My Memories of Kinsey Distilling

[dave ziegler]

I decided to go to Kinsey again Tuesday Just can't walk around there enough. And took a few more pictures.
1. & 2. I finally took Pictures of the Big Tanks from behind as i could walk back there all the weeds have died down.
3. & 4. & 5. I took a picture of one of the regular Fire Escapes and then 2 of the Fire Tower to show the difference.
6.Here is the Back of a Bourbon Supreme Case of 1.75 Lt bottles note Filled Dsp-pa-12
7. here is one of the round back grip Bottles I have a blue print for the design of this bottle from when Continental Had them made by Diamond glass
8. Front of Bourbon Supreme Box
9. Where one of the giant Steer Pens used to be
10. Old small guard shack at firsrt steer Pen on the left side going to the Kinsey House
11. Here is a Large shack that used to have a coal heater in it I think it was used when they took care of the steers they could stay down there and keep warm
12. The Road down to the Kinsey House near the river
13. Close up of the Back Water Tower the trees have been cut around it
14. Leaving the Plant I took a shot from near the woods of the Warehouses running down from O Warehouse

I always love walking there and can't go enough while itis still there i want to save whatever I can for History be it picturres or stuff.
Dave Z
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It Seems All The Nicest people Drink Old Hickory
America's Most Magnificent Bourbon
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[dave ziegler]

Tonight again after Work I decided to take another walk around Kinsey to see what I could find. I walked behind R building and under some wood were a couple of Old Hickory Labels the Kids had tosed there last summer amazingly a couple were good so I brought them home.

Next I walked toward the back of Building P and took the 1. shot of of the back of it and discovered the kids had got the back door open, so I climbed the fire escape and went on the railess plaform ( Picture) and went into the second floor and went down to the first floor.

These Pictures are not as good as most are lately as I used my old camera as I wanted to explore without worring about wrecking my new one.
Shot 2. is of one of the old Barrel lifts we used to take barrels off the piles and back when there were racks out of the racks!

shot 3. is of the electric boxes on the wall in Explosion proof warehouse P it had alot because it has 3 or more 2,000 gal tanks.
Shot 4. is of a mint Explosion proof Telephone in a small wood Office built there in the first floor.
I was going to next take some pictures of the Tanks when I triped and fell over hitting my Hand and putting a over 1/4 inch cut in it just under my Little finger on my right hand so I got out to look in the sunlight to see how bad then grabed a old brown bag tore it up and used the inside to put presure on the cut till it stopped bleeding. Good Thing I was not wearing my good camera around my neck it would have been wrecked

Then I took a walk down back and found a couple more coffee Crafe Whiskey bottles and a couple more 1957/1959 Pint whiskey bottles on the dump pile down there.

Then I left to get home and treat my hand which seems ok after pouring Alcohol on it! I intend to get back in P and get some shots of the tanks in there I saw the smaller one of two togther was 2.000 gal P building was one of the most used dumping Warehouses because of the many tanks in there. Now after treatng my Hand I am drinking some distilled 1946 Bottled 1950 Hallers County Fair Whiskey most likely distilled at Kinsey BIB 4 yrs old.
Dave Z
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Old Hickory America's Finest Bourbon
It seems All The Nicest People drink Old Hickory
America's Most magnificent Bourbon
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[dave ziegler]

Well it is now 7:00 Am and I am ok after my fall but because I put my arm out when I tripped it is sore as heck. Also my Hand hurts where I cut it but it is healing up. I just have to remember to be more careful when exploring kinsey but I get so dam excited when i found cool stuff. I will get back to Warehouse P and get some tankage pictures to go with the above ones. At 61 going on 62 should know better!
Dave Z
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Kinsey The Richest Whiskey Of All
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[Jono]

Careful over there Dave! Be sure to tell people where you are going...and when you will be back...in case you fall down a hole. Lassie! Lassie!

[dave ziegler]

Most times when I go to Kinsey I tell my Buddy Don I call and leave a message But I have to do more looking when walking as kids toss stuff on the floors that makes it easy to trip. I want to get back to Building P and get some pictures of the stainless tanks in there. It was amazing how much Spirits they could store to bottle at one time up to 1,000,000 just amazes me a million Gal of whiskeys and Gins and all on one site just in tanks not counting the barreled Whiskey!

There will most likely never be a place like kinsey again, its days are as I say here memories but what a powerhouse it was for those of us who like some whiskey every day.

I was about to to do some shots of the Capacity of some of the tanks but when I fell in that office room I had to get outside to look at my hand as it was bleeding good. I grabed an old paper Lunch bad from 30 years ago and tore it and used the inside to hold on the cut to stop the bleeding till I got home then holding the paper to the cut took a walk down back got a couple of bottles and caps to fit them and then left.

I saw just the one big tank in Building P had a 2,000 gal capacity, and it had its own wood stairway to the top. I also want to see if any old timer hid any Bottles somewhere not yet found. They were good at hiding Whiskey and most times once they hid it could not find it themselves.
But with out racks there is not much hope of finding anything but looking is always fun.

I came by way of the second floor and there is nothing up there except one amazing thing after all these years about 30 it still smells strongly of Whiskey walking in from the fire escape balcony the first thing I noticed before I went down and looked around and fell was the Power full strong smell of Whiskey and it was so Dam Pleasant after all those years to smell whiskey so strong!

It took me back to the old days for a moment or to I just stood there enjoying the strong smell of aging whiskey the floors have soaked it up for many years long ago and the fact that this building is closed up good made it just come at me.

I tell you was pure Joy for me to smell it as in days long gone I stood there and thought about all those I worked with and the great Bourbons we made and the good jobs we had and it made the time special a moment back in time of sorts as I have said I would love to do.

They can sing take me home country roads

"I sing take me back To Kinsey Distillery- Kinsey Richest Of All Whiskeys, and Old Hickory America's Most magnificent Bourbon."

I wish every member could have seen her in her glory she was America's most Beautiful Distillery back then so many Years ago!!
Dave Z
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Inver House Scotch Soft As A Kiss
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[Jono]

"the first thing I noticed before I went down and looked around and fell was the Power full strong smell of Whiskey and it was so Dam Pleasant after all those years to smell whiskey so strong!"

No wonder you fell!

It reminds me of the bottling room at BT....those people must be buzzed all day long....the room air alcohol was so strong. Probably common to all bottling operations.

[dave ziegler]

Its far better then any inhaler ever made for sure and even after 30 yrs the smell and some moisture coming out of the floor if they made Conodo's there I would put in for Simulated Distillery one in other words lots of Bourbon smell coming out of the floor.

You have not seen anything unless you worked there and went into one of the wrehouses after it had been closed for weeks in the summer, you could about get loaded smelling but Boy did I love the whiskey smell and it never hurt me any! Today someone would sue and say It made them drunk or something but in the good old days it was just Fun.

When you went in the sealing all the way down about 2 foot was solid Blue vapors so it is no wonder why they had 3/4 inch thick glass fixtures that screwed with gaskets on each ligh making them explosion proof it was a major job putting a light bulb in.

In the time I worked in the warehouses I only remeber us droping one full barrel off the lift about 2 tiers up in the racks as the lift was coming down with it and it did not break just hit bounced a little and was fine boy would that have been a mess wasting all that good whiskey.

Filling the racks was harder then taking Barrels out as you had to move every one as tight as you could block it then get the next one and pull the rack holder and put in front of the next one.

I did not like taking barrels out of Old 1892 Warehouses A & B as you put a hook on each side of the barrel on the head pulled it tight with the hoist then lowered it that way, needless to say you stayed away from where it was coming down yet I never remember hearing of any falling and Ludy does not either and they did not use those two much anymore when I was in the warehouse crews.

You had to do this standing on the wood plateform between the racks 6 tiers or whatever and lean out put the hooks on hold it up and pull tight with the hoist then slowly you would lower it filling the racks would have been even worst but we did not fill them when I was doing that work they just took some vintage stuff out of those 2 buildings those yrs as by then it would be a safety thing.
Dave z
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Kinsey Richest of All Whiskeys
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[Jono]

How often did people get crush injuries...be it fingers or worse?

[dave ziegler]

Not too much as I remember more skining your fingers stuff like that I don't remember any one ever getting hurt bad or if they did, they did not say anything I guess as had to much to drink! Also after 2:00 PM the nurse was drinking her Bourbon and coffee every day so you really did not want to go there unless you had no choice. She sure loved making Coffee on a heat ring and pouring a healthy shot or two in it at 2:00PM.

I just saw in the paper this past Summer she passed away so she lived to be in her mid to late 80's so I guess the Bourbon did work for her health!
But the first day as a 19 yr old when she said she drank it for her health at 2:00 PM every day by direction of her Doctor I was dumb enough to believe it for awhile.

Those sure were good days so long ago and thinking about them gives me joy. Going to Kinsey is like going home after not being there many years.


Kinsey was even just looking from the road beautiful to look at coming down Linfield trappe road you would see gardens and perfect grass and trimmed nice trees and fir trees and no trash anywhere. No Buts no bags clean all through the Plant as Mr Si Neuman wanted it, as He loved the Place!

Walking around you would see deer walking and Pheasants and lots of Birds and rabbits. It was like working in a park the fellows who watch the place my friends said that they sure remember how lovely it looked back when they were kids growing up across from it.
Dave Z
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Philadelphia The Heritage Whiskey
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[Jono]

Dave, it you have a knack for painting you could create some scenes that capture the way it used to be.....