Cooperage Tour

[Bourbon Boiler]

I finally made to Lebanon for Independent Stave - KY Cooperage tour. Not really what I expected, but interesting none the less.

It is very much an industrial tour, and not a tourist destination. No sales pitch, no backstory, no product they're trying to push at a gift shop. If that doesn't interest you - don't bother. However, as an engineer by degree, an industrial worker by profession, and a nerd by personality, I found the equipment and the layout very interesting. I was really impressed with the repair processes. The major disappointment in the tour, however, is that there is no attempt to link what they're doing there back to how it affects the whiskey in our glencairns. I expected to hear about char levels and how varying them creates flavor variations. I expected to hear that there are recent movements toward heavier char in an attempt to color/age a little faster. I expected to hear about their other products/woods and where they are used, although I'm not sure those are done in Kentucky.

I don't want to discourage the tour for anyone who may be interested, just know you're going to a barrel factory that sells to the whiskey industry, not a whiskey barrel factory. I'm glad I made the visit, but unlike most of the distilleries, I don't feel like I need to go back.

[HP12]

I highly recommend that tour. Since taking it a couple years ago, I've never looked at a barrel the same way. It's really a cool and interesting process to watch a barrel being made.

[p_elliott]

I took the tour a couple of years ago and found it interesting enough. I can tell you this I don't want a job there those people work too damn hard.

[Richnimrod]

My son, Gary and I still have it on our 'to-do' list. Now that I know it's not tourist/gift-shop friendly or specifically directed at Bourbon making, I may push it down a notch or two. I'd still like to see it, though. I wonder if their Indiana counterpart is the same? Does anyone know if they offer tours in Indiana? I really did like the quick demo done at the KBF a year ago on barrel-making.

[p_elliott]

My son, Gary and I still have it on our 'to-do' list. Now that I know it's not tourist/gift-shop friendly or specifically directed at Bourbon making, I may push it down a notch or two. I'd still like to see it, though. I wonder if their Indiana counterpart is the same? Does anyone know if they offer tours in Indiana? I really did like the quick demo done at the KBF a year ago on barrel-making.

Their counterpart is in MO not IN.

[cowdery]

I think part of the reason they don't talk much about how the barrel 'works' is that most of that goes on in Missouri and that's where that expertise is. The Kentucky plant is just that, a manufacturing facility. What I think is cool is how they did the tour. Everything is too packed to actually let you walk through the facility so you keep going outside then coming back in at a different work station. It's a clever way to keep everybody safe while still showing the process.

[VAGentleman]

I loved this tour as it was a nice break from the distillery tours. Lets face it all the distilleries pretty much make bourbon the same way so it was nice to see something different.

[Tony]

This is on the list of next year. We wanted to go but found out they only do the tours M-F.

Best regards, Tony

[Bourbon Boiler]

My son, Gary and I still have it on our 'to-do' list. Now that I know it's not tourist/gift-shop friendly or specifically directed at Bourbon making, I may push it down a notch or two. I'd still like to see it, though. I wonder if their Indiana counterpart is the same? Does anyone know if they offer tours in Indiana? I really did like the quick demo done at the KBF a year ago on barrel-making.

Lebanon, KY is the only facility to offer tours. I think the BF cooperage also offers visits, and that one may be aimed more at the bourbon drinker than the industrialist. I still advise keeping it on your list, it's not overly time consuming and isn't too far from Loretto (unless you get as lost as I did on the way out of town).

[WAINWRIGHT]

The Independent Stave tour has been on my list of things to do the last couple of years and I always manage to run short on time while in Kentucky.I have seen the process on shows such as "How it's Made" and "Ultimate Factories" I believe,and is truly of an interest to me and would be great to see it first hand.

[Richnimrod]

Missouri! Ok, then. (But no tour in MO, eh?) Thanx, I have no idea why I had thought it was in Indiana.

Old & Soft-in-the-Head! That has become my excuse for so many things of late.

I shall keep it (I.S.-KY) on the list for a time when we have a day or so.

[cowdery]

BF Cooperage offers tours, but Mint Julep has the exclusive franchise. There are other cooperages but they a very small, relative to IS and BF, and don't offer tours.

We will tour BF Cooperage on my tour in March.

Edited September 30, 2013 by cowdery