  Brandon moved on from his role at one of the most recognizable distilleries in world to take on craft distilling in New York state. Taconic Distillery is located 90 miles north of New York City and is gaining ground by their willingness to experiment with excellent barrel finishes and their ability to produce high quality bourbon and rye whiskey.  On this episode, we were drinking Taconic's Mizunara Cask finished bourbon, weighing in at 107 proof.  Read more on Mizunara Oak in this article from Wine Enthusiast

We hope you enjoy this week's episode and maybe even discover a rising distillery you might not be aware of.  Taconic Distillery has plans to expand its distribution to Kentucky during 2020, so look for them on a shelf near you soon.

Brandon Collins Bio/Background: 
Raised in Carlisle, OH, Brandon grew up with a love of chemistry that eventually led to his passion for producing amazing whiskey. Brandon received a BS in Chemical Engineering at Ohio State University, where his studies included Brewing and Fermentation Science. After graduating college, he went on to hold a highly coveted Distillery Supervisor position at Buffalo Trace.  During his tenure at Buffalo Trace, the oldest continuously operating distillery in the country, Buffalo Trace was named "Whiskey Distiller of the Year" in 2014 and "Brand Innovator of the Year" in 2015, by Whisky Magazine's "Icons of Whisky America". 

During his travels Brandon developed a love for New York City, where he currently resides.  When an opportunity arose at Long Island Spirits in 2017 he decided it was time to combine his two passions and relocate to New York.  There he went on to produce a "Chairman's Trophy Rye Whiskey" in the Ultimate Spirits Challenge.

About Taconic Distillery:

Taconic Distillery, established in 2013, is a purveyor of fine craft spirits located in the Hudson Valley of New York. We handcraft our award-winning bourbon and rye whiskies in small batches using the finest ingredients, including grains grown in New York and natural spring water from our farm. 

Inspired by hunting and fishing, Taconic embraces a passion for the outdoors and that passion is imprinted on all our spirits.

All of our spirits are brilliant for simple sipping. They also make excellent traditional and signature cocktails.

We are proud members of the American Distilling Institute, the American Craft Spirits Association and the New York Distillers Guild.

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.

We sat down with Distiller Alan Bishop and Jolee Kasprzak from The Spirits of French Lick Distillery in West Baden Springs, Indiana. We recorded this episode on location in the Spirits of French Lick Barrel Chai (Warehouse) while enjoying some of their Lee W. Sinclair 4 Grain Bourbon.  This is a distillery that truly embraces it motto, "Respect the Grain."  Find out why Alan Bishop dislikes being called a Master Distiller and prefers "Alchemist" instead. Alan is a wealth of knowledge on the history of distillation, the spirited history of Indiana, and the process of making spirits with various techniques, technology, & ingredients.  

SHOW LINKS:

Spirits of French Lick Distillery Official Website

Spirits of French Lick product lineup

Alan Bishop Blog Site for History Lessons and More

Follow Spirits of French Lick on Instagram

Follow Alan Bishop on Instagram - TheAlchemistCabinet

Follow Jolee (aka Big Red) on Instagram

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.

Stephen Gould, Owner of Golden Moon Distillery & Gun Fighter Whiskey, joins The Bourbon Lens Podcast. Stephen has close to 30 years of distilling experience. Golden Moon and Gun Fighter are Stephen's brands and he is looking to grow in the industry. Stephen has also collaborated with many others including the Legend, Dave Pickerell. His expertise is not limited to whiskey; Stephen enjoys creating several unique and historical spirits. You'll find Stephen distilling gin, absinthe, and many more you've likely never heard of. We hope you enjoy this episode and discover Golden Moon Distillery. Be sure to check out Gun Fighter Double Cask Bourbon Whiskey which we enjoyed while recording this episode.

Find more about Golden Moon Distillery and Gun Fighter Whiskey at the following links:

Golden Moon Distillery - Official Website

Golden Moon Distillery Instagram

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.

What is it like to run a small business in the Kentucky Bourbon industry? We sat down with the Owner and leather craftsman behind the BourbonWare brand.  BourbonWare is the brainchild and nearly lifelong passion of Micah Sierp. Micah has been involved in the leather crafting trade for over 20 years and is proud to follow in his father's trade.  BourbonWare's flagship product, the Lexington Rocks Glass was developed by Micah in 2007; a 13.5oz Libbey rocks glass which is tightly wrapped with an English Bridle leather sleeve.  According to the brand, "Anything Else is Just a Glass."

BourbonWare's story started when Micah convinced Woodford Reserve to buy a dozen of these glasses with their original Labrot & Graham logo. Woodford Reserve has been a strong supporter and customer ever since.  In 2011, Micah took this glass creation and started BourbonWare. Today, you'll see a variety of BourbonWare's products in distilleries across the Bluegrass and beyond. 

BourbonWare features vegetable tanned English bridle leather from Wickett & Craig tannery in Pennsylvania and Libbey glassware.

The next time you are in a gift shop, ask for BourbonWare. Grab a glass for yourself or as a gift, you'll recognize the fine leather craftsmanship immediately.   If you are interested in ordering, head to BourbonWare.com. Micah has generously given our listeners a 15% discount on his website; just use the COUPON CODE:  BW15. Also, check out BourbonWare on Instagram.

We would appreciate you giving us a 5 star rating on your podcast app of choice and please leave us a written review.  This helps 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.