Barrels, and more Bourbon

 Today was a little different.  At each distillery tour, we kept hearing that "We get our barrels from a local company in Lebanon, KY or Lebanon, MO.  It is just a coincidence that they are both named Lebanon. You should go do their tour."  So we did.  We reserved a tour for 9:30 at the Independent Stave Company, Kentucky Cooperage.  This tour was $5.00. This is a global company. It turned out that we were the only ones there for the Thursday tour so it was a VIP tour.  Our tour guide was Ann. "No e, her father said vowels were expensive."  We were not allowed to take any pictures inside the factory.  The tour was fascinating.  We had a barrel assembled in front of us, describing how the staves are selected.  We saw the barrels being charred to a No. 4 level, and sent on down the line.  We also had a demonstration on a repair of a barrel that didn't pass muster and had to have a stave replaced.  In bourbon country, it is all about the barrels.

Piles of staves for future barrels.

Now we are off to Woodford Reserve.  This was $14.00.  This was the most picturesque distillery. The buildings are all stone and very pastoral.  This distillery is on the National Register of Historic Places. and is a National Historic Landmark.  This is the oldest and smallest distillery in Kentucky. This was the largest tour we were on.  Our tour guide was Lea.  Woodford Reserve makes and chars their own barrels.  This tasting included Chocolate.

This one should be mine.  It was filled on my birthday.

This was an elegant tasting.

Wild Turkey was next.  We have learned that basically all the distilleries are owned by big business. Quite often, global owned business.  This one is Italian.  Our tour guide was Joann. This tour was $10.00.   All their product is produced here.

This is the recipe for all Bourbon.  The percentages vary a little, temperature, time in the barrels, char level, the size of the warehouses and location in the warehouse are some of the things that give the distinct taste differences to each bourbon.

The black on the warehouse and trees and everything else around a distillery is caused by a harmless fungus.  This is why many building are black.

Everything is controlled from this room.

It is all about the taste.

This was ours.

Outside the windows of the tasting room, we were able to see one of the few S bridges in the US.  The railroad bridge beyond was purchased by an individual and is now a bungee jumping club.

Our final tour today was Town Branch.  This is a distillery and a brewery.  Lexington Brewery.  This is a very modern distillery.  We visit the brewery first.  The claim to fame here is the beer is aged in whiskey barrels.  We really enjoyed the beers.  In fact we went in search of Peach Barrel Wheat Ale and Bourbon Barrel Stout.  However, we were not fans of the bourbon.  This distillery was in downtown Lexington.

This was the beer tasting.  Really good beers.  Unfortunately they could not sell the beer at this location but we managed to find the summer peach/wheat and Bourbon Barrel Stout.

This was a long day, but we had a really good time.