Arrived at Kentucky Horse Park Thursday afternoon. Decided to visit one of the local bourbon distilleries. Many people think that bourbon is only made in Kentucky, but it can be called bourbon if it is distilled in America and follows the the distilling requirements. Today 95% of all bourbon is made in Kentucky by 11 distilleries.
We took a tour of the Woodford Reserve Distillery. It was interesting to learn that bourbon is made today using the same ingredients and following the same methods used in the past. Woodford Bourbon is considered a premium bourbon because the mash is made in large wooden vats and the distilling uses copper vessels. The copper actually helps flavor and color the of the bourbon. The tour guide emphasized that the water found in Kentucky help make a better bourbon because the limestone filters the water, adds calcium, and helps remove iron. Elijah Pepper first began distilling liquor on today's site in 1812. His excess grain could be preserved as a liquor, was easy to transport, and was a valuable commodity.
Later the distillery and warehouses were built from limestone found in the area. Today they are still standing and in use.
At the end of the tour we sampled two of Woodfords products and discovered that you begin with just a few drops that you swirl in your mouth. After that you just "sip" the bourbon. And yes we did bring a bottle home to enjoy later.
