Bourbon Lens

408: Silverthorn Reserve with Founder and Master Blender Drew Thorn

Drew Thorn helped build Sagamore Spirit from a three-person startup and later became its CEO. In 2026 he launched Silverthorn Reserve, a Maryland bottler focused on 10- t

Heaven Hill Phoenix Review: The 18-Year Bourbon That Rose From the 1996 Fire | Five Minute Fridays

In November 1996, fire swept through Heaven Hill's original Bardstown distillery, sending a river of burning bourbon down the campus with smoke visible for miles. Not one

407: Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond Double Mash with Adam Edwards

Adam Edwards of Heaven Hill is the first five-time guest on the Bourbon Lens. He joins Jake and Scott at Kentucky Bourbon Festival to break down Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bo

High West's A Midwinter Night's Dram Act 14 with Tara Lindley | Five Minute Fridays

High West turns 20 this year, and it's marking the occasion with the boldest version of its most famous release. Jake sits down with Tara Lindley, Director of Sensory & N

Thursday Thoughts: Still Austin Part 2 — Inside The Still Austin Quarter

People are drinking Still Austin so fast the distillery had to grow. In Part 2 of our conversation, co-founder and CEO Chris Seals walks Jake and Scott through The Still

406: Still Austin: Texas Bourbon, 100% Rye & the Élevage Method with Chris Seals

Is Texas bourbon really bigger? Jake and Scott head south to find out with Chris Seals of Still Austin, one of the most unique craft distilleries in America. Still Austin

Whiskey Lens 4| Aberfeldy Scotch Tasting: 12, 16 & New 18 Sangiovese Finish

Can a bourbon drinker fall for Highland single malt? Jake Lewellen tastes Aberfeldy for the first time with Gareth Howells, North American brand ambassador, including the

405: Bardstown Bourbon Co. Tasting: Jura, Garryana Oak & Pineapple Whiskey

Bardstown Bourbon Company Master Blender Dan Callaway joins Jake and Scott of Bourbon Lens to taste and break down three of the year's most talked-about American whiskeys

404: Jake Norris on Colorado Whiskey, Cask Finishing & Anti-Snobbery

Jake Norris was the founding head distiller of Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey and later of Laws Whiskey House. He joins Jake Lewellen on The Bourbon Lens to talk about the

Proof & Precedent Review: 11-Year Illinois Rye at 121.6 Proof | Five Minute Fridays

Is rye whiskey having a moment? Jake Lewellen reviews Proof & Precedent, a brand-new 11-year-old straight rye whiskey from Illinois bottled at 121.6 proof (60.8% ABV). It

403:Bardstown Bourbon Tourism and Economic Impact with Sam Lacy of Bourbon Capital Alliance

How did Bardstown go from a quick distillery stop to a true bourbon destination? Bourbon Lens hosts Jake and Scott sit down with Sam Lacy, Executive Director of the Bourb

402: Limestone Branch's 101 and More w/ Steve Beam

Steve Beam of Limestone Branch joins Bourbon Lens to pour and break down the brand-new 2026 Yellowstone 101, a limited edition blend of 14 and 8 year old Kentucky straigh

Chevalier Casks on Falling Barrel Prices and the New Golden Age for Small Bourbon Brands

This week on Thursday Thoughts, Jake sits down with Coby and Ben Franzini, co-founders of Chevalier Casks, to unpack one of the least understood — but most critical — cor

401: Inside The Parlor Room: A Vertical Tasting of Barton, Tom Moore & 1792

This week, Bourbon Lens heads to Bardstown, Kentucky to sit down with Whitney Rye — founder and CEO of The Parlor Room, host of The Mash Bill podcast, and better known on

Is Birthday Bourbon Worth the Hype? A Bourbon Heritage Month Review | Five Minute Friday's

It's Bourbon Heritage Month, and on this episode of Five Minute Fridays, Jake goes straight to where it all started: Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, one of the most talked

Whiskey Thief Is Now Sourcing Whiskey! Big News from Kentucky Bourbon Festival | Thursday Thoughts

Special edition of Thursday Thoughts, recorded live at Kentucky Bourbon Festival! Bourbon Lens sits down with Walter of Whiskey Thief for breaking news straight from the

400: Stepping On Hallowed Ground A Sit Down At Stitzel-Weller

Episode SummaryTo celebrate their landmark 400th episode, The Bourbon Lens crew heads to one of the most hallowed sites in American whiskey — Stitzel-Weller Distillery in

399: Why New Riff’s American Single Malt Changes Everything

Explore the craft of American Single Malt whiskey with the team at New Riff Distillery. In this episode, we dive deep into New Riff's oldest whiskey release to date, expl

Chef Brian Landry on Food, Music & Bourbon: The Kitchen Table Story | Thursday Thoughts

Chef and restaurateur Brian Landry joins Bourbon Lens to share his journey from line cook to multi-concept hospitality owner — and the story behind his new book exploring

398: Penelope Bourbon 5 Years Later: Danny Polise on Growth, Blending & the Classic Series Launch

Danny Polise, Founder and Master Blender of Penelope Bourbon, joins Jake Lewellen and Scott Dilley for a long-overdue Bourbon Lens catch-up — five years after his last ap