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Having recently returned from an excursion to Kentucky bourbon country, which included distillery tours/tastings, I thought some of y'all might like to hear about what we found.....
In Louisville, Rabbit Hole and Brown-Foreman are yet to open.... B-F looks closer to being ready than RH, but the lady at RH said that they'd be open to the public in about 3-4 weeks. We visited Copper and Kings and Peerless since they are open, and found that Rye whiskey can be pretty good and that absinthe is a very interesting beverage. We did tour C&K just to hear about the brandy/absinthe/gin-making process since it surely had to differ from Bourbon ( and it does), but at Peerless we simply had a tasting. Highly recommend both places for interest, staff friendliness and style.
Buffalo Trace has a new tour- the E.H.Taylor "Bourbon Pompeii" tour which is pretty interesting, and if you have an interest in archaeology like one lady on our tour it must be especially delightful. there are some great back stories that go along with this one and it was neat to see the old office that was shared by Col Taylor and George Stagg.
In Bardstown, the new LuxRow is definitely worth a visit- gorgeous tasting/education room and very nice staffers. The property is interesting for its history as well as its landscaping. Tasting included 4 beverages- fair pricing, in our opinion.
In Lexington, Town Branch is a great twofer since you get both beer and bourbon distilling info. They have also recently come out with a gin that is pretty darn tasty. Woodford REserve is pretty impressive, and has an on-site café which is super convenient if you have several visits planned for the day- stick WR in around lunchtime and enjoy the view from the patio before or after a tour. Wild Turkey was also pretty cool- just made it there in time to catch the final tasting of the day and was super impressed with the tasting room and the view over the river from there.
Of course, you really can't go wrong wherever you visit because the countryside is gorgeous and all the distilleries have an interesting story to tell.
Oh yeah, for you Bourbon hunters out there, we found a pretty good spot on Baxter Ave called Schrecks which is worth checking out. Prices were very good compared to most places we stopped in and he does have a wide array of Bourbons and whiskeys.
As for the new finds- they are old bargain brand, but Old Fitzgerald and a 10 year old Old Forester were our finds of the trip as far as bargains. We were offered a chance at last years Woodford REserve Experimental Bourbon, but not being familiar with it we passed. Best "hard-to-find" treasure was a bottle of Dry Fly Bourbon from Oregon. That was on the clearance rack at a Liquor Barn in Lexington.
All thru my younger years I was not a bourbon fan.....due to the fact that I though all bourbon was like Jack Daniels, which I tried in my late teens and hated. Then I started smoking cigars around 10 years ago and well bourbon and scotch were a given , and that is when I learned all about bourbon. Having a friend that owns a liquor store helps. He purchases roughly 15-18 barrels a year.
Scotches , just aren't my thing. I've tried several, and only one was okay and that bottle was unaffordable to me.
My "go to" readily available bourbon is Eagle Rare, followed by Buffalo trace. For a $25-$30 bottle I don't think they can be beat. Bumping up to the $40-$50 range, Elmer T Lee has to be my hands down favorite, followed by E.H. Taylor (either small batch or single barrel) , moving up to the $60 range I find Blanton's to be wonderful.
Now these are my favorites of readily (something that is changing quickly) available buy anywhere bottles.
Getting into specific store pick single barrels or barrel proof bottles is a different thing. I actually helped my friend to an Angel's Envy blend for his store. I find that one to be wonderful, it's too bad AE doesn't offer that service to stores anymore.
I enjoy his single barrel , barrel proof Knob Creek 120, and Weller 107
More favorites are Stagg Jr. , E.H. Taylor barrel proof and Weller 12
These are all hard to find bottles though.
As far as Irish Whiskey , I like the Jameson Caskmates and Red Breast 12. I just found out that the RB 12 raised the price on their barrel proof version...it used to be the same price as the standard one.
As far as Irish Whiskey , I like the Jameson Caskmates and Red Breast 12. I just found out that the RB 12 raised the price on their barrel proof version...it used to be the same price as the standard one.
RedBreast 12 is my go to Whiskey. I had some last night. I actually prefer the 12 over the 15 year. My favorite Irish Whiskey is Midelton.
I had the opportunity to try the Hudson Baby Bourbon last night and I was really surprised by it. Lots of cinnamon and some nutmeg notes in there. My comment was that this is a wintertime bourbon- it made me think of a hot toddy.
As a passionate devotee to EH Taylor I am floored that there is a barrel proof version to be had. We are pretty diligent hunters, though relatively new to bourbon, and I've never even heard of it...where did you come across that offering, if you don't mind my asking?
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