Bourbon Lens

The bourbon industry was hit with some bad news when a portion of a multi-story rickhouse collapsed at Owensboro's O.Z. Tyler Distillery.  We discuss this and some other bourbon news in this week's episode. Facebook cracks down on bourbon sales and the bourbon secondary market is scrambling. The new visitor center for the Bulleit Distillery is opening on June 25, 2019 in Shelbyville Kentucky.  And finally, the Dant Family is re-entering bourbon production and we are always excited to hear about historic brands and families being revived.   

Show Links:
J.W. Dant Restarting Distillery in Bardstown

The History of Dant in Distilling

Bulleit Distillery Opening in Shelbyville KY June 25th

O.Z. Tyler Rickhouse Collapse

O.Z. Tyler Video

O.Z. Tyler Cleanup Efforts

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Photo Credit: O.Z. Tyler Distillery Facebook Page

As promised, The Bourbon Lens visits another distillery as part of its summer travel plans. This week, we discuss the James E. Pepper Distillery in Lexington, KY. There is some history to this revived brand and while we discuss some of it, we recommend you visit and learn more for yourself.  There is also a connection to Woodford Reserve for the Pepper Distillery and the Pepper lineage.  We discuss what makes a great tour and provide our recommendations.

Check the show links below for more. 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 grow.

James E. Pepper Distillery Website

History of Old Oscar Pepper and Woodford Reserve Connection

Lexington Distillery District - Info

Goodfellas Pizza at the Distillery

Whiskey Brands That Are Made at MGP

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 whole crew is back and enjoying some bourbon together. The weather is changing and summer is near. We discuss whether bourbon is a summer drink or if we should mix up our drink of choice for the next few months.  Do you lean towards bourbon on the rocks or a bourbon cocktail?  Or do you find a lower proof bourbon to sip neat?  We also discuss what happens when you go off the deep end and pour yourself vodka or tequila.  

We have some summer plans in xgofd, which will include some distillery tours.  There are a few new options for those wishing to experience the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, including Tuk Tuk tours of Louisville and bus tours around the Bluegrass State.  If you have any suggestions for tour guides, please feel free to contact us as we would love to experience them this summer.

Find some summer cocktail ideas in the links below.  

SHOW LINKS:

Minibar Mixology on Flipboard

Half-Strength 'Scotch' Is Here to Capitalize on the Less-Boozy Booze Trend

Frozen Whiskey Cocktails for Summer

National Geographic: The Rebirth of Bourbon in Louisville

Mint Julep Experiences launch new, eco-friendly Louisville adventure - Derby City Weekend

Kentucky Bourbon Boys - Touring the Bourbon Trail; "Bourbon Country done right."

https://mintjuleptours.com/louisville/Mint Julep Tours

Grab your favorite bourbon and pour a glass as we invite a recurring guest to the podcast. Landon from The Brothers Bourbon Instagram joins us to discuss the current trends in whiskey marketing. We discuss a transition from less traditional forms of media to the influencer marketing of today. Is this trend harmful to the bourbon industry, or is this just a sign of the times for all industries?

We discuss the Fyre Festival and the sour taste the scam brought to critics of influencer and social media marketing. Advertising dollars are being spent in many different places today, which ones are paying off?

We wrap up the discussion with talk about a 5 bottle bar setup and what bourbons and whiskies we'd keep on our home bar.

Be sure to follow Landon and The Brothers Bourbon 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 grow.

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've hit a milestone in podcasting. This bourbon podcast has hit 20 Episodes and we are happy to toast some whiskey to our listeners and followers.  In this episode, Michael and Scott challenged themselves to find a bourbon for $20 that they've never had before. We try to figure out if some whiskies are overpriced or if cheap bourbon is cheap for a reason.  Scott picked up a less well known Bourbon from Heaven Hill, Evan Williams 1783, and Michael grabbed a bottle of Ezra Brooks 90 proof bourbon.  Find out our thoughts on these two budget brands and the pricing of bourbon in general.   

Thanks to all of our listeners over the past 20 episodes, we look forward to continuing to produce good content for our fans. If you love our podcast, please leave us a 5 star rating and provide us a review on your podcast listening app of choice. Share our podcast with your family and friends.

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.

Bottled-in-Bond. What does this designation mean when it is on a bourbon or whiskey label? Are you more or less likely to pick up a bottle of liquor when it states that it is "under U.S. Government Supervision"?

We discuss the Bottled-in-Bond Act and whether the law's requirements are still necessary today or if it is just a marketing gimmick. Scott shares why this is one of his favorite types of whiskey. Craft distillers are starting to produce "bonded" products, does it set them apart from their competitors?  

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SHOW LINKS:
BOTTLED-IN-BOND WHISKEY DEFINED

• made at a single distillery
• produced within a single distilling season
• • January–June OR
  • July–December
• bottled at 50% ABV (100 proof)
• aged for a minimum of four years

What Are Bottled-in-Bond Spirits, and Why Are They Suddenly Everywhere?

Why Every Drinker Should Know What Bottled-in-Bond Mean

Is it time to retire "Bottled In Bond"?

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.

Four Roses Bourbon and the Kentucky Derby! It's a great time to be in Kentucky for bourbon lovers. The Kentucky Derby is here and a new bourbon just released from Four Roses.  We discuss some of the events surrounding the Greatest Two Minutes in Sports.  And we partake in a side-by-side whiskey tasting of Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon and their newest product, Small Batch Select.  Learn about the alphabet soup of the Four Roses brand and their different flavor profiles.  

Show Topics -

Four Roses New Product - Small Batch Select

• Released in KY - gift shops  April 17
• Available at retailers in Kentucky, New York, California, Texas and Georgia
• Non-chill filtered and bottled at 104 proof, the first permanent addition to Four Roses portfolio of Bourbons since 2006
• Recipes from both mashbills and three yeast strains––V, K and F.
• • Each aged a minimum of six years
  • Feature OBSV, OBSK, OBSF, OESV, OESK and OESF

Comparison to Four Roses Small Batch

• Two Mashbills
  • B - 60% corn, 35% rye, 5% malted barley
  • E - 75% corn, 20% rye, 5% malted barley

• Five Yeast Strains
  • V - delicate fruit
  • K - slight spice
  • O - rich fruit
  • Q - floral essence
  • F - herbal notes

• Total of 10 distinct Bourbon recipes
  • OBSV
  • OBSK
  • OBSO
  • OBSQ
  • OBSF
  • OESV
  • OESK
  • OESO
  • OESQ
  • OESF
• Bourbon Offerings
• • Four Roses Bourbon (Traditional yellow label) Up to all 10 recipes are mingled.
  • Small Batch Bourbon - 4 of 10
  • NEW Small Batch SELECT bourbon - 6 of 10
  • Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon contains one of 10

Show Links:

1. Four Roses Small Batch Select
2. What is Chill Filtration?

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 discuss the controversial aging process of double barreled whiskeys and "bourbons". Does this aging process produce higher quality whiskey than traditionally aged whiskey? Is this a fad or a trend that will gain in popularity? We also dive into how much science is too much science when it comes to making whiskey. And finally, will flash or rapid aging ever gain the acceptance of purists in the industry?

SHOW LINKS:

1. Understanding the Nightcap -  What is your nightcap drink of choice?
2. 8 Double Barreled Whiskies
3. Garden & Gun - Should Bourbon be Cask Finished?
4. Maker's Mark - Maker's 46 Bourbon
5. Fooling Father Time: 'Rapid-aging' and the future of craft whiskey
6. Now You Can Taste Aged Whiskey Without The Age
7. Today I Learned -  you can speed-age whiskey with sound waves
8. Copper and Kings Method - sonic aging brandy
9. Copper And Kings Distillery Is Embracing New Sonic Aging Techniques
10. South Carolina Distiller Promises to Make Kentucky Liquor Quicker - NPR

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 put the bourbon away for a night and explore Japanese whisky thanks to a friend.  Landon from The_Brothers_Bourbon on Instagram joins us for the podcast. We discuss some of the differences between various whisk(e)y from around the world, including scotch, bourbon, and Japanese Whisky.  Landon was generous enough to share some samples of Hibiki Harmony and a 12 year old Yamazaki Single Malt Whisky. We also discuss how to grow your Instagram following while maintaining connections with your followers and having a consistent theme in your social media.

Japanese whisky is going through a boom of its own of late and we speculate on the shortages they may be experiencing as well as the removal of age statements, similar to what is happening in American Whiskey and Bourbon.  We also discuss the craft of whiskey making and what products people like to find on the shelf.  

Find the tasting notes from Suntory for Hibiki Harmony and Yamazaki 12 below.

Hibiki Harmony from Suntory

Luminous. Delicate. A transparency that unveils complexity. Nutty on the nose

Yamazaki 12 Year Old from Suntory

Suntory's flagship single malt whisky, from Japan's first and oldest malt distillery, multi-layered with fruit and Mizunara aromas.  Succulent with soft fruit.  

Color: Pure gold

Nose: Peach, pineapple, grapefruit, clove, candied orange, vanilla, Mizunara (Japanese oak)

Palate: Coconut, cranberry, butter.

Finish: Sweet ginger, cinnamon, long finish

Show Links:

• Landon's Instagram:  The_Brothers_Bourbon
• Japanese Whisky Experiencing Global Growth
• Whisky Advocate: Japanese Whisky
• Finest Whiskies Of Japan You Need Try At Least Once In Your Life
• Limestone Branch and Yellowstone Bourbon

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 winner of our Tournament of Whisky is finally announced. If you've stayed up with us on Instagram and our live feed, you may already know the winner.  We discuss the "controversy" surrounding our pick for best whiskey from our 16 selections. We also discuss if larger bourbon producers, like Woodford Reserve and Jim Beam, have a stigma in the industry.  We dive into another controversial product head on and debunk any negativity towards it.  And Jake hits us with the quote of the week when discussing some infighting in the bourbon community:  "Popularity doesn't make good bourbon."

And finally, we discuss why we are feeling like it's the holidays in Louisville and around Kentucky. It's Derby season!!  In a series of tough choices, we discuss favorite drinks during Derby time and which horse track is our favorite, Churchill Downs or Keeneland.

Show Links:

• $1,000 mint julep ingredients are aging to perfection in Churchill Downs' Twin Spires
• Should Bourbon Be Cask Finished?
• Woodford Reserve Double Oaked
• The Kentucky Derby
• Keeneland Race Track
• Churchill Downs

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.