bringing drinks to life

So what makes a visit to an Area of Outstanding Alcoholic Significance (AOAS) an exceptional experience? Why would you want to give up your precious holiday time for a busman’s holiday? Would it really be worth your time to travel half way around the world to have a booze related holiday?

I guess for me the answer depends on how seriously you take your interest in spirits. If you are a bartender who likes to party hard then visiting a small city with a small nightlife may not be your scene. If you are a cocktail snob, then visiting the places where drinks were once made famous can be a disappointment when you realise their glory days are long since over. If however you are willing to invest a little time to meet a few interesting characters and can have an open mind about learning a thing or two about your favourite spirit, then the idea of visiting an AOAS might not be so crazy!

As the B&T team depart Kentucky following 6 days of immersing ourselves in Bourbon culture there are a few things from the trip that stand out. And while I have tasted bourbons I have never even seen in the UK, and learnt new facts about the different producers, it is the great people we have met and the beautiful surroundings that stick out as making the trip special.

Over dinner conversation turns to the subject of ‘what was your highlight of our time in KY?’ it soon becomes clear that narrowing it down to one highlight each is impossible. So below are some of our highlights, the people we have met, the places we have been and the reasons you should think about heading to Kentucky for your next holiday. We are already planning  return visit for the bourbon festival next year!

THE PLACES – Kentucky is an incredibly beautiful state, with its balance of farmland and wooded hills and fortunately for anyone visiting it specifically for its bourbon, some of the distilleries are in the most picturesque spots. Jack Daniel's, Woodford Reserve and Makers Mark are three of the most striking, although both Wild Turkey and Buffalo Trace also have their own charm. Driving between the distilleries will give you a chance to see some of the best bits of Kentucky.

Bardstown is also well worth a visit as it is a historic town with bundles of character. When you are there we can personally recommend the Mexican restaurant and the Bosnian (Krescos?) that are right next to each other. Yes you read that right a mexican and a bosnian restaurant in Kentucky!

It is also important to check out Louisville and some of its bars. No trip would be complete without stopping in at the Brown Hotel and the Seelbach bar, both are beautiful bars harking back to a bygone era. The cocktails may be a bit of a disappointment (Manhattans are shaken as are martinis, old fashioneds are laden with smashed up fruit… you get the idea) but sipping one of their excellent range of bourbons in a sophisticated surround is a nice way to start an evening.

We also stumbled across a couple of fantastic restaurants. Lilly’s on the Bardstown Road was fantastic but the highlight for us was Bourbon’s Bistro. Not only was the food excellent, but they also had a huge range of unusual and hard to find bourbons. Margot looked after us on both our visits and you couldn’t ask for a more charming hostess! She was patient with all our questions about the more unusual products on their list and was happy to let us taste a few interesting bottles they have tucked away out of sight.

THE BOURBONS – To some this is the main event, the reason for being here, the flavour you have been waiting for. Well if you ask around, talk to the right people and call ahead here are some examples of what you might get to taste.

At Woodford Reserve we were lucky enough to taste botht the white dog (straight off the still) and taste the bourbon straight from the barrel as it was being dumped. This is part of the regular tour here so everyone gets a taste of these two. I am not sure what it says about my drinking habits, but white dog is now one of my favourite spirits as it tastes like 120 prooof popcorn! While we were there Dave also treated us to a tasting of some of their past Master’s Collection, including one of my new favourites, Sweet Mash which was made in the style of the original bourbons before the sour mash process was introduced by James Crow in the 1820’s.

Obviously the distilleries are keen to show off a few of their premium products, so on the standard tours you can expect to run into Elijah Craig 18yo, Evan Williams single barrel,  Eagle Rare 10yo, Four Roses small batch and single barrel as well as the core offerings from most of the producers.

For me the tasting highlights of the trip not only include the Sweet Mash but also drinking Makers Mark drawn at various ages from the barrels including an over aged one and tasting 7 samples of Four Roses straight out of the barrels.

Of course there are plenty of bars and restaurants in the area that offer a great selection of bourbons . Our favourite was definitely Bourbon’s Bistro and on our two visits we got to taste an old bottling of Makers Mark from the 70’s, a limited release 9yo Buffalo Trace (an amazing product!), Noah’s Mill, Wild Turkey 15yo… after that my memory gets a bit hazy as they aren’t shy on their measures!

THE PEOPLE – This section could get a bit lengthy as we met so mamy great characters, but I will do my best to keep it short. We were lucky enough to have time with 3 of the master distillers which was a real highlight but there were also lots of other characters we met along the way.

For a start get chatting to the bartenders wherever you sit down for a bourbon, as always in the states people are friendly and happy to chat. Margot at Bourbon’s Bistro was a real character and was happy to share here extensive knowledge of bourbon, Edward Winfield at the Seelbach was another person who was happy to take a few minutes to make some recommendations. As I mentioned before, don’t get  your hopes up for anything other than the usual mid level American standard of cocktails (sweet, diluted and shaken in all the wrong places!) but sip a good bourbon with them and you can’t go wrong. One warning… ask for a bourbon on the rocks and they are likely to fill your glass with small ‘hotel ice’ which will dilute it in 5 seconds flat. Specify exactly how you want your bourbon served to avoid disappointment.

The tour guides at the distilleries are also real characters, Carey at Buffalo Trace was one of the nicest guys you could ever hope to meet and had incredible knowledge of every aspect of bourbon production. The teams at Jack Daniel, Wild Turkey and Four Roses were also incredibly helpful and friendly. All of them will happily suggest other places to visit, where to grab a good bite to eat or where to grab a drink.

Then of course there are the distillers. Now I have never met a Master Distiller who wasn’t a happy man (or woman) but the Bourbon MD’s seem to be the most content people in the world. The three whom we met were not only passionate about their products, but about the category as a whole. They all seem to know each other well and at the production level they don’t compete (they leave that to all the sales and marketing types). We didn’t hear a bad word pass about a competitor from any of them.

Spending most of a day with Jim Rutledge from Four Roses was a real treat for us, not just because we got to taste some lovely liquids straight from the barrels but because he is a great host. He is interesting to listen to, an attentive listener and has a wealth of knowledge that he is happy to share. We are definitely looking forward to catching up with him again when he visits the UK in November to spend a week with Four Roses new UK distributor, InSpirit. Dinner and drinks are on us Jim!

Kevin Smith at Maker’s Mark was kind enough to let us tag along on a VIP tour he was running for a wholesaler from Georgia. He is so passionate about the bourbon category that it is infectious. Throughout our time at MM he kept reinforcing that the other producers are making some excellent products and that if you don’t care for one, you should explore others before giving up on the category. That is exactly the sort of thinking we like to promote too.

The highlight of the trip for me though was getting to spend an hour or so sitting and chatting with Jimmy Russell from Wild Turkey then getting the full tour from him. With 42 years as Master Distiller and 55 years total bourbon experience he is truly a living legend. It just so happens that he is also a fantastic character and a charming man to be around. Anyone who has made me drinks or sat in a bar drinking bourbon with me (or for that matter seen my drinks cabinet) will know that I am a huge fan of Wild Turkey, but our time spent with Jimmy just reinforced what my taste buds have always told me. Wild Turkey is a quality production made with no expense spared or shortcuts taken.

Well I imagine you are bored of reading my ramblings by now, so all I can suggest is that you pour yourself a large bourbon, add a splash of water or a couple of ice cubes and take a few moments to savour the flavours that these wonderful people have taken the time to make for us all to enjoy. I’m off to take my own advice!