Our Team

Lynn Kohl brings more than 45 years of beverage-industry experience and has been Ed Kohl’s lifelong partner. For more than 25 years, she has played an integral role in the spirits business, serving as a trusted liaison across the company’s relationships.

Her work has taken her overseas to visit distillers and across the United States for sales, marketing, and direct-to-consumer promotions. She has led numerous on-site tastings and developed a broad, practical understanding of how people discover and experience spirits.

After a decade in law enforcement, including two years as a detective, Justin Brumbaugh chose to pursue what he viewed as the ultimate passion project. He first joined the company in 2021, working in the rickhouse, and returned in early 2024 as Production Manager.

Justin now applies the same patient, investigative mindset to whiskey. He studies the clues behind aroma, flavor, maturation, and consistency, then shares what he learns with colleagues and drinkers who want a deeper understanding of the spirit.

Leslie Sampson has more than two decades of office and customer-service experience, including roles supporting senior management, retail operations, online shops, advertising, and editorial media. She also serves as the in-house graphic designer for Keeper’s Quest and J.W. Kelly & Co. and is a published author.

After joining the company in 2021, Leslie became absorbed by the history of J.W. Kelly. Her research expanded into Chattanooga whiskey, local business history, and the surviving archival record. She has since become the company’s leading historian on J.W. Kelly & Co.