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...
info_outline 301: Restoration and History with Cook’s Mill Whiskey Founder Jason QueenBourbon 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...
info_outline 300: Celebrating a New Milestone with Birthday Bourbon at Old ForesterBourbon 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...
info_outline 299: Building the Best 5 Bottle American Whiskey BarBourbon 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...
info_outline 298: The Most Exciting New Whiskey Releases for Fall 2024Bourbon 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. ...
info_outline 297: Kentucky Bourbon Festival 2024 Recap and Planning for Next YearBourbon 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...
info_outline 296: Our Trip to New Riff Distilling with Jay ErismanBourbon 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...
info_outline 295: Four Roses New Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon for 2024Bourbon Lens
We continue our coverage for Bourbon Heritage Month as we explore Four Roses Bourbon, including their new . We are joined by Brent Elliott, Master Distiller for Four Roses Bourbon Distillery. We discuss Brent’s process for crafting this limited edition bourbon, the , the distillery’s commitment to quality and tradition, and the recent announcement of an expansion of the Four Roses Bourbon recipe lineup. What is your favorite Four Roses recipe or release? About Four Roses: Established in 1888, Four Roses combines two mashbills with five proprietary yeast strains to distill...
info_outline 294: James B. Beam Distilling Co. is Celebrating a Big MilestoneBourbon Lens
We’re kicking off National Bourbon Heritage Month with one of the legendary distilleries of Kentucky Bourbon. We’ve traveled to James B. Beam Distilling Co. to chat about the Homeplace, located in Clermont, Kentucky and their 90th year at that location. Alex Bowie, Director of Homeplace Experience at James B. Beam Distilling Co. sits down with Jake and Scott inside the Historic Beam House. We discuss how Beam has evolved its Homeplace over the last 90 years, the importance of adapting to the evolving bourbon tourist, and some of the innovations coming from this historic...
info_outline 293: Heaven's Door Whiskey and The Last RefugeBourbon Lens
We travel to The Last Refuge in Louisville’s NuLu neighborhood to visit the future brand home of Heaven’s Door Whiskey. We are joined by Adam Edwards, National Brand Ambassador, to discuss the inspiration behind the brand, Bob Dylan’s art and music, and their portfolio of whiskeys. We are thankful for your support over the last 5 years. We must give the biggest shoutout to our growing Patreon Community of supporters! As always, we'd appreciate it if you would take a few minutes time to give us feedback on Bourbon Lens podcast. If you enjoy our content, consider giving us a 5...
info_outlineOur guest is Bruce Joseph, Master Distiller of Old Potrero Straight Rye Whiskey for Hotaling & Co. Bruce previously appeared back in Episode 74 (circa June 2020), but he’s back with his unique malted rye whiskey and it is now bearing a higher age statement and some killer new packaging. The malted rye mashbill is pot distilled in San Francisco and admittedly is one of the most unique whiskies we’ve tried during this podcast’s history. If you want to flex your palate and see what else is out there in craft whiskey, we highly recommend you find a bottle of Old Potrero’s 6 year aged stated Straight Rye Whiskey.
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Cheers,
Scott and Jake
Bourbon Lens
From their June 2022 Press Release:
Hotaling & Co. is proud to announce the relaunch of the legendary whiskey brand, Old Potrero Straight Rye Whiskey, credited as the first American Craft Whiskey to hit the market since prohibition. The Old Potrero relaunch will feature new packaging and bottle design geared towards today’s contemporary whiskey drinker, who appreciates an excellent dram with an iconic heritage and a modern-day appeal.
Originally created by Fritz Maytag, the beverage visionary and founder of Hotaling & Co., (formerly Anchor Distilling Co.), Old Potrero Rye Whiskey is a bold homage to the original artisanal whiskies of America, a testament to the power of the pioneering spirit and the celebrated return of pot-distilled whiskey in the United States. Since 1994, the whiskey has been distilled in small copper pot stills at the San Francisco-based distillery, and in 2010 was passed down to current Master Distiller, Bruce Joseph, who has worked alongside Fritz since the first barrels were laid in the early 90’s.
“We are thrilled to usher Old Potrero into a new era,” says Master Distiller, Bruce Joseph. "With the same bold liquid within, Old Potrero’s new packaging and bottle embody the boldness of its home-base, San Francisco. A city that’s resilient, creative and richly historic, just like Old Potrero.”
The new packaging redesign, created by design agency Stranger & Stranger, features a dark wooden top with a natural cork stopper stamped with Old Potrero branding for a premium craft feel. The bottle’s perforated edges and ticket-style copy holding devices connect back to the historic cable cars of San Francisco. And the new label features the same copper pot still used at the distillery since its inception as well as one of the world’s most celebrated and iconic sights – The Golden Gate Bridge. The font, Fog City Gothic, is used throughout the label as a nod to the type used on signage seen throughout San Francisco.
“The bottle’s design was inspired by the juxtaposition of San Francisco’s architecture, between the past and the present,” says Luis Rivas Ball, Senior Brand Lead American Whiskeys at Hotaling and Co. “From the perforated edges and ticket-style holding devices that connect back to the cable cars to the copper pot still and Golden Gate Bridge in the logo, Old Potrero is a true representation of San Francisco.”
Although the brand is launching a bold and eye-catching new design, what’s inside will remain unchanged – the same award winning 100% malted rye whiskey, now aged longer for added smoothness and complexity. Highlights on the Old Potrero Straight Rye Whiskey 6 years-old and the Old Potrero Old Single Barrel 100% Malted Rye Whiskey are as follows:
- Old Potrero Straight Rye Whiskey 6-Year-Old (SRP $64.99) marked the official return of pot distilled rye whiskey to the US. Distilled from a 100% malted rye mash bill in the same copper post still since the 1990’s, the liquid is then matured in new, charred, 24-month air dried, extra-fine grain, American white oak barrels for a minimum of six years. Tasting notes include brown sugar, black cherry, spice, and maple with a nutty finish, satisfying the enthusiast’ desire for bolder flavors and higher strength whiskeys.
- The Old Potrero Single Barrel Rye Whiskey (SRP $89.99) is aged in extra fine grain American Oak. The wood is air dried for 24 months and the barrels are fully toasted and charred by hand over an oak fire. The mash of 100% malted rye is fermented for four days and then double distilled in traditional copper pot whiskey stills. This expression is slated to debut in later 2022.
About Old Potrero
Old Potrero Rye Whiskey is a testament to the power of the pioneering spirit and the celebrated return of pot- distilled whiskey in the United States. Created by Fritz Maytag, the same beverage visionary who sparked the craft beer movement with his purchase of Anchor Brewing in 1965 and the founder of the original Anchor Distilling Co., now Hotaling & Co., Old Potrero is credited as the first American craft whiskey to hit the market since Prohibition. It is distilled in a small copper pot still at the Hotaling & Co. Distillery on San Francisco’s Potrero Hill Farm from a mash of 100% rye malt, with rye being the grain of choice for America’s first distillers.
About Hotaling & Co.
Hotaling & Co., the leading San Francisco importer & distiller, offers the finest curated portfolio of premium artisanal spirits including Luxardo Liqueurs, Nikka Whisky, Kavalan Whisky, HINE Cognac, Denizen Rum, and HIRSCH Selected Whiskeys. Hotaling & Co., originally named Anchor Distilling Company, was established in 1993 and is credited with releasing America’s first craft whiskey (Old Potrero) and American craft gin (Junipero Gin) after Prohibition. In 2010, Anchor Distilling Company was sold to a business partnership that included Tony Foglio and London's oldest wine and spirit merchant, Berry Bros. & Rudd and began expanding to incorporate a collection of super-premium artisanal spirits imported from around the world. In 2017, Anchor Distilling became Hotaling &Co. The new name is a nod to one of Anchor Distilling’s most beloved small batch whiskies (Old Potrero Hotaling’s Whiskey) and to the San Francisco legend A.P. Hotaling, who came out West during the Gold Rush and quickly became one of the most reputable spirits dealers in the country. Today, Hotaling & Co. celebrates exciting growth and achievements, marking its 26th year of distilling and its 10th year of commercially uniting artisan distillers from around the world and sharing their stories to discerning consumers.
For more details about Old Potrero please visit OldPotrero.com or HotalingandCo.com.