Jake Norris is recognized as one of the pioneers of the craft distilling revolution.  In his role as founding Head Distiller for Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey in 2004, Jake led the production team of Colorado’s first micro-distillery and helped to create the first ever “Colorado Whiskey”. 8 years later as founding head distiller of Laws Whiskey House, Jake helped to create A.D. Laws Four Grain Bourbon, the first four grain bourbon ever made in Colorado as well as winning "World’s Best Small Batch Bourbon" 2024. Laws Straight Rye whiskey awarded best rye in America multiple times  A.D. Laws Four Grain Bourbon Bottled In Bond was the first craft bottled in bond. Jake’s work as a consultant has taken him from California to New York and as far as Japan designing distilleries, writing recipes, and training the next generation of craft distillers.Through his work at Stranahan’s and Laws Whiskey House, Jake has designed and distilled the whiskies that define the craft whiskey category.   

Gene is an engineer and distillery design specialist who has spent his career building and refining production systems across the American South and the Caribbean. Gene and Jake have worked together for nearly a decade on a range of projects, a collaboration that now continues with the Curated Barrel Project. Here, Gene is responsible for designing the processes and building the bespoke hardware that let these curated casks—and their unique finishing treatments—express as much character as possible in every bottle.

Scott brings more than two decades of craft beverage experience to the Curated Barrel Project, combining sensory expertise with clear strategic direction. A former brewer, beer judge, and alcohol-beverage professor, he has helped shape industry standards while mentoring the next generation of beverage professionals. When he’s not in the distillery or deep in tasting notes, Scott is most likely on a river somewhere, fly rod in hand.