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...
info_outline 304: Fawn Weaver on Her New Book, Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, and Honoring Nathan GreenBourbon 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...
info_outline 303: A Deep Dive with Ross Cornelissen, Master Distiller of 1792 BourbonBourbon 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...
info_outline 302: Sitting Down with Dierks Bentley and His New ROW 94 WhiskeyBourbon 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_outlineJake & Jake sit down with Dafne Mejia, Private Chef and runner up on Season 21 of Hell’s Kitchen to discuss her passion for cooking, bourbon and much more. Of course, Jake L. had to talk about his passion for cooking during this episode. Tune into the latest episode of Off Hours with Bourbon Lens on your favorite podcast listening app today.
During this podcast, we discuss a story involving a DUI and the impact that can have on one's life. We ask you to please drink responsibly in your Off Hours.
Thanks for listening to another episode of Off Hours with Bourbon Lens.
Check out new episodes of Off Hours with Bourbon Lens streaming now here.
This has been another production of Bourbon Lens LLC. Thank you for your continued support.
Scott & Jake
Bourbon Lens
Off Hours Bourbon is made for afternoon relaxations and late night convos as it dispels the idea that you have to wear a suit to drink a glass of Bourbon or that it can only be enjoyed poured over rocks at the end of the day. The award-winning liquid is aged in American white oak barrels for over 5 years. Tasting notes include aromas of creamy vanilla, hint of nutmeg and toasted pecans, rich notes of cinnamon and a silky finish of lingering honey.
You can find out more about Off Hours with Bourbon Lens here.
About Dafne Mejia
Born in Los Angeles in 1992, Chef Dafne is the daughter of Suyapa and Luis, first generation immigrants from Honduras. Dafne started her career by following the American Dream, seeking to fulfill her parents’ hope for a better life in the land of opportunity. En route to becoming an OBGYN, Dafne attended SFSU where she was a biology major and quickly realized this was not her dream, but the dream of her parents.
From early in her childhood, Dafne’s creativity was what brought her the most joy. As she realized medicine was not her true passion, she made a bold transition and decided to follow her heart to the creative arts. Committed to forging her own destiny, Dafne enrolled in The Art Institute of California - San Francisco where she graduated with an Associates degree of Science in the Culinary Arts. During her education, Dafne started apprenticing under a Certified Master Chef, learning the art of cooking at the highest level for four years.
Moving back to Los Angeles in 2015, Dafne began cooking as a private chef for Aubrey ‘Drake’ Graham, a high profile assignment that catapulted her to a Sous Chef level. Following her time as a personal chef, Dafne was soon hired by a fine dining Vietnamese restaurant, allowing her to hone new skills, honor different traditions and discover a new level of respect for the sometime tedious process of cooking.
For most of her culinary career, Dafne’s primary love has been found in Italian cuisine. Her specialty, and most requested dish is born from the craft she’s perfected through more than ten thousand hours of meticulous work: Handmade Corn and Truffle Ravioli. Reminding her of her Latin American roots, Dafne fell in love with the culinary traditions of Italy as she proclaims, both cultures’ cuisines are “dominated by grandmas”. Following her passion for pasta, Dafne worked under many talented Italian Chefs, who all imparted their own expertise and artistry, ultimately inspiring Dafne to lean on her creativity in the kitchen.
In 2019 Dafne became the Executive Sous Chef at Spring Place, a private membership club in the heart of Beverly Hills. After helping to organize and build the restaurant from the ground up, Chef Dafne (and the rest of the culinary world) was rocked by the arrival of the pandemic. Though not discouraged for long, Chef Dafne was able to shift and once again, re-entered the private chef world.
While working as a private Chef Dafne was able to indulge in new found creativity, playing around with the culinary arts on her social media - creating captivating stories of her pasta making endeavors. It was through this that she began to gain some notoriety, and towards the end of 2021, Dafne was invited to partake in the world renowned cooking show, Hell’s Kitchen.