Welcome to Bourbon Country!

   Okay, I'll admit it! I've always been a bit of a skeptic and nay-sayer in reference to Kentucky's booming Bourbon business. Through the years, I've had a sip here or smell there, but I was honestly never impressed. It seemed touristy and generally not something that would interest me. BUT, in December our oldest son turned 21 and we were thinking of unique ways to celebrate with him when the idea of a distillery visit came up. I decided to take him to the Woodford Reserve Distillery, which is about 25 miles northwest of my home in Lexington. I thought it would be a beautiful drive through horse country and introduce our son to something new in our own backyard. We stopped by Wallace Station for breakfast...this place has lovely breakfast offerings smack dab in the middle of horse farms. It was a great way to start our day.

 Well, hello Central Kentucky! I fell in love with Bourbon scene almost immediately. I loved the sights and smells; I adored the history and tradition and process of it all. And the tasting was out of this world! Not to mention our tour guide and fellow tourists were delightful. It's like a whole new world was opened in a location close to home. One more reason to love 'My Old Kentucky Home'.

Tasting at Woodfard Reserve

   I returned home so excited to share the experience with my husband and we recently spent a date day touring Woodford Reserve and Buffalo Trace Distilleries. Again I was so impressed with our experience (and so was Chris)! So, I thought I'd share a little about each distillery we visited and give information about some others that are on my 'soon to visit' list. My hope is that you get a small taste of the interesting adventures that can be had in Central Kentucky's backyard!

   The Bourbon Trail is one of the many wonderful things that make up our beautiful state! It stretches as far west as Owensboro and back towards the east to Lexington. There are many miles and sights to see in between. There are 14 distilleries officially on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Be sure to grab a free souvenir passport at your first distillery stop and collect stamps with each visit! I will provide a quick review of the two distilleries that I have visited as well some information on the others that are available for touring. I'd love to hear about your experiences! What did you love? Or not so much? Great stops or restaurants along the way? Comment below!

Kentucky Bourbon Trail

• Woodford Reserve 7855 McCracken Pike Versailles, Kentucky 40383   

          As I had mentioned before, I have visited Woodford Reserve (twice!) and loved it! Upon arrival to the distillery, I was impressed with the inviting and nicely appointed visitor center. We entered and purchased our tour tickets for the Distillery Tour (which were $15 each). There are other tours available. I would suggest doing a little homework before going to be sure that you choose the tour that best suits your interest. After getting our tour tickets, we had the option to grab a coffee or snack from the small coffee shop, to take a look around the very nice gift shop, or visit the large area with couches in front of a beautiful fireplace to enjoy while waiting for your tour to begin (we opted for this! So nice!) Tours begin on the hour beginning at 10am. There was also a 9:40am tour that day. The tour itself, including the tasting, lasted about an hour. There was short bus ride down to the distillery area. Very little walking and approximately 20 steps to climb during the tour. It was informative and interesting. At the conclusion of the tour, we were treated to a delightful tasting. The tasting room was gorgeous! We tasted the Woodford Reserve original, WR Double Barrel, and the WR Rye Whiskey--all accompanied with a Ruth Hunt Bourbon Ball. The guided tasting was excellent...I was able to identify the flavors I was tasting, especially with the dark chocolate Bourbon Ball. All in all, it was an excellent experience. I loved the WR Double Barrel Bourbon. I highly suggest trying it if you get a chance! Yummo!         

• Buffalo Trace Distillery 

Buffalo Trace Barrel

          Our second stop of the day was a short 25 minute drive northwest to Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort (our state capital). Buffalo Trace is a much larger, more industrial feeling than Woodford,
but that's not a bad thing...it's just a different thing. The Buffalo Trace tours are all complimentary, which is fantastic because after this tour you're going to want to make a purchase! There are several different options for tours at Buffalo Trace and some must be pre-registered for so I highly suggest checking out the options on their website and planning ahead. We went on the Trace Tour, which leaves ever hour from 9a-4p Monday-Saturday and 12p-3p on Sunday. The Trace Tour is a one hour tour with a complimentary tasting at the conclusion. This visitor center was much more quaint, but they were very friendly and lots of stuff to check out in the gift shop while we waited for our tour. This tour involved alot more history, which we really enjoyed. It also included a video explaining the history of Buffalo Trace. Our tour guide was excellent and relatable. The tour was alot of walking, but they do offer a shuttle for those with a need. At the end we had a much more laid back tasting than we'd experienced at Woodford Reserve. We sampled the Buffalo Trace Bourbon and the Bourbon Cream. The Bourbon Cream was served with root beer to make an adult root beer float. Boy, was it good! So good in fact, I brought a bottle home with us that day! While the tasting wasn't as good, in my opinion, as Woodford Reserve, I did enjoy the tour immensely. Much more informative as to the history. This is a must visit if you're visiting the area or if you live here. It was a great piece of our state's history. 

• My List of Must Visits

          Here are a few more options on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail that I'd like to visit!

• Maker's Mark Loretto, Kentucky--Distillery Tours $14 and up
• Jim Beam Clermont, Kentucky--Distillery Tours $14 and up
• Lux Row Bardstown, Kentucky--Distillery Tours $12 and up

          And those are just a few of the options available! I have been pleasantly overwhelmed with the offering of our beautiful state when it comes to Bourbon. Just one more delightful thing about Central Kentucky. I'd love to hear your thoughts! Comments are always welcome! Have a great day!

Resources:

Kentucky Bourbon Trail ( www.kybourbontrail.com)
Woodford Reserve (www.woodfordreserve.com)
Buffalo Trace Distillery (www.buffalotracedistillery.com)
Makers Mark (www.makersmark.com)
Jim Beam (www.jimbeam.com)
Lux Row (www.luxrowdistillers.com)