Louisville man competing in World's Top Whiskey Taster

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Louisville native is representing the Southeast region in the final round of the World's Top Whiskey Taster.

Bardstown Bourbon Company hosts the competition with five tasters entering the final round.

The winner will receive a $20,000 cash prize, a scholarship to Louisville's Moonshine University for distilling training and an opportunity to blend their own barrel of bourbon.

The finalists are as follows:

Ben Ward – Manhattan, New York, NY
Michael James Outcalt – Denver, CO
Michelle Hagen – Cincinnati, OH
George LaBoda – Los Angeles, CA
Jake Lewellen – Louisville, KY

Lewellen grew up in Louisville, played football at University of Kentucky and is now a bourbon podcaster on the side.

Lewellen said the first round was a video application, answering a series of Bourbon related questions on camera. He was selected, out of thousands, and went to compete in the tasting semi-finals in Atlanta in the Southeast region.

"That's kind of what my mantra was, 'I'm like if I can get to Atlanta where the Cats always win, then I got a chance to win too,'" he said.

Now, moving on the finals with a big prize on the line, he knows the bringing home the title to the Bourbon Capital of the World carries its own weight.

"To be honest, I feel like there's a little added pressure because I'm the one that's from here," he said. "I'm really looking forward to just representing the state."

He said there's an added element to the finals where he will be asked to blend a bourbon for the panel of judges.

"That should be interesting," Lewellen said. "And I think having done some blends and things for some barrel pics we've done, I think I got a chance to really stand out in that kind of a sphere of influence."

The panel of bourbon experts who will serve as judges include Peggy Noe Stevens, Fred Minnick, Colin Blake and others.

This final event is Saturday, Dec. 11 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Bardstown Bourbon Company.

You can stream it online or if you want to go in person you can buy a ticket here.

All ticket proceeds will be donated to the USBG National Charity Foundation whose mission is to advance the lifelong stability and wellbeing of service industry professionals.