Bourbon Lens

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 brand-new Aberfeldy 18 Year Old finished in Sangiovese casks. In this episode of Whiskey Lens, you'll learn: ✅ Aberfeldy's 127-year story in the heart of Scotland ✅ Why a 70+ hour fermentation creates that honeyed profile ✅ How ex-bourbon, sherry and wine casks shape each bottle ✅ Why the 18's nose reminds Jake of bourbon ✅ Why Aberfeldy is unpeated and not all Scotch is smoky 🥃 Tasted in this episode Aberfeldy 12 (40% ABV): honey, vanilla, citrus, baking spice Aberfeldy 16 (40% ABV): first-fill Oloroso sherry finish, dark chocolate, dried fruit Aberfeldy 18 Sangiovese Cask Finish (46% ABV): limited release, candied citrus ⏱️ Chapters 0:00 Welcome 0:48 Gareth's favorite American whiskeys 2:44 The Bacardi whisky portfolio 5:43 Aberfeldy's history, 1898 to today 11:34 Long fermentation and the honeyed house style 12:55 Cask makeup explained 14:52 Tasting: Aberfeldy 12 23:17 The US lineup and wine cask series 26:02 Pricing and value 30:05 Tasting: Aberfeldy 16 36:32 The blending question 39:24 Tasting: Aberfeldy 18 Sangiovese 44:27 Was it French oak? 50:16 Scotch isn't all peat 51:04 Wrap-up Listen on your favorite podcast platform and tell us in the comments: what's your gateway Scotch for bourbon drinkers? Please drink responsibly. Must be 21+. Subscribe 🔔 Subscribe for more weekly discussions, tastings, and bourbon insights from the Bourbon Lens community. 📸 Follow on Instagram: @bourbonlens 🌐 Visit: www.bourbonlens.com Merch: https://bourbon-lens-shop.printify.me/products Discord: https://discord.gg/pd6ys5nRSU Hashtags #WhiskeyLens #Aberfeldy #ScotchWhisky #HighlandSingleMalt #WhiskyTasting #BourbonLens #WhiskeyPodcast Keywords Aberfeldy, Aberfeldy 18 Sangiovese, Aberfeldy 12, Aberfeldy 16, Aberfeldy review, Highland single malt, Scotch tasting, Scotch for bourbon drinkers, Sangiovese cask finish, wine cask whisky, Gareth Howells, Jake Lewellen, Dewar's, whisky podcast, whiskey tasting, new Scotch release 2026, Whiskey Lens, Bourbon Lens, Bourbon Lens News

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: the 99-point Lochs of Jura Barrel Finish, the Garryana Oak 2026 Discovery, and the polarizing Victoria Pineapple Barrel Finish. Dan explains how Bardstown Bourbon Company blends Indiana and Kentucky bourbon and rye with single malt barrels, Barbados pineapple rum casks, and rare Pacific Northwest Garryana oak. He also covers the 2026 label redesign, the growth of Green River Whiskey in Owensboro, the first-of-its-kind honey bourbon, and what it was like to appear on 60 Minutes. If you love bourbon reviews, whiskey blending, finished bourbon, and Kentucky distillery stories, this episode is for you. In this episode: Why Bardstown redesigned its core bottle and how it makes ordering at the bar easier Lochs of Jura: a 32-month finish in ex-Jura single malt barrels (ex-bourbon and ex-sherry), 104 proof Garryana Oak Discovery: campfire, s'mores, and wood sugar from handmade barrels Victoria Pineapple Barrel Finish: 27 months in rum casks, then fresh pineapple and staves How rickhouse floor placement changes a whiskey Cocktail ideas: highballs, tiki drinks, and a Painkiller Chapters: 0:00 Welcome and meet Dan Callaway 1:04 Bardstown Bourbon's 2026 package redesign 4:09 Green River Whiskey, Distillery Select, and Owensboro 5:35 The honey bourbon and the barrel-leak lessons 8:03 Dan on 60 Minutes 9:30 From Distillery Reserve experiments to national releases 10:49 Tasting #1: Lochs of Jura Barrel Finish 21:41 The 99-point IWSC score 23:13 Tasting #2: Garryana Oak Discovery 27:35 Barrels, rickhouse floors, and the art of blending 31:11 Tasting #3: Victoria Pineapple Barrel Finish 38:34 How to drink it: highballs and tiki 38:55 Where to find it: Kentucky Bourbon Festival 39:08 Final thoughts Chapter times come from the raw recording. Please check them against your final edit before posting. Subscribe 🔔 Subscribe for more weekly discussions, tastings, and bourbon insights from the Bourbon Lens community. 📸 Follow on Instagram: @bourbonlens 🌐 Visit: www.bourbonlens.com Merch: https://bourbon-lens-shop.printify.me/products Discord: https://discord.gg/pd6ys5nRSU Hashtags #BourbonLens #BardstownBourbon #BardstownBourbonCompany #LoftedSpirits #LochsOfJura #Garryana #PineappleWhiskey #BourbonReview #BourbonTasting #WhiskeyPodcast #BourbonPodcast #KentuckyBourbon #FinishedBourbon #DanCallaway #GreenRiverWhiskey Keywords Bardstown Bourbon Company, Bardstown Bourbon review, Dan Callaway, Lofted Spirits, master blender interview, Lochs of Jura Barrel Finish, Jura single malt barrels, Bardstown Bourbon Discovery 2026, Garryana oak whiskey, Garryana oak bourbon, Victoria Pineapple Barrel Finish, pineapple rum cask whiskey, finished bourbon, split base whiskey, 95/5 rye bourbon, Green River Whiskey, Distillery Select, honey bourbon, IWSC 99 points, Kentucky Bourbon Festival, bourbon podcast, bourbon tasting, whiskey review, bourbon cocktails, Bourbon Lens

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 Curated Barrel Project, his direct-to-consumer, cask-finished bourbon series. Jake Norris covers: How he went from Stranahan's and Laws to building his own Colorado distillery A hybrid still design: a continuous column stripper paired with a 4-plate pot column Why Colorado's altitude, microbiome, and locally grown grain shape the whiskey The Curated Barrel Project: eight quarterly releases of 7-year-old high-rye bourbon, including an unfinished control, an oloroso sherry cask finish, and a port cask finish still to come The vinyl-record idea behind each release: a handwritten zine, a Spotify playlist, and 50-person chef-driven warehouse dinners Why whiskey isn't dying, just repositioning, and why he is "anti-snobbery" Learn more at thecuratedbarrelproject.com ⏱️ Chapters 0:00 Meet Jake Norris 1:17 From Stranahan's to Laws Whiskey House 3:16 Building his own distillery 5:24 Continuous column + pot column design 9:22 Colorado terroir, altitude & local grain 16:29 Watercolor, whiskey & learning your still 18:13 Origin of the Curated Barrel Project 24:26 The vinyl record idea, zines & playlists 29:16 The releases: control, oloroso & port 32:11 Membership & warehouse dinners 34:30 Whiskey's future & anti-snobbery 36:54 Where to find Curated Barrel Project Subscribe 🔔 Subscribe for more weekly discussions, tastings, and bourbon insights from the Bourbon Lens community. 📸 Follow on Instagram: @bourbonlens 🌐 Visit: www.bourbonlens.com Merch: https://bourbon-lens-shop.printify.me/products Discord: https://discord.gg/pd6ys5nRSU Hashtags #BourbonLens #JakeNorris #CuratedBarrelProject #ColoradoWhiskey #BourbonPodcast #WhiskeyPodcast #Bourbon #CaskFinish #CraftDistilling #Stranahans #HighRyeBourbon #Whiskey Keywords Jake Norris, Curated Barrel Project, Colorado whiskey, Stranahan's founding distiller, Laws Whiskey House, bourbon podcast, whiskey podcast, craft distilling, cask finish bourbon, oloroso sherry cask bourbon, port cask finish, high rye bourbon, direct to consumer whiskey, craft distillery startup, hybrid column pot still, whiskey club membership, whiskey zine, anti-snobbery whiskey, whiskey market 2026, Bourbon Lens

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's a small batch blend of Illinois ryes, created with Brian Harris of Sipping Corn, Matt Cusack, and Marcus Neiman. In this Five Minute Fridays tasting, Jake covers: 🥃 Why rye is surging, with Angel's Envy's Peach Brandy Cask finished rye, Silverthorn's 13-year, Dark Arts' 15-year, and Joseph Magnus' batched rye 🥃 Nose: apricot, peach, brûléed sugar, candied orange, honeysuckle, and a "hot toddy" aroma 🥃 Palate: fruit cocktail syrup, star anise, warm baking spices, and heavy oak on the finish 🥃 Why this high-rye rye drinks with the complexity of a high-rye bourbon, which makes it a good pick for bourbon drinkers who find rye too spicy 🥃 Jake's verdict: one of the top rye whiskeys he's had in 2026 ⏱️ Chapters 0:00 Intro: a new Illinois rye from Proof & Precedent 0:42 Why this release matters 1:10 Rye whiskey is having a moment 2:02 Nose: apricot, peach & candied orange 2:53 First sip: 121.6 proof 4:13 Verdict: rye for bourbon drinkers 5:15 Final thoughts & rating Have you tried Proof & Precedent? Tell us in the comments! 🔔 Subscribe for more weekly discussions, tastings, and bourbon insights from the Bourbon Lens community. 📸 Follow on Instagram: @bourbonlens 🌐 Visit: www.bourbonlens.com Merch: https://bourbon-lens-shop.printify.me/products Discord: https://discord.gg/pd6ys5nRSU Hashtags#ProofAndPrecedent #RyeWhiskey #IllinoisWhiskey #WhiskeyReview #BourbonLens #FiveMinuteFridays #StraightRye #BarrelProof #WhiskeyTasting #BourbonCommunity KeywordsProof and Precedent, Proof & Precedent review, Proof and Precedent rye whiskey, Illinois rye whiskey, 11 year old rye whiskey, 121.6 proof whiskey, straight rye whiskey, high proof rye, small batch rye, rye whiskey review, new whiskey release 2026, best rye whiskey 2026, rye whiskey tasting notes, Sipping Corn, Brian Harris, Matt Cusack, Marcus Neiman, rye whiskey for bourbon drinkers, Five Minute Fridays, whiskey podcast, bourbon podcast, bourbon review, Bourbon Lens, Jake Lewellen

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 Bourbon Capital Alliance (BCA), to break down the growth of Bardstown bourbon tourism, from new hotels and downtown tasting rooms to the Bourbon Capital District, where you can carry your drink from bar to bar. Sam shares the story behind the Bourbon Capital Alliance, the nonprofit uniting 10 partner distilleries, and how National Bourbon Week grew from a 30-minute lawn ceremony in 2018 into an eight-day event in 2026. He also shares new data showing bookings from 37 states and 70% of them from out of state. You'll also hear about the new Bourbon Capital Diplomat Certification Program, a hospitality course that teaches bartenders and servers about bourbon, Bardstown history and proper pours. We get into why it matters, what Jake and Scott scored on the exam, and what's coming for National Bourbon Week 2027. ⏱️ Chapters 0:12 – Welcome and meet Sam Lacy 1:17 – What the Bourbon Capital Alliance does 2:41 – How the BCA started (2016–2026) 5:34 – New hotels, restaurants and the premium shift downtown 7:37 – The Bourbon Capital District (open carry downtown) 8:33 – Downtown tasting rooms: Chicken Cock, Old Steel House, Boundary Oak, The Bard 14:14 – The history of National Bourbon Week 18:53 – 2026 data: 37 states, 70% out-of-state bookings 23:19 – The Bourbon Capital Diplomat Program 35:24 – Why proper glassware and "pour, not shot" matter 41:06 – What's next for National Bourbon Week 2027 49:16 – How to sign up: Academy, Guild and National Bourbon Week Resources mentioned Bourbon Capital Academy (Diplomat Program, $75): BourbonCapitalAcademy.com National Bourbon Week: NationalBourbonWeek.com Bourbon Capital Guild (member lottery): BourbonCapitalGuild.com Subscribe for more weekly discussions, tastings, and bourbon insights from the Bourbon Lens community. Follow on Instagram: ⁨@bourbonlens⁩ Visit: www.bourbonlens.com Merch: https://bourbon-lens-shop.printify.me/products Discord: https://discord.gg/pd6ys5nRS Hashtags #BourbonLens #Bardstown #BourbonCapitalOfTheWorld #NationalBourbonWeek #BourbonTourism #BourbonPodcast #KentuckyBourbon #BourbonTrail #BourbonCapitalAlliance Keywords Bardstown bourbon tourism, Bourbon Capital Alliance, Sam Lacy, Bourbon Capital of the World, National Bourbon Week 2027, Bourbon Capital Diplomat, Bourbon Capital Academy, Bourbon Capital Guild, Bourbon Capital District, Bardstown Kentucky, Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Bardstown distilleries, Bardstown tasting rooms, Bardstown hotels, things to do in Bardstown, bourbon certification program, bourbon education, bourbon hospitality training, Potter Jane Distilling, Limestone Branch, Heaven Hill, Maker's Mark, Lux Row, Bardstown Bourbon Company, Kentucky Bourbon Festival, bourbon podcast, Bourbon Lens, Jake Lewellen