Bourbon Lens The Bourbon Lens

We are joined by Caitlin Bartlemay, Master Distiller for Hood River Distillers and their portfolio of brands, including Clear Creek, McCarthy’s, and Trail’s End.  Caitlin was recently appointed to the role of Master Distiller after many years with the company, a testament to her passion for the brands and distilling.  We discuss their portfolio, including two Single Malts from McCarthy’s, the FIRST American Single Malt Whiskey, and Trail’s End Bourbons.
Stream this episode on your favorite podcast app and be sure to drop us a review while you’re there. 
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 Star rating on your favorite podcast app, leave us a written review, and tell a fellow bourbon lover about our show.
Follow us @BourbonLens on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and X.  Also, consider supporting Bourbon Lens on Patreon for some of the behind the scenes, to earn Bourbon Lens swag, join the Bourbon Lens Tasting Club, and more. If you have any comments, questions, or guest suggestions, please email us at Info@BourbonLens.com.
Check out BourbonLens.com to read our blog posts, whiskey news, podcast archive, and whiskey reviews.
Cheers,
Scott and Jake
Bourbon Lens
 
About Hood River Distillers:
Founded in 1934 and headquartered in Hood River, Ore., Hood River Distillers is the Northwest’s largest and oldest importer, distiller, producer, and marketer of distilled spirits. Timberline® Vodka, Forthwest® Whisky, Big Gin®, Batanga® Tequila, Easy Rider® Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Trail’s End® Finished Small Batch Bourbon, DeGroff™ Bitter Aperitivo and New World Amaro, Clear Creek® Fruit Brandies and Liqueurs, McCarthy’s® Oregon Single Malt, Old Delicious® Apple Brandy, Sinfire® Whisky, Lucid®Absinthe Supérieure, ULLR® Nordic Libation, Yazi® Ginger Vodka, Lewis and Clark® Spirits, HRD® Vodka and the complete line of Monarch® distilled spirits are distributed across the country. For the complete product portfolio and more information, visit www.hrdspirits.com. 
About Caitlin Bartlemay:
Bartlemay joined Clear Creek Distillery in 2010 as a logistics coordinator and worked her way through the ranks to distiller. In 2014, Clear Creek was acquired by Hood River Distillers, joining the two oldest operating distilleries in Oregon, and returning Hood River Distillers to its original roots of creating fruit brandies. Bartlemay was named Head Distiller in 2021 and now oversees production of some twenty different distillates including McCarthy’s Oregon Single Malt, the 1st American Single Malt; the award-winning Timberline Vodka; and the renowned Clear Creek brandies and eaux de vie.
Bartlemay grew up as a hard-working wheat rancher in Eastern Oregon. Her father started a winery when she was in middle school, and she became fascinated by the science of fermentation. She studied Food Science and Technology at Oregon State University  earning her bachelor’s degree in 2010. During her last semester of college, Bartlemay sent letters to every distillery across the Pacific Northwest  (at that time there were only 12) inquiring about job opportunities. Steve McCarthy, owner of Clear Creek Distillery, never told her to stop calling, so she didn’t. She started work there the week after graduation.

Jake sits down with Joseph Goode and Cody Matthews of Truist Financial to discuss the ways you can go about building your own liquid empire. There are many strategies that Truist deploys when helping a customer realize their dream of opening a distillery, creating a whiskey company, and procuring barrels. Sit back, grab a pen and paper, and pour up some bourbon and listen to the latest episode of the Bourbon Lens Podcast.
Stream this episode on your favorite podcast app and be sure to drop us a review while you’re there. 
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 Star rating on your favorite podcast app, leave us a written review, and tell a fellow bourbon lover about our show.
Follow us @BourbonLens on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and X.  Also, consider supporting Bourbon Lens on Patreon for some of the behind the scenes, to earn Bourbon Lens swag, join the Bourbon Lens Tasting Club, and more. If you have any comments, questions, or guest suggestions, please email us at Info@BourbonLens.com.
Check out BourbonLens.com to read our blog posts, whiskey news, podcast archive, and whiskey reviews.
Cheers,
Scott and Jake
Bourbon Lens
 

About Truist Financial:
Truist Financial Corporation is a purpose-driven financial services company committed to inspire and
build better lives and communities. With 275 years of combined BB&T and SunTrust history, Truist
serves approximately 12 million households with leading market share in many high-growth markets
in the country. The company offers a wide range of services including retail, small business and
commercial banking; asset management; capital markets; commercial real estate; corporate and
institutional banking; insurance; mortgage; payments; specialized lending and wealth management.
Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Truist is the sixth-largest commercial bank in the U.S.
Truist Bank, Member FDIC. Learn more at Truist.com.
About Our Guests:
Joseph Goode, Senior Vice President, is the Beverage Industry Manager at Truist, based in Atlanta,
GA. Joe has covered the Beverage Industry for more than seventeen years. Prior to joining Truist,
Joe spent time at Wells Fargo Bank and Bank of Montreal; also covering the Beverage Industry at
both institutions. Throughout his career, Joe has covered much of the US working directly with
ownership and management teams across all beverage sectors.
Beer Distribution Wine & Spirit Distribution Manufacturers (Beer, Wine, Spirits, Carbonated Soft Drinks, Other Non-Alcoholic Beverages) Soft Drink Bottlers & Distributors Importers Brand Companies Blenders & Rectifiers Co-Manufacturers & Co-Packers Cody Matthews is Senior Vice President, for Truist Financial Corporation. He oversees the Louisville market and is responsible for the coordination and promotion of Truist’s image within the market. Acting as chief integrator in the market for various functions including retail, wealth management, capital markets, insurance, investment banking, and commercial banking.
Since being named to this position in February 2020, Matthews has overseen commercial loan growth exceeding $310 million (108% growth) and commercial deposit growth of $279 million (70% growth). During his tenure, deposit market share for the Louisville MSA has grown $590 million (37% growth), taking 52bps of market share from competitors. Matthews was recognized as a Top Performer in 2023 with the CCB Performance Award. With more than 10 years of finance experience, he previously served as a CPA for BKD and Ernst and Young and owned his own financial planning practice with Northwestern Mutual.
 
 
Image Credit: Truist Financial Corporation

Past guest, Mike Montgomery, re-joins Bourbon Lens to talk whiskey.  Mike is the co-founder of Blue Run Spirits and previously appeared in Episode 115 and Episode 177 of Bourbon Lens. Mike is currently the Vice President of Spirits for the Molson Coors Beverage Company, which acquired Blue Run Spirits in mid-2023.  Molson Coors is growing its spirits division and Blue Run is a big piece of that movement.  The portfolio also includes two relative newcomers to the whiskey world,  Barmen 1873 Bourbon and Five Trail Whiskey.
Stream this episode on your favorite podcast app and be sure to drop us a review while you’re there. 
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 Star rating on your favorite podcast app, leave us a written review, and tell a fellow bourbon lover about our show.
Follow us @BourbonLens on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and X.  Also, consider supporting Bourbon Lens on Patreon for some of the behind the scenes, to earn Bourbon Lens swag, join the Bourbon Lens Tasting Club, and more. If you have any comments, questions, or guest suggestions, please email us at Info@BourbonLens.com.
Check out BourbonLens.com to read our blog posts, whiskey news, podcast archive, and whiskey reviews.
Cheers,
Scott and Jake
Bourbon Lens
 
About Coors Spirits Co.
Coors Spirits Co. was established in 2023 to house Molson Coors’ growing spirits division as part of the company’s shift from a beer company to a total beverage company. Molson Coors’ entry into spirits began with the 2021 launch of Five Trail Blended American Whiskey, which gained quick accolades that included Double Gold at the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. In spring 2023, the company added Barmen 1873 Bourbon (a reference to the hometown of Coors Brewing founder Adolph Coors and the year he established the brewery in Golden, Colo.) to its lineup. And in August of 2023, Molson Coors acquired Blue Run Spirits of Georgetown, KY, a distiller of luxury bourbons and rye whiskies to complement the portfolio. Further innovation is planned for the years to come.

We’re joined by Pete Barger, co-founder of Southern Distilling Company in Statesville, North Carolina. Pete discusses what led him to founding his distillery. We also explore the growth they’ve experienced, from sourcing whiskey to producing their own spirits, and even becoming one of the largest contract distillers you may have not heard of yet. This is a wide-ranging episode and capped off by some excellent whiskey and great company. If you’re looking for your next grain-to-glass bottle of whiskey, check out Southern Distilling and their Southern Star and Hunting Creek lines of whiskey.
Stream this episode on your favorite podcast app and be sure to drop us a review while you’re there. 
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 Star rating on your favorite podcast app, leave us a written review, and tell a fellow bourbon lover about our show.
Follow us @BourbonLens on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and X.  Also, consider supporting Bourbon Lens on Patreon for some of the behind the scenes, to earn Bourbon Lens swag, join the Bourbon Lens Tasting Club, and more. If you have any comments, questions, or guest suggestions, please email us at Info@BourbonLens.com.
Check out BourbonLens.com to read our blog posts, whiskey news, podcast archive, and whiskey reviews.
Cheers,
Scott and Jake
Bourbon Lens
About Southern Distilling Company:
Family-owned and operated by Pete and Vienna Barger, Southern Distilling Company is proudly reigniting North Carolina’s distilling tradition while embracing the innovative future of America’s craft spirits industry. Headquartered in storied Statesville, N.C. - once labeled the “liquor capital of the world” in the 1800s - Southern Distilling Company has grown to become one of the country’s largest privately owned distilleries since being founded in 2013. Today, it offers an innovative range of new-fill barrel production, aged-barrel sales, barrel-warehouse aging and co-packaging for more than 130 brands globally. Rooted in North Carolina’s agricultural community, Southern Distilling Company supports a stringent grain-to-glass sustainability process that sources quality grains from farms within 20 miles of its facility.
Southern Distilling Company also produces its own line of award-winning artisan spirits, including Southern Star Paragon Wheated Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Southern Star Standard High-Rye Bourbon Whiskey, Southern Star Double Rye Whiskey, Southern Star Double Shot Bourbon Cream Liqueur and Hunting Creek Bottled-in-Bond Straight Rye Whiskey. Southern Star products are available in more than 18 markets across the U.S. with expanding national distribution. The distillery is open for tours, tastings and craft cocktails, plus hosts public and private events throughout the year. For more information, visit SouthernDistillingCompany.com

We sit down with our friend, Zach Johnston, of Blackwood Distilling Co. Zach is currently the Chief Business Officer of International Sales for Blackwood. We discuss Zach’s background in the spirits world, including his time writing for UPROXX and judging spirits competitions. Zach is tasked with growing Blackwood to the next level as they grow their portfolio from ultra-limited edition releases to gain a broader audience in the international market.  We taste through their limited release Toasted Bourbon and Toasted Rye Whiskey, discuss their plans for future releases, and tease some future news for the brand as well. For more details on Blackwood Distilling Co., head over to their website:  https://blackwooddistillingco.com/ 
Stream this episode on your favorite podcast app and be sure to drop us a review while you’re there. 
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 Star rating on your favorite podcast app, leave us a written review, and tell a fellow bourbon lover about our show.
Follow us @BourbonLens on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and X.  Also, consider supporting Bourbon Lens on Patreon for some of the behind the scenes, to earn Bourbon Lens swag, join the Bourbon Lens Tasting Club, and more. If you have any comments, questions, or guest suggestions, please email us at Info@BourbonLens.com.
Check out BourbonLens.com to read our blog posts, whiskey news, podcast archive, and whiskey reviews.
Cheers,
Scott and Jake
Bourbon Lens

Jake travels to Lebanon KY to visit Limestone Branch and see the new Stephen B. Beam Tasting Lodge.  He’s joined by Master Distiller, Stephen Beam, and Stephen Fante, Brand Ambassador for Limestone Branch.  They discuss the new facility, the single barrel program, and growing the Yellowstone Whiskey brand.  Don’t miss this episode.
Stream this episode on your favorite podcast app and be sure to drop us a review while you’re there. 
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 Star rating on your favorite podcast app, leave us a written review, and tell a fellow bourbon lover about our show.
Follow us @BourbonLens on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and X.  Also, consider supporting Bourbon Lens on Patreon for some of the behind the scenes, to earn Bourbon Lens swag, join the Bourbon Lens Tasting Club, and more. If you have any comments, questions, or guest suggestions, please email us at Info@BourbonLens.com.
Check out BourbonLens.com to read our blog posts, whiskey news, podcast archive, and whiskey reviews.
Cheers,
Scott and Jake
Bourbon Lens
 

About Yellowstone Bourbon:
Founded by pioneer distiller Joseph Bernard Dant, Yellowstone Bourbon was named for our country’s very first national park in 1872. In 2011, seventh-generation Master Distiller Steve Beam – a descendant of both the Dant and Beam distilling families – founded Lebanon, Kentucky-based Limestone Branch Distillery and resurrected the Yellowstone brand with the creation of Yellowstone Select Bourbon. Since then, Yellowstone has been one of the fastest-growing American Whiskey brands in the industry. Today, the Yellowstone family of brands includes Yellowstone Select, Yellowstone Limited Edition and Yellowstone American Single Malt Whiskey.
About Limestone Branch Distillery:
Stephen Beam opened Limestone Branch Distillery in 2011, with the goal of crafting the finest spirits in small batches. Stephen is a seventh-generation distiller with a history of distilling on both sides of his family – Beam and Dant. In 2015, he brought the Yellowstone brand back to the family. The distillery is now home to Yellowstone Select, Yellowstone American Single Malt Whiskey, Yellowstone Limited Edition, Minor Case Rye Whiskey and Bowling & Burch Gin. For more information on Limestone Branch Distillery and Yellowstone, visit LimestoneBranch.com, YellowstoneBourbon.com or visit them on Instagram.