392: Bourbon Lens Sits Down with Chip Tate to Unpack Gambit No. 6, Ampersand, and the Craft of Secondary Maturation

Bourbon Lens, the podcast dedicated to in-depth conversations with the makers shaping American whiskey, releases a new episode featuring Chip Tate of Foley Family Wine and Spirits. The conversation offers listeners a rare behind-the-scenes look at the creative and technical process driving some of the whiskey industry’s most talked-about recent releases, including Gambit No. 6 and Ampersand.

In the episode, Tate walks host Jake through the development of Gambit No. 6, a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished across wine, apple brandy, sherry, and Tokaji casks. Tate describes constructing the final blend the way a winemaker builds a Bordeaux — layering fruit, tannin, texture, and complexity into a structured, balanced whole. The discussion covers the role of retasted Chardonnay barrels, how deep toasting shapes wood character, and why secondary maturation can introduce nuance without overwhelming the base whiskey.

The conversation also explores broader trends reshaping the category, including:

The growing acceptance of blending and cask finishing among American whiskey drinkers
Why tasting notes are inherently personal rather than universal
How a whiskey can deliver both complexity and easy-drinking approachability
The emerging concept of “session whiskey” — subtle, approachable, and layered at once
What gives a whiskey its sense of “home” or identity
Whiskey’s versatility across cocktails, highballs, and neat pours

The episode closes with a conversation of Ampersand 51/49, an experimental rye and Calvados-based release, along with an early look at Gambit No. 6, a hundred-proof expression built for a different style of drinking occasion.

The full episode is now available on the Bourbon Lens podcast feed and YouTube channel.

About Bourbon Lens

Bourbon Lens is a podcast and media platform delivering weekly conversations, tastings, and insights from across the American whiskey industry, connecting distillers, blenders, and brand founders directly with the bourbon community.