Libsyn Directory

144: Metallica's Blackened American Whiskey: Rob Dietrich's Journey From Stagehand to Master Distiller

Release Date: 10/10/2021

305: Benromach's Unique Speyside Scotch Whisky with Keith Cruickshank

Bourbon Lens

In this episode of the Bourbon Lens podcast, we dive deep into the world of Benromach, one of Scotland's most celebrated distilleries. We’re joined by Keith Cruickshank, Distillery Manager at Benromach, who walks us through the rich history and what make their subtly smoky Speyside whiskies stand out. We’re honored to taste through their impressive portfolio, including their rare and limited-release 50-Year-Old Scotch, a truly exceptional and costly expression that showcases the artistry and dedication behind Benromach’s craft. Keith shares insights into the distillery’s commitment to...

304: Fawn Weaver on Her New Book, Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, and Honoring Nathan Green

Bourbon Lens

In this episode of Bourbon Lens, hosts Jake and Scott sit down with Fawn Weaver, the trailblazing founder of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey. Fawn takes us on a journey through her remarkable story—how she discovered the legacy of Nathan “Nearest” Green, the first African-American master distiller, and how she turned that discovery into the globally recognized whiskey brand, Uncle Nearest. Fawn also shares insights into her newly released book, Love & Whiskey: The Remarkable True Story of Jack Daniel, His Master Distiller Nearest Green, and the Improbable Rise of Uncle Nearest, which...

303: A Deep Dive with Ross Cornelissen, Master Distiller of 1792 Bourbon

Bourbon Lens

This week, we’re talking about Barton 1792 Distillery and 1792 Bourbon. Master Distiller Ross Cornelissen joins Bourbon Lens to talk about the workhouse bourbon distillery. Barton 1792 is a historic distillery in the Bourbon Capital of the World and owned by Sazerac Company. We discuss three limited releases from Barton 1792, including Sweet Wheat, Aged Twelve Years, and Thomas S. Moore Port Cask Finished Bourbon. We are thankful for your support over the last 6 years. We must give the biggest shoutout to our amazing community of Patreon supporters! As always, we'd appreciate it if you...

302: Sitting Down with Dierks Bentley and His New ROW 94 Whiskey

Bourbon Lens

We’re joined by multi-Platinum country music artist, Dierks Bentley, in this special episode of Bourbon Lens. Dierks recently wrapped up his Gravel & Gold Tour and is firmly planted back in Nashville preparing for his next album. We had the privilege to sit down with Dierks to talk about his newest project, Row 94 Whiskey. Row 94 is a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey distilled at the historic Green River Distilling Company. Dierks aims for Row 94 to be the bourbon you reach for when you’re enjoying a night with friends, listening to live music, or pouring a whiskey...

301: Restoration and History with Cook’s Mill Whiskey Founder Jason Queen

Bourbon Lens

On a recent trip to Myrtle Beach we crossed paths with Jason Queen as he was working to promote his bourbon in South Carolina. Jason shared a bit of history with us and a whiskey too. That chance meeting and conversation inspired this latest episode of the Bourbon Lens Podcast. Jason, a serial entrepreneur and conservationist purchased Cook’s Mill, an old grist mill in order to restore this once thriving mill. That goal set him on a path to creating a whiskey that is focused paying homage to North Carolina’s past. Sit back and buckle in for the latest episode of the...

300: Celebrating a New Milestone with Birthday Bourbon at Old Forester

Bourbon Lens

We are celebrating a BIG milestone this week as we release the 300th Episode of Bourbon Lens. Old Forester and Brown-Forman were gracious enough to invite Jake and Scott to Whiskey Row to celebrate. Bourbon Lens is joined by Melissa Rift and Caleb Trigo from Old Forester to discuss the historic brand, its legacy and future, and to toast our milestone with the 2024 Edition of Birthday Bourbon. We couldn’t think of a better choice for celebrating this milestone episode and thank the team at Brown-Forman and Old Forester for their support all these years. As we celebrate this...

299: Building the Best 5 Bottle American Whiskey Bar

Bourbon Lens

It’s the question that every whiskey enthusiast has been asked: What’s the one bottle of whiskey you keep on your bar? Since one bottle clearly wouldn’t make a great podcast, we decided to up the ante a bit and decided to build the Ultimate 5 Bottle American Whiskey Bar. Jake and Scott run through how they would build their whiskey bar if only afforded 5 slots. We’ve given ourselves criteria in hopes of finding a bottle for every niche and occasion. We run through our choices for 1) best everyday whiskey, 2) best cocktail whiskey, 3) high proof whiskey, 4) Top Shelf...

298: The Most Exciting New Whiskey Releases for Fall 2024

Bourbon Lens

It’s been a wild season of new whiskey and bourbon releases and we’re catching up on some of the ones you may have missed. The press releases have been coming in fast and furious of late and Bourbon Lens is doing our best to keep you abreast of all the news. We recap some of the most exciting releases from the heritage Kentucky distilleries, the best distilleries both inside and outside of Kentucky, and even some celebrity brands that have the whiskey world talking. As always, be sure you’re following along at BourbonLens.com for all the latest news and notes of the whiskey world. ...

297: Kentucky Bourbon Festival 2024 Recap and Planning for Next Year

Bourbon Lens

Scott and Jake sit down to debrief after a long weekend at the We discuss some of our favorite pours and experiences from yet another memorable Festival. We must give a shoutout to our AirBnB housemates who joined us to celebrate and to all our listeners who introduced themselves over the weekend. We wrap up this recap episode with some tips to consider as you plan your trip to the . Thank you to the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, its board and staff, and Estes PR for inviting us to the Festival to cover the events and festivities of the weekend. Image Credit: We are thankful for your...

296: Our Trip to New Riff Distilling with Jay Erisman

Bourbon Lens

Scott and Jake travel to Newport Kentucky to visit New Riff Distilling and sit down with co-founder Jay Erisman. We kick back inside the Aquifer Bar to discuss New Riff’s history, their whiskey portfolio, and what’s ahead now that the distillery recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. In this episode, we taste New Riff Bottled in Bond Bourbon, Silver Grove Bourbon, Malted Rye, and their 8 Year Bourbon. Stay tuned to Bourbon Lens for more coverage of New Riff coming soon, including their second batch of Kentucky Single Malt and their Whisky NRD tasting courses currently...

More Episodes

Taking a break from the metal and rock music at Louisville's Louder Than Life music festival, Rob Dietrich joins the Bourbon Lens to talk whiskey. Rob Dietrich is Master Distiller for Blackened American Whiskey and has taken over their reins from the late Dave Pickerell. Rob is a talented distiller (formerly of Colorado's Stranahan's) and even has a history of working in the music industry, so landing with Metallica's Blackened brand is a natural fit for him. You'll hear a lot about Rob's philosophy of whiskey, his love for music, and his passion for this brand as they head international.

We are thankful for everyone who has supported us. A huge shoutout to our growing Patreon Community as well! We'd appreciate it if you can take the time to give us feedback on our podcast. If you enjoy our content, consider giving us a 5 star rating on your favorite podcast app, leave us a review, and tell a fellow bourbon lover about our show.

Follow us @BourbonLens on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter. And please check out our Patreon to learn how you can support our endeavors, earn Bourbon Lens swag, be part of future barrel picks, and more. 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, or even purchase your own Bourbon Lens tasting glass or t-shirt.

Cheers,
Scott, Jake, & Michael
Bourbon Lens

About Blackened Whiskey:

BLACKENED was created in 2018 by Metallica and late Master Distiller Dave Pickerell. It features a blend of the finest North American bourbons and ryes that were hand-selected by Dave and finished in black brandy casks. During finishing, the whiskey undergoes the BLACK NOISE sonic-enhancement where the low frequencies of Metallica’s music pummel the finishing barrel, visibly shaking it, causing greater interaction between the whiskey and the wood, thereby extracting more flavor and color. The playlist for the batches are traditionally selected by the members of Metallica and can be found on the website at https://blackenedwhiskey.com/batch-playlists/

The brand recently unveiled its new “Masters of Whiskey Series,” which partners Rob Dietrich with other renowned master distillers to reimagine craft whiskey. The series debuted with the BLACKENED x Willett Kentucky Straight Rye Finished in Madeira Casks created in collaboration with Drew Kulsveen and Willett Distillery. It’s crafted from a base of low rye and high rye recipes hand-selected by Rob and Drew from the Willett Family Estate Reserve Selection. The whiskies are married in Madeira Casks where they undergo the BLACK NOISE sonic-enhancement process using a playlist selected by both Master Distillers. It’s bottled at cask strength at 109.6 proof.

Bottle Stock Image Credit: Blackened American Whiskey

Show Links:

TOPICS