Bourbon Lens

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 — corners of the bourbon industry: bulk spirits. Ben is also a co-owner of Bluegrass Distillers, and Coby spent 25 years as a commercial banker in central Kentucky before moving into bourbon finance, giving the two a unique combined view of how barrels actually move through the industry. The conversation covers how distilleries quietly offload excess barrel inventory, why privacy matters so much in these deals, and how the wholesale barrel market has shifted dramatically in the last 18 months — with prices on some aged barrels dropping from thousands of dollars to a fraction of that. That shift, they argue, is opening the door for a new wave of small, independent bourbon brands who can finally make the math work again. In this episode: What "bulk spirits" actually means and why it keeps bourbon on shelves How Chevalier Casks and Bluegrass Distillers work together Why distilleries sell barrels quietly — and why privacy is starting to matter less for some brands How barrel prices have shifted in the last 18 months, and what it means for small brands What trends are showing up in demand right now (hint: wheated bourbon) How Chevalier Casks' online marketplace works for both buyers and sellers The hidden costs (storage, tax, insurance, freight) brands often don't budget for How a new brand can get started working with Chevalier Casks Subscribe to Bourbon Lens for more conversations with the people shaping the bourbon industry. Approximate Timestamps 0:00 – Intro: what bulk spirits are and why they matter 1:19 – How Chevalier Casks got started 3:24 – How Chevalier and Bluegrass Distillers work together 5:23 – How barrels quietly move from distillery to broker 7:00 – Privacy, NDAs, and why some brands now talk openly about sourcing 10:49 – How barrel prices have shifted in the last 18 months 13:29 – Why it's a good time again to start a small bourbon brand 15:48 – How NDPs actually buy lots (and how fast double-digit ages move) 19:57 – What's trending: wheated bourbon and blending strategies 26:23 – Getting started with Chevalier Casks 28:9 – The hidden costs of building a brand (storage, tax, freight) 29:37 – How Chevalier's online marketplace works for buyers and sellers

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 Instagram as Bourbon Duchess. Whitney built The Parlor Room around a simple idea: teach people the story behind the bottle, not just tasting-note jargon, in a space designed for rare, allocated, and vintage pours. In this episode, Whitney walks Jake and Scott through the tangled, dramatic history of Barton Distillery — from its 1889 roots as one of the first distilleries to reopen after Prohibition, through a 1940s fire and rebuild under Oscar Getz, a name literally drawn out of a hat, a trademark lawsuit from Woodford Reserve that forced a mid-run name change, and the 2013 pivot to Sweet Wheat. Along the way, the group tastes through a vertical flight of Barton-family whiskeys spanning nearly 40 years — culminating in a first taste of the brand-new 1792 Straight Rye. In this episode: Whitney's origin story — from My Old Kentucky Home State Park to founding The Parlor Room Why she intentionally leaves formal "tasting notes" out of her classes The real (and litigious) history behind the Barton/1792 name A vertical tasting: a 1986 Very Old Barton, a vintage Tom Moore, Ridgemont Reserve 1792, and the new 1792 Straight Rye Why 1792's rye whiskey is also the backbone of several Buffalo Trace rye releases A broader conversation on bourbon oversupply, aging whiskey, and why age statements may be bourbon's next chapter 🥃 Featured pours: Very Old Barton (1986), Tom Moore 5-Year, Ridgemont Reserve 1792 8-Year, 1792 Straight Rye 📍 Location: The Parlor Room, Bardstown, KY Subscribe to Bourbon Lens for more distillery visits, tastings, and bourbon history. The Parlor Room, Whitney Rye, Bourbon Duchess, Bardstown Kentucky, Barton Distillery, 1792 Bourbon, 1792 Straight Rye, Ridgemont Reserve 1792, Tom Moore whiskey, Very Old Barton, Sazerac bourbon, Buffalo Trace, vintage bourbon tasting, dusty bourbon, bourbon history, Kentucky bourbon, Bourbon Lens, Bourbon Lens Podcast, The Mash Bill podcast, bourbon vertical tasting, bourbon podcast, whiskey podcast Hashtags #ParlorRoom #BourbonDuchess #BartonDistillery #1792Bourbon #1792StraightRye #BardstownKY #BourbonLens #VintageBourbon #DustyBourbon #KentuckyBourbon #BourbonPodcast #WhiskeyPodcast

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-about — and most divisive — releases in the bourbon world. This year's edition lands at 11 years old and 97 proof, released earlier this month. Fresh off Kentucky Bourbon Festival, Jake sits down (with a little personal timing — his daughter's birthday is just days away) to break down the nose, palate, and finish of this year's Birthday Bourbon, compare it to Old Forester's recent "Kentucky Boy" release, and explain why he thinks this might be one of the best versions of Birthday Bourbon he's tasted yet. In this episode: Why Birthday Bourbon is one of the most controversial releases on the market Tasting notes: burnt sugar, crème brûlée, brown sugar, caramel, French vanilla custard, tobacco, and cherry cordial How this year's release compares to Old Forester's "Kentucky Boy" Why Jake thinks Old Forester and Brown-Forman are "on a heater" right now The team behind the blend — Caleb, Melissa, and Chris Final verdict: would Jake buy it at SRP? Approximate Timestamps 0:00 – Intro: Bourbon Heritage Month & Birthday Bourbon's controversial reputation 0:58 – This year's release: 11 years old, 97 proof 1:29 – Why today's tasting is personal (daughter's birthday) 2:11 – Nose: burnt sugar, crème brûlée, caramel, French vanilla, baking spice, tobacco 2:49 – On the 97 proof and the blending conversation from Kentucky Bourbon Festival 3:36 – Palate: oak, tannin, brown sugar, caramel 4:21 – Finish: tobacco, cherry cordial 4:58 – Comparison to Old Forester's "Kentucky Boy" 5:38 – Final verdict and the team behind the blend

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 farm. In this episode, Walter announces that Whiskey Thief is officially sourcing whiskey — a major strategic shift for the brand after explosive growth (60,000+ visitors last year, 65,000+ expected this year at the farm, and 100,000+ at their Louisville-area location). Rather than release younger whiskey to keep up with demand, Whiskey Thief is going straight to the best barrel warehouses in Kentucky to bring fans exceptional juice while their own production scales up. Also in this episode: Two new stills acquired — production is ramping up fast Master blender Lisa Wicker is leading Whiskey Thief's first blended releases Ultra-limited "Outtakes" bottles — small-batch releases made from the flavorful, oxidized whiskey left behind after barrel-thieving (only ~30 bottles per release) The new "Hazmat Rye," an early-pulled twist on their Mayday Rye Whiskey Thief's 14th anniversary celebrations happening throughout October Whiskey Thief Fest — two days of music on October 9–10, presented with Adam Duritz of Counting Crows' Underwater Sunshine Festival (rebranded "Underwater Moonshine Festival" for this event) Whiskey Thief has always been single-barrel, straight-from-the-barrel, uncut and unfiltered — and Walter promises full transparency (mash bill, proof, everything) continues even as sourced products roll out. 📍 Visit Whiskey Thief right off I-64, just half a mile from Keeneland — perfect for a game day / Keeneland / Whiskey Thief triple-header this fall. Subscribe to Bourbon Lens for more bourbon industry news, distillery visits, and conversations with the people behind your favorite pours. Approximate Timestamps 0:00 – Live from Kentucky Bourbon Festival, welcoming Walter 0:28 – Breaking news: Whiskey Thief is now sourcing whiskey 0:56 – The growth behind the decision (60K+ to 100K+ visitors) 1:56 – Two new stills, production investment 2:24 – Lisa Wicker and the move into blended whiskey 2:54 – Older-than-the-distillery bottles on the way 3:23 – Staying Kentucky-focused (for now) 4:19 – What's next: labels, bottles, and a 2027 headline 4:49 – The "Hazmat Rye" release 5:19 – The "Outtakes" series explained 7:07 – Why fall is the time to visit Frankfort 7:32 – Whiskey Thief Fest, October 9–10, with Adam Duritz's Underwater Moonshine Festival Follow & Subscribe To The Bourbon Lens 🔔 Subscribe for more weekly discussions, tastings, and bourbon insights from the Bourbon Lens community. Follow on Instagram: @BourbonLens Visit: BourbonLens.com Join: Patreon.com/BourbonLens Merch: Bourbon Lens Shop Mailing List: The Weekly Pour Discord: Discord.gg/pd6ys5nRSU

Episode Summary To celebrate their landmark 400th episode, The Bourbon Lens crew heads to one of the most hallowed sites in American whiskey — Stitzel-Weller Distillery in Shively, Kentucky — for a sit-down with Nicole Austin, Diageo's Director of American Whiskey Liquid Development and Capabilities. Nicole pulls back the curtain on the mystery of why decades-old bourbon aged in Stitzel-Weller's rickhouses defies the conventional wisdom that American whiskey "expires" past a certain age. The conversation covers barrel consolidation (topping off), the historic rickhouse design patented by Frederick Stitzel, and the launch of the new Blade and Bow 12-Year Solera — a 104-proof, sub-$65 bourbon built using a fractional-blending Solera process borrowed from sherry and adapted for American whiskey. Main Themes The "magic" of Stitzel-Weller's rickhouses — why extreme-age American whiskey (25–40+ years) is proving possible here, and how airflow, rickhouse architecture, and shade trees may matter as much as the mash bill. Barrel consolidation ("topping off") — a labor-intensive practice borrowed from Scotch and Canadian whiskey that halts the "snowball effect" of angel's share loss and staving damage in half-empty barrels. The Solera method, Americanized — how Nicole adapted sherry's fractional-blending system into a 12-year-minimum-age bourbon blend using vintage cognac, port, muscatel, and Bordeaux vats. Craft philosophy over collectibility — Nicole's approach favors consistent quality and drinkability over hype-driven, numbered limited releases. Proof point and dilution culture — a pushback on "proof-chasing" in the bourbon community, and why a 104-proof whiskey can outperform higher-proof releases in balance and accessibility. Bourbon history and place — Shively's forgotten legacy as a distilling capital, and Stitzel-Weller's connection to figures like Julian "Pappy" Van Winkle. Featured Guest Nicole Austin — Director of American Whiskey Liquid Development and Capabilities, Diageo. Former general manager and master blender at Cascade Hollow (George Dickel), now overseeing extended-age and innovation projects at Stitzel-Weller, including the Stitzel Reserve line and Blade and Bow. Featured Whiskey Blade and Bow 12-Year Solera Bourbon Minimum age: 12 years (in new American oak) Proof: 104 MSRP: $64.99 Process: Fractional Solera blending across vintage cognac, port, muscatel, and Bordeaux vats Quick Links Follow The Bourbon Lens on Instagram for bottle drop alerts Visit Stitzel-Weller Distillery in Shively, Louisville, KY