Bourbon Lens

It may not be Avengers: Infinity Wars, but we had a battle this week. We found out how difficult it is to blend whiskey. Each of us tried our hands at blending our own whiskey (blend recipes listed below) and we lined them up in a blind tasting.  Find out who wins this week's challenge and who might need some more practice.  Also, during the episode you'll learn how you can get your hands on these same whiskey blends to taste for yourself. Be sure to follow us on Instagram for more details.

What is an "Infinity Bottle"?

How the Infinity Bottle Became a Whiskey Nerd Obsession

How to experience the glories of the Whiskey Infinity Bottle

Infinity Bottle Tips

Every Whiskey Drinker Needs an Infinity Bottle

1) Jake's Bottle Contents:

Blantons
Uncle Nearest
Peerless Single Barrel Rye
Buffalo Trace store pick
Weller Special Reserve
Weller CYPB
Weller 12
Kentucky Owl Rye batch 2
Four Roses Small Batch
Four Roses Small Batch Select
EH Taylor Small Batch
Paniolo
Woodford Double Oaked store pick
St Augustine Double Barrel
Jim Beam Legent
Angel's Envy Oloroso Sherry Cask
High West - Double Rye
High West - American Prairie
High West - Campfire
High West - Bourye
High West - Yippie Ki Yay

2) Michael's Bottle Contents:

Sazerac Rye
Henry McKenna BIB
Weller Antique107
Blantons
Elijah Craig BP - Batch B
Stagg Jr
Wilderness Trail Rye
Old Forester 1910
Peerless Rye single barrel
EH Taylor Small Batch
Knob Creek Single Barrel
Eagle Rare
Wild Turkey Rare Breed
Willett Rye
Pikesville Rye
Makers Mark Cask Strength
Evan Williams BIB
Four Roses Small Batch Select

3) Scott's Bottle Contents:

JTS Brown BIB
Wild Turkey Rare Breed
Russel's Reserve 10 Year
Henry McKenna BIB
Stagg Jr.
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A119
Woodford Reserve Double Oaked
Early Times BIB
1792 BIB Single Barrel Store Pick
Buffalo Trace
Wilderness Trail Single Barrel Bourbon
Rabbit Hole Heigold
Virgin Bourbon 101 Proof - NAS
Heaven Hill BIB - 6 Year Old

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We dive into a set of samples sent to us by Bourbon Charity. This is a blind tasting to find the best bourbon under $30. Bourbon Charity is an organization which is utilizing bourbon to benefit several non-profit and charitable organizations. "Drink for A Change" is one of their mottos and this latest effort will benefit the Prostate Cancer Foundation, Children's Tumor Foundation, Fisher House Foundation, Boys and Girls Club of East Valley, and Charity: Water. 

Learn more about Bourbon Charity, the organizations that support, and how you can help on their website, BourbonCharity.org.

The Blind Tasting Lineup Features:
1. Four Roses Small Batch
2. Maker's Mark
3. Woodford Reserve
4. Knob Creek Small Batch
5. Buffalo Trace

{SPOILER ALERT}

30 people from across the USA took the Under $30 Blind Tasting Challenge and the winner is:
Buffalo Trace

1st Place: Buffalo Trace (3.32 average score)
2nd Place: Four Roses (3.04 average score)
3rd Place: Knob Creek (3.04 average score)
4th Place: Woodford Reserve (2.96 average score)
5th Place Makers Mark (2.80 average score)

NOTE: Four Roses and Knob Creek tied but Four Roses had more first place votes.

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.

There is no "smoke and mirrors" when it comes to Bardstown Bourbon Company. This episode features an interview with Dan Callaway from Bardstown Bourbon Company. Dan is the Assistant Vice President of Customer Relations for Bardstown Bourbon and handles the customer facing side of the business as well as product development. We enjoyed several excellent whiskies from Bardstown Bourbon Company as we learned about their take on the future of the bourbon industry and how they intend to be a part of it in a big way. Dan shared the Discovery Series with us as well as some exciting new, fall releases from Bardstown, part of their Collaborative Series.

Be sure to check out Dan on Instagram for some behind the scenes at Bardstown Bourbon Company (BBCo Official Instagram).

Links:
Bardstown Bourbon Company Website

Whiskey We Enjoyed During this Episode

Bardstown Bourbon Company Drops 3 New Collaborative Whiskeys

Copper & Kings American Brandy Company

Bardstown restaurant credits foreign exchange program for its recent success

About Bardstown Bourbon Company:

We operate one of the most sophisticated distilleries in the country, with a focus on transparency — all open spaces and clear glass — putting the science and craft of whiskey-making front and center for all to see.

Our Collaborative Distilling Program brings together some of the most experienced distillers in the industry under one roof. This completely unique and inclusive process allows our customers to create alongside us and drives education, innovation, and experimentation. We produce nearly 40 unique mash bills for some of the finest whiskey and bourbon brands, including Jefferson's, High West, Belle Meade, Hirsch, Calumet, James E. Pepper, Cyrus Noble, and many others.

Thank You!

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.

We line up 3 single barrel bourbons from Jake's whiskey collection this week. The newcomer, Kentucky Peerless Bourbon, takes on the ever-popular EH Taylor Single Barrel from Buffalo Trace and the ultra-aged 18 year old Elijah Craig from Heaven Hill.  We also discuss the benefits of small batch and blending vs. single barrel bourbons.

Find out how each ranked in our blind tasting episode of single barrel bourbons.

SHOW LINKS:

Elijah Craig 18-Year-Old Single Barrel

E.H. Taylor, Jr. Collection

Kentucky Peerless Single Barrel Bourbon

Don't forget to give 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 listener base.

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].

And finally, visit our website BourbonLens.com to check out our blog posts and see what we are up to.

A Chicago whiskey enthusiast is gaining popularity on Instagram. We sat down with Chris aka UrbanBourbonist on Instagram and discuss bourbon tourism in Louisville, Instagram as a social media platform, and how Chris is utilizing the platform with his live stream interviews of those in the whiskey industry. Chris is also an Executive Bourbon Steward and discusses his experience with the training through The Stave and Thief Society.

Biography:  Chris Blatner is a whiskey enthusiast from Chicago, IL. He is an Executive Bourbon Steward and hosts the semi-regular live talk show "The Urban Bourbon Hour" on Instagram where he talks to Master Distillers, distillery Founders, Master Tasters, Blenders, and other interesting people in the world of whiskey. He is also co-creator of "Sunday Night Fights"; a live show on Instagram pitting two whiskeys against each other in a battle of aroma, taste, and finish. Chris likes his music on vinyl, his coffee with cream, and his whiskey neat. Connect with Chris on Instagram @urbanbourbonist.

Show Links:

Learn more about Chris here.

Fight Night Posters - UrbanBourbonist

The Stave & Thief Society

Executive Bourbon Steward - Stave & Thief

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.

We paid a visit to The Four Roses Bourbon Distillery in Lawrenceburg Kentucky. Four Roses Quality Manager, Marcus Niemann, sat down with us in the sensory lab and we sipped some very rare bourbon while learning more about the people and the bourbons behind the brand.

Be sure to check out Four Roses the next time you are in Kentucky.  More information can be found at FourRosesBourbon.com.

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.

We sat down with some whiskey and had a great discussion with Matthew Evans. Matthew is the founder/owner of Whiskey Consensus.  He has devoted a lot of time and effort to growing an Instagram account into a brand. Whiskey Consensus is a website dedicated to easy-to read and honest bourbon and whiskey reviews and high quality photography. We encourage you to check out WhiskeyConsensus.com to find your next whiskey bottle; we think you'll like their no-nonsense approach to whiskey reviews. Also, be sure to follow Whiskey Consensus on Facebook and 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.

Two bourbon podcasts collide. The result is some great conversation and a lineup of 5 cask strength rye whiskies. We sat down with Jim and Mike (aka Big Chief) from The Bourbon Road Podcast for this week's collaboration episode. In an effort to mix things up, we decided to kick back with bourbon's rival, rye whiskey.  

If you enjoyed today's episode, be sure to subscribe to The Bourbon Lens for future episodes and be sure to check out The Bourbon Road Podcast at TheBourbonRoad.com and on all social media platforms.

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.

A blind tasting of some of the most widely available bourbon whiskey from Jim Beam, Four Roses, Evan Williams, and Buffalo Trace. In honor of Bourbon Heritage Month, we explore the flagship whiskey of some of Kentucky's biggest bourbon makers.  

Bourbons Tasted include:

A.  Jim Beam "White Label"

• 80 proof
• Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• No age statement - approximately 4 years old or greater

B.  Four Roses "Yellow Label"

• 80 proof
• Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• A blend of all 10 Four Roses recipes
• No age statement

C.  Buffalo Trace

• 90 proof
• Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• No age statement
• Mash Bill #1 (Estimated to be a low rye, less than 10% rye)

D.  Evan Williams "Black Label"

• 86 proof
• Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• No age statement - Label Claims to be "Extra Aged"

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.

We sit down with some fine bourbon and have a conversation with whiskey maker Caleb Kilburn. Caleb Kilburn is the Master Distiller at Kentucky Peerless Distilling Company.

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.