A few weeks back, after returning from my month of work in Singapore my manager encouraged me to take a week off to make up for all my lost weekends. I decided to finally get to work on one of my bucket list items of visiting the Kentucky Bourbon trail. I found a tour company, Mint Julep Tours, and signed up. I also invited an old high school friend, (and experienced Bourbon connoisseur) to drive down from Columbus and join me.
The evening before, I tried a Mint Julep for the first time. I primarily wanted to try this drink only because it was featured in one of my favorite James Bond films.
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| See the resemblance? It was too sweet. |
The next day, we headed out on the tour starting from the old Galt House hotel in downtown. Our first stop, Buffalo Trace, was about 60 miles East of Louisville in the town of Frankfort, KY. I learned that Bourbon requires a mix of at least 51% Corn, distilled in the USA, and must use new Charred Oak Barrels. It was really impressive seeing and experiencing the history of a company that had survived the 1919-1939 prohibition moment. The best find here appeared to be a Bourbon Cream liquor because it didn’t have the nasty finish of Baileys Irish Cream.
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The tour took a break with a lunch stop at a local BBQ chain. The sign cracked me up…
Next, the tour bus took us to Four Roses Distillery in Lawrenceburg, KY. We only did a tasting here. This place has a bit of a negative history. When it was bought out by Canadian Company, Seagram, a few decades ago they continued to ship the good stuff to places like Japan and Europe, but created trash for the USA. This is why you either don’t know this brand or cringe when you hear it’s name. I recommend giving it a another try. The past is gone, the new standard is quite high.
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After that tour, the tour bus took us to the nearby Wild Turkey Distillery for our final tour of the day. Nestled along the Kentucky River, this place has amazing views of the rolling bluegrass hills.
I’ll let corporate spokesperson, Matthew McConaughey, tell the story…
Here are some photos from the Wild Turkey facility.
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The highlight of this part of the tour, however, occurred at the gift shop. Master Distiller, Jimmy, was on-hand to sign your bottle of Bourbon or Rye. This man has worked at this for 62+ years. I feel that the opportunity to meet a true master, whether artist, kung-fu, swordsmith, chef, is a rarety in this life that should not be missed. This, my friends, makes for a truly unique souvenir and an even better story.
