Season 7, Episode 23: Damon Thayer & Andre Regard, Co-Founders - Kentucky Senator Bourbon

On this Episode of The Bourbon Life Podcast presented by VisitLEX, Damon Thayer and Andre Regard, co-founders of Kentucky Senator Bourbon, return to the show for another fun conversation about the continued growth of the brand, their newest releases, and what's ahead.

Damon and Andre catch Mark up on some big changes for Kentucky Senator Bourbon, including moving much of their storage and bottling operations to Bardstown Bourbon Company, launching an online store that can ship to 46 states, and continuing to expand their presence at bourbon festivals and events.

They also talk about their deliberate approach to growing the brand, an inventory that now includes more than 700 barrels aging at four Kentucky distilleries, and why they remain committed to producing traditional, age-stated Kentucky bourbon.

The guys also dive into the stories behind two of their recent releases. Damon shares the personal connection behind the 8.5-year-old Jim Bunning release, honoring his longtime political mentor and the former U.S. Senator who helped establish September as National Bourbon Heritage Month. Andre talks about taking Kentucky Senator Bourbon back to his Louisiana roots with the 8-year-old Huey P. Long Louisiana Senator release and their plans to follow it with Rose Long and Russell Long releases, creating a unique three-bottle family vertical.

They also look ahead at the new Thoroughbred Legacy Series, a single-barrel program inspired by Damon and Andre's longtime connections to Kentucky's horse industry, and reflect on just how far Kentucky Senator Bourbon has come since its first release in 2021.

To bring things full circle, they revisit that original 15-year-old Alben W. Barkley Bourbon and the unforgettable story of transporting the whiskey across Lexington during an ice storm so they could get their first bottles into commerce.

And, of course, they taste and review three different Kentucky Senator Bourbon expressions, including:

• Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning Bourbon – 8.5 Year

• Louisiana Senator Huey P. Long Bourbon – 8 Year

• Kentucky Senator Alben W. Barkley Bourbon – 15 Year

It's a wide-ranging conversation about bourbon, history, storytelling, thoughtful growth, Kentucky's horse industry, and building a whiskey brand one bottle and one relationship at a time.

This episode of The Bourbon Life Podcast is presented by VisitLEX and sponsored by Bluegrass Distillers, Pappy & Co., District 7 Social, The Kitchen Table at the James B. Beam Distilling Co., and Hotel Distil.