Louisville [Bourbon Tour]

This morning I departed for the long-awaited Mint Julep Bourbon tour. In spite of the challenges finding and booking the tour, it went smoothly. I walked a few blocks to the meeting spot at the Omni hotel. When I arrived, Alice gave me the good news that what could have been a 22 person tour had only 5 people, so it would actually be more like a private tour. I knew this was a possibility and had deliberately booked Thursday instead of Friday for that reason.

Our driver and tour leader was Cindy, and my drinking partners were Amber, Bret, Mark and Gaurav. Our first stop was Kentucky Artisan Distillery . Bill explained to us that this operation takes recipes given to them by others and distilles and bottles the product. It is then given back to the recipe owner for sale. Their main client is Jefferson’s Bourbon , and the iconic product is Jefferson’s Ocean , which is a bourbon that is aged at sea. You can literally smell the ocean and the flavors are predictably complex. I had actually tasted this Bourbon at the hotel bar last night, so I knew it was a winner. The bottles are labeled with the sea voyage number.

Because we were a small group, there was more flexibility to add a couple of short stops to the planned tour. Several members of our group are enthusiastic Buffalo Trace fans and were interested in stopping at this distillery to find a bottle of Blanton’s single barrel, a brand that frequently sells out. As luck would have it a few bottles remained and we were each able to purchase one. The high-end distilleries sometimes limit the number of bottles one can purchase of popular brands. As well, there is a time restriction before you can purchase another bottle. The whole thing is computerized, including scanning of RFID wristbands. My new friends also recommended the standard Buffalo Trace , as well as their Sazerac Rye , so I purchased one of each.

We made a stop for lunch at Ricardo’s, then continued on for a brief stop at Castle and Key . This facility was originally built In 1887 by Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr.. Inspired by European architecture, the site featured a castle, a classical springhouse, and a sunken garden. It was the start of bourbon hospitality and tourism in Kentucky. Prohibition forced the closing of the distillery in 1920 and over the next century, the property changed owners and occupants several times, eventually falling into ruin. In 2014, the site was purchased by the Castle and Key team and restoration of the distillery began. They released their first clear spirits in 2018, their first aged spirit in 2020, and their first Bourbon in 2022.

After lunch we visited Whiskey Thief at Three Boys Farm. This is a very unusual operation. It is a small family business, operating out of one main building. Several barrels are laid out each day and the tastings are straight from the barrel. If you decide to purchase a bottle, you are handed the whiskey thief - basically an oversize pipette - to extract the spirits from the barrels and transfer them to a bottle. Fortunately, they don’t seem to mind a bit of spillage from inexpert civilians. I ended up purchasing a bottle of their Rye Whiskey.

Our last stop was Bulleit distillery . This is a larger operation and we observed a computer operated facility of stainless steel vats and pipes. Brittany, who also lead our tour, provided a nice tasting experience, complete with complimentary scents.

It is worth noting that today is August 31, marking completion of month eight of my journey. Put another way, I’m now two thirds of the way through the year. The challenge at this point is to continue to stay present and take one day at a time. I’ll be home soon enough.