Bourbon Podcast

New Riff Kentucky Straight Rye (Bottled in Bond): Aged for 4 years, bottled at 100 proof (50% ABV), featuring a mashbill of 95% rye and 5% malted rye.

New Riff Single Barrel Rye: Bottled barrel strength without chill filtration, aged 4 years, 95% rye and 5% malted rye mashbill. Cheers!

Harlen’s formal education in chemistry and chemical engineering brought him to Buffalo Trace Distillery, but it’s the on-the-job experience that led him to become the resident Master Distiller in 2005.

Born in Mount Sterling, Kentucky, Harlen has spent almost all of his life in the Bluegrass. After relocating and spending much of his youth in Florence, KY, Harlen attended Northern Kentucky University, attaining his degree in chemistry. He then migrated to work full-time at a chemical company in Central Kentucky while completing a chemical engineering degree at the University of Kentucky, gaining formal training in distillation and separation techniques.

Harlen joined the Distillery as a supervisor in 1995. Not long after, the Distillery was rechristened and the flagship Buffalo Trace Bourbon was introduced. It marked a new era in the Distillery’s esteemed history and Harlen continued to make his mark as he was promoted to Distillery Manager in 2000. Harlen was named Master Distiller in 2005, becoming Buffalo Trace’s sixth Master Distiller since the Civil War.

Having worked in every aspect of production from raw materials to barrel aging, as Master Distiller Harlen has driven many initiatives, including solidifying standards and consistency, quality focus and efficiency gains. He is responsible for all distilling and aging operations for the Sazerac Company, while promoting and educating the public on some of the world’s finest bourbon whiskeys.

Harlen has been recognized for his achievements numerous times, he is a four-time James Beard Award nominee in the Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional category, he was named Distillery Manager of the Year at Whisky Magazine’s Icons of Whiskey America Awards in 2014, The Northern Kentucky University Chemistry and Biochemistry department awarded him its 2019 Outstanding Alumni Award, and in 2021 he was inducted into the University of Kentucky’s College of Engineering Hall of Distinction.

(Per-Breakingbourbon.com)- This year’s edition of Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged continues to lean into its aged flavor profile thanks to the highest percentage of 14-year bourbon in the series to date.

Originally started in 2023, the Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged series is now in its fourth iteration. Differentiating itself from the Maker's Mark Wood Finishing Series, the Cellar Aged series focuses on aging standard Maker's Mark for between 4 and 7 additional years in the company’s limestone cellar. This cellar has an average year-round temperature of 47 degrees Fahrenheit. For the 2026 release, the series sees the highest percentage of 14 year old bourbon used in the line. In fact, compared to the 2025 release, the average age in the blend skews higher across the board.
This year’s Cellar release opens with an incredible, intoxicating aroma that beautifully showcases the bourbon barrels selected for the blend. A gaggle of sweet scents greets you, including brown sugar, blackberry turnover, and crème brûlée. A scent of aged oak is present and carries over to kick off a midpoint that shows the bourbon's age. Aged oak and drier flavor notes are much more forceful versus past releases, but baking spices, vanilla streusel, and a faint buttered sweet roll note add pleasing diversity. Leather and dry cinnamon cake notes are present, and this dryness translates into a finish that carries over what the palate started. Focusing on more grounded notes, the ending highlights chewy dry oak, leather, and a cinnamon spice tart apple pie combo before ending on a lingering dry heat.
The Cellar Aged series continues to be a highlight for the brand, demonstrating what the company can do when they’re given room to experiment with aging conditions, and more importantly, time. This year’s release certainly leans into its age, as the sip progressively displays more aged oak and other supporting flavors starting on the palate. While it doesn’t quite live up to last year's exceptional release, it still delivers an excellent, albeit expensive, pour that consumers, and especially Maker’s fans, will want to get their hands on.

Whisky Advocate Magazine Senior Editor Julia Higgins stops by with the guys to discuss 2026 Whiskey Fest. Cheers!

13 years minimum, though the 2026 blend incorporates older handpicked barrels aged up to 18 years.

121.2 proof (60.6% ABV), making it one of the highest-proof releases in the line's history.

Retails around $200 (though secondary market values often run higher between $400 and $500). Cheers!

The Four Roses Father's Day 2026 release is a limited-quantity, single-barrel private selection barrel-strength bourbon, aged around 14 years,

• Age: 14 years old

• Proof: Varies by specific single barrel selections (reported around 120 to 134 proof, such as 129.4 or high-tier proofs like 66.2% / 66.6% ABV)

• Recipe: Features recipes like OBSV (tier/barrel dependent)

• Price: Released around an MSRP of $139–$150

The Four Roses Mother's Day 2026 Limited Edition is a 14-year-old single barrel bourbon featuring the floral OBSQ recipe (60% corn, 35% rye, 5% malted barley with Q yeast), bottled at cask strength ranging around 115 to 118 proof with an original retail price (SRP) of $139. Cheers!

Preston is the fourth generation member of the Van Winkle family to enter into the bourbon business. He is the great grandson of iconic bourbon maker Julian P. “Pappy” Van Winkle, Sr. and son of current Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery President, Julian P. Van Winkle, III.

Louise Van Winkle Breen

Recycling lady and bill payer--not necessarily in that order. She manages the back end of the business (the books, accounting, finances, etc.), HR and oversee daily operations.
Favorite cocktail: definitely tequila on the rocks with a splash of Freshies margarita mix. Cheers!

Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Four Grain Bourbon has returned for 2026 as an ongoing annual limited release from Buffalo Trace Distillery. Bottled-in-Bond at 100 proof (50% ABV) and aged for 10 years. Notes of sweet caramel, vanilla, cherry candy, oak, and clove spice, with the wheat adding softness and the rye providing structure. Cheers!

A legendary, highly coveted Bottled-in-Bond expression from Buffalo Trace Distillery. Revered by collectors as a true "unicorn" bottle, this unprecedented 17-year-old masterpiece was crafted from Buffalo Trace’s iconic low-rye Mash Bill #1. It pays homage to the meticulous standards of the "Father of the Modern Bourbon Industry," Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr.

What sets the original Cured Oak apart is an extraordinary focus on barrel engineering. Standard white oak barrel staves are typically seasoned for six months. For this special project, the white oak staves were left to air-dry in the open elements for a full 13 months before being coopered into barrels. This extended, more-than-doubled curing period allowed natural weather cycles and microbes to deeply alter the wood's composition. The process reduced harsh wood tannins while drawing immense terpene development to the surface.The result is a bourbon that pulled deep, highly localized complexities from the wood during its nearly two decades of slumber inside the historic, steam-heated Warehouse C. Cheers!

Old Charter Oak "Finest Oak" is crafted at Buffalo Trace Distillery, honoring the historic Old Charter brand established by Adam and Ben Chapeze in 1874. The bourbon pays tribute to the iconic white oak trees that have long shaped the character of American whiskey, emphasizing the critical role of oak in flavor development. This expression is part of the Old Charter Oak series, which explores how different oak origins and barrel treatments influence the final bourbon. Cheers!

The fifth installment in Heaven Hill's annual limited-edition Heritage Collection series. Released in early 2026, it stands as the oldest bourbon featured in the collection to date, crafted from roughly 270-275 barrels originally distilled in 2003 and aged on the upper floors of Bardstown's famous Rickhouse Y.

The Wild Turkey Austin Nichols Archives: Gold Foil Edition is a 16-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey bottled at 120 proof. Released in May 2026 with an MSRP of $400, this inaugural expression launched a new collector series paying tribute to the historic "cheesy gold foil" bottlings from Wild Turkey's past. Cheers!

The vintage Old Fitzgerald Colonial Decanter is a collectible 1960s–1970s bottled-in-bond bourbon release from the legendary Stitzel-Weller Distillery. These 100-proof, 4/5-quart decorative glass bottles featured colonial-themed prints or shields. Often featuring age statements around 6 years old, such as distilled in 1963 and bottled in 1969. Cheers!

Dixon Dedman is a 42-year-old blender who has quickly established himself as one of the most prolific American whiskey blenders in the industry known for his high-proof, robust bourbon and rye blends. He grew up on the whiskey trail infusing the learnings from industry legends with his culinary expertise from running his family’s business, the famed and James Beard award-winning Beaumont Inn. His credentials are unsurpassed among high-end whisky retailers, writers, and collectors. He’s a foodie, a wine connoisseur, runs marathons, and is a sneakerhead who connects with a broad range of drinkers, from millennials to boomers. Cheers!

Jack Daniel’s 14-Year Batch 2 is an ultra-aged Tennessee Whiskey released in Spring 2026. Part of the brand's premium, age-stated lineup, this limited release features the classic mash bill (80% corn, 12% rye, 8% malted barley) and is bottled at a barrel proof of 117.6 (58.8% ABV). Cheers!

Little Book Chapter 10 “All the Wiser” is the 10th release in the brand’s Chapter line, and it pays respect to Little Book Chapter 3: "The Road Home" and the company’s Small Batch Collection. Chapter 3 was a blend of bourbons: 9 year old Knob Creek, 9 year old Basil Hayden, 11 year old Booker's, and 12 year old Baker's. Like Chapter 10, that blend was bottled uncut at 122.6 proof. For the current release, Master Distiller Freddie Noe takes the same approach but shuffles the age of each component, while also throwing in a finished component. The end result is a blend of 11 year old Knob Creek, 14 year old Basil Hayden, 10 year old Booker's, 9 year old Baker's, and 4 year old Jim Beam finished in sherry and toasted casks. Chapter 10 is also bottled at 122.6 proof. Cheers!

The Gem of Kentucky is the premiere offering from 2XO. The only double barreled single barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey on the market. The barrels are exclusively selected by Dixon from his double barreled stocks of the high rye bourbon mash bill (35%) that spend up to a year in new charred oak barrels before bottling. It is a full-bodied, full-flavored expression that leans on Dixon’s unique double-barreling process for a richer and more viscous mouthfeel. The differing char levels on the secondary barreling allow complex flavors to develop and balance the spicy finish from the high rye distillate. Cheers!

The Four Roses Single Barrel 2026 collection highlights three new, rotating recipes (OESF, OBSK, and OESQ) alongside the brand's flagship OBSV bottling. Each bottle in the collection is aged 7 to 9 years, bottled at 100 proof, and available for a Suggested Retail Price (SRP) of $49.99 per 750ml. Cheers!

Uncut, unfiltered Kentucky straight bourbon produced by the Buffalo Trace Distillery. Released as an early-season batch, this highly allocated whiskey is bottled at a bold 129.3 proof (64.65% ABV) and is prized for its signature rich, cask-strength profile. Listen to what the guys think of this coveted bottle. Cheers!

In the fall of 2022, Owen Martin was appointed the Angel’s Envy Master Distiller. A Kansas City native, Owen now proudly calls Louisville home where he redefines and crafts the future of bourbon at the Angel’s Envy distillery. With a history and passion for maturing, blending, and the art of secondary finishing, he is always searching for new ways to offer an unparalleled bourbon and rye experience by continually pushing distillation boundaries.

With Owen’s extensive knowledge of secondary casks, he will ensure the exceptional quality standard across all expressions, core offerings and limited-edition collections. Today, he takes pride in his role at a leading distillery on Louisville’s Whiskey Row. Owen’s demonstrated experience in product development and experimentation regarding what’s next for the industry make him the perfect fit to lead Angel’s Envy into its exciting future. Cheers!