Yesterday while driving from Mammoth Cave to Lexington, Kentucky we tried to stop at the Wild Turkey bourbon distillery, along the Bourbon Trail. Unbeknownst to us, the time changed just east of Cave City. We were breaking all speed limits to make the tour and get our tastes, when Stacie suddenly noticed that it was an hour later than we thought – and we had missed our window. So, this morning, we did a little backtracking and revisited Wild Turkey. We learned about yeast, mash and fermentation, distillation, and aging in charcoal burned oak barrels. In short, we learned what makes bourbon bourbon. Wild Turkey just moved to a new distillery, but uses the same aging buildings that it has used since the early days – they reminded me of Oliver Twist’s home. We tasted several types of bourbon, and purchased Wild Turkey’s newest product – Wild Turkey American Honey – yum! We also learned that the oak barrels can be used only once and after use are sold for various other uses, including beer-making. So our next purchase was some Kentucky style bourbon barrel ale. Kentucky had some of the most beautifully manicured farms I have ever seen. And miles and miles of pristine, white fences!
