Bourbon Tours/November

[bobbyc]

It's been a long and enjoyable day! Some ideas that have been kicked around all fell into place today. Greg and Jo Kitzmiller, BettyeJo Boone, Me and Amelia, met at 10:30 at 4 Roses at Lotus. Corey Ballard took us on an excellent tour of the facility. We saw new barrels being filled and aged Bourbon Dumped. The Single barrel line was not running but had been left as if the crew simply were on a break. We went to watch as the crew pulled from 2 warehouses. A great time was had by all. A trip thru the gift shop and we were off to lunch in Bardstown.

After lunch we strolled into Heaven Hill. We saw everything that was going on there today. Dumping, bottling. They had run some of the last of the Evan Williams Single Barrel 1993. We were told that very little of the first barrel get out and that the barrel and what is left is all retained for Max.

Speaking of Max,we also got to meet him. Very nice man and personable. After the introduction and speaking a bit with him he said goodbye to all of us by our names! I'm starting to realise why he owns a distillery. We could have been waved off and he probably meets dozens of people a week. He was very gracious while we visited him.

We went up to marketing to speak with Larry Kass. F. Paul Pacult had visited in the morning. After a short chat, Larry asked if we had sampled the 1994 Evan Williams Single Barrel. Since none of this group had, He set about to remedy that.

The setting was a very nice, plush conference room, with product displays that you will encounter at your favorite liquor stores, set near the walls all around. We drank generous pours of Evan Williams Single Barrel 1994 from Barrel Number 1!

A Barrel Proof Bourbon at 12 Years, Excellent.

Rittenhouse Bonded Rye that normally is 6 years old , This was a custom bottling that was 10 years, They wisely kept a few of these.

Evan Williams 1783, a sleeper in my opinion, Very nice, very reasonable.

Mellow Corn, Corn whiskey with about 80% corn and 6 years old. It has subtilties that remind one of White Dog. Further exploration is in order.

Gran Conquistador Tequila, I'm not too far in to Tequila, perhaps I should rethink that. This is a wonderfull drink.

We looked at the new Heaven Hill Visitor center, and went our separate ways.

As anyone can imagine, with a day such as this, it was over too soon.

<font color="red"> Good God Give Steve Gadd Some </font>

[Paradox]

Sounds like you all had ALOT of fun! I so wish we were closer to you guys... Me and Stacy would love nothing more than to come visit you guys more than once a year.

[Dave_in_Canada]

lucky duck. very cool

[AmeliaC]

I just want to add that it was nice to meet Greg and Jo and spend the day with them. They are alot of fun. And a Special Thanks to my Friend Bettye Jo, for all you did today. She went all day long and only had 10 minutes left before time to clock in to go to work and all of that on less than 3 hours sleep.

[AmeliaC]

I liked this shot glass alot that I got at Four Roses.

[kitzg]

It was, indeed, a very enjoyable day!! Thanks MUCH to Bettye Jo for arranging the Heaven Hill inside tour

I was truly glad we could all get together and I'm glad the Four Roses Lotus tour worked for all of us. My thanks to Sarah in their offices who put us on their calendar and to Corey for her outstanding hospitality.

The '94 Evan Williams Single Barrel is indeed a wonderful bourbon. I find it more robust with more bourbon flavor and notes of strong caramel and vanilla. A great bourbon.

The Rittenhouse Rye (10 year old custom bottling) was superb. I'll be curious as to the taste of the 6-year-old but Liquor Barn does not carry it.

The Mellow Corn was an impressive enough corn whiskey that I picked up a bottle on my way home. True bourbonheads may not want this one but Larry Kass (Director of Corporate Communications at HH, mentioned by Bobby) read some lines from one of Jim Murray's books that stated "every home should have a bottle" and I liked it well enough to agree!

On a personal note, it was also glad to meet Amelia and spend the day with she and Bobby as well as Bettye Jo. Bettye Jo had invited us to come to Heaven Hill before and I'm glad I called Lotus and we could all meet up and go both places.

By the way, anyone can get into Lotus. Just call them when you come to town or take a chance and stop by the Guard Shack and see if they'll give you the tour!

-- Greg

[bobbyc]

Well put, Mark. We would have liked nothing better, than yours' and Stacey's presence. Somehow we manage to have these smaller Bourbon excursions, to keep the flame burning until September. This one went over the top, Many thanks, BettyeJo.

<font color="brown"> For Dave in Canada..... Quack Quack! </font>

<font color="red"> Good God Give Jean-Luc Ponty Some </font>

[CL]

Excellent day, Bobby! I am jealous!

[CL]

Amelia is a catch, isn't she? Perfect match, her and Bobby.

I'll second the tour at Four Roses if they are still having it. When you come up on the place, it doesn't look inviting, but the guard was very friendly and Corey, the guide, puts on a heck of a tour - very patient, very accomodating, always wanting you to get the full experience (except tasting the hooch, of course). She even asked the barrell filler (sorry, don't know the industry term) to let me bang a bung.

Of course, you can't say enough about Bettye Jo. Three hours sleep? Heck, it's those that hang with her that need the sleep, not Bettye Jo. She's perpetual motion.