The Bourbon Trail

There might be nothing I like better than dark warehouses filled with story upon story of bourbon barrels, but I had no idea this was the case until I explored some of the distilleries along the Bourbon Trail. With dirt floors, cobwebs and an absence of light, these warehouses feel like mine shafts. Stepping inside the warehouses with no climate control, the air is still and warm in the middle of July. The rich spiciness of aging bourbon fills the air. Inside the distilleries, where the production takes place, the aged cypress wood fermentation tanks that hold gallons of mash and the huge copper distillation stills are both functional and beautiful objects. Bolts, vials, stills and vats all worn with age kept me captivated as we toured. Sure, the bourbon facts were interesting, but they had nothing on the visuals of the day.



We visited Wild Turkey, Woodford Reserve and Four Roses. Each distillery we toured offered something entirely unique. Wild Turkey had warehouses that looked like insane asylums falling into disrepair. Somehow the roughness of the exteriors seemed to fit with the history of distilling bourbon. For such a uniquely American product it’s nice to see history still standing. The warehouses with bars on the windows haven’t changed since prohibition.

After Wild Turkey we headed to Woodford Reserve. Instead of tasting bourbon alongside bikers and looking at their heavy leather boots and leg tattoos, I was surrounded by men with Kennedy hair, dress shorts and Top-Siders. I could have easily been at at UVA football game instead of a distillery. Although I loved the landscape of Woodford, I missed the grittiness of Wild Turkey. Somehow the gourmet sandwiches served to waiting tour groups and a gift store filled with golf jackets and polo shirts didn’t feel quite right.

We capped off the day of touring at Four Roses. This yellow Spanish mission style building, unexpected in the hills of Kentucky, was built in the early 1900s. The buildings at Four Roses were based on the architecture popular in California wineries at the time and ended up being the perfect way to cap off the tour. I finally found a bourbon that tastes like more than just fire water. If I ever need a stiff drink I’ll go for Four Roses Yellow Label on the rocks.

You can find more pictures of our bourbon adventures over at Flickr.

Comments

7 responses to “The Bourbon Trail”

  1. Patti Avatar

    Awesome, how drunk where you guys after the tours?!

    1. Claire Avatar
      Claire

      Not at all — they are much more plentiful with the tastings at beer tours, that’s for sure 🙂

  2. maryannk Avatar
    maryannk

    Sounds like fun. 🙂 I’m impressed by you wild turkeys, you Nortons! I have a really good recipe for bourbon brownies, do you want me to share? Or maybe I should just come visit, we can make the brownies and have a good stiff one on the side. That’s what I’ll do.

    1. Claire Avatar
      Claire

      I like plan B. You come here. We’ll make brownies and have a stiff one on the side!

  3. Erin Avatar

    I am not a super fan of bourbon in itself, but I just love the tours. I love the smell in the warehouses (both yeast room and barrel storage) and obviously the rolling hills of KY.

    If anyone wants a good recipe (especially for Derby time) for Derby pie full of tasty bourbon, let me know.

    1. Claire Avatar
      Claire

      Actually, your Derby pie would be the the perfect addition to this post. It’s one of my favorite treats that you make!

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