Bourbon chocolates?

[wrbriggs]

Has anyone heard of these ? I know there are some folks here who are strong advocates of bourbon & chocolate pairings. My wife is just getting into bourbon, and she also loves chocolate. If these are any good, I was thinking of ordering some.

[NeoTexan]

I am sure there are many, but Makers Mark has some on their site for:

8 oz - $16.95 (16 pcs)

16 oz - $24.95 (32pcs)

They serve them after their tour and I can say from first hand they are good.

[cowdery]

Bourbon balls are a Kentucky standard. There are many sources for them but this looks like a good one. Also check out A Taste of Kentucky and Rebecca Ruth (they invented bourbon balls). You also might want to consider bourbon fudge from the Abbey of Gethsemani (near Bardstown)

[TNbourbon]

Make the bourbon balls an excuse to bring your wife to KY and visit distilleries -- virtually all of the tours end with a sample bourbon ball.

[gr8erdane]

I use the recipe on the Wild Turkey site and have had no complaints yet.

2 cups crushed vanilla wafers

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup chopped pecans (I use walnuts sometimes instead)

2 tablespoons cocoa

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

one third cup bourbon (I use ORVW 10/90 YUMMMMMMMMMM)

Roll into balls and coat with more powdered sugar. It's sinful.

[Ken Weber]

While I try to refrain from overtly praising the bourbon we make, I unabashedly recommend the Buffalo Trace Bourbon chocolate balls. They have been named the best bourbon chocolate candy by the Louisville Courier Journal ever since we first introduced them three years ago. I normally HATE Bourbon Balls, but these are awesome. Just go to gift shop at www.buffalotrace.com and you can buy them online. If you are in Frankfort for a tour of the distillery, we always wrap up the tour with a taste of Buffalo Trace and a bourbon chocolate!

ken

[bluesbassdad]

Just go to gift shop at www.buffalotrace.com and you can buy them online.

Ken,

I'm usually pretty good at navigating websites to find what I want, but this time I'm stumped. (I went to The Gift Shop and started with Food. Nothing. No luck under the other headings, either.)

I tried the search function using "bourbon balls" as the parameter, and that turned up the Late Night Snack Basket. Hmmmm...

Can you give me a clue?

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[Ken Weber]

Sorry it took so long to reply. I sent a note to our gift shop manager and she just returned from her holiday vacation yesterday. We can ship the candy in the winter, but prefer not to do so in the summer. It seems that we would have to ship the candy packed in dry ice during the summer. It also seems that no one in Frankfort has dry ice! Ah, the joys and simplicity of small town living.

Anyway, you can call Nancy at 502-696-5926 and order a box of candy. Just tell her you spoke with me and she will take care of it. If you don't agree it is the best bourbon candy you ever ate, send me the bill and I will reimburse you!

Ken

[bluesbassdad]

Ken,

Thanks for the info. I may be on may way to sampling this product.

The uncertainty arises because when I called the number, I reached a recording that gave me information about the hours of the gift shop and the tours, but I was not forwarded to a live person at the end of the message, as I expected. In fact, I wasn't even asked to leave a message.

However, I did hear a beep, so I pretended I was being recorded even though I don't know for sure. Perhaps I'll receive a return call. We'll see.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[kitzg]

The gift shop likely closed earlier since they are 3 hours ahead of you.

[bluesbassdad]

At most, two hours this time of year (are they east of the Central/Eastern time zone boundary?), as AZ is on MST.

I called between 3:00 and 4:00 PM EST.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[bluesbassdad]

Ken,

Nancy returned my call this morning, and I placed an order for a one-pound box.

She was under the impression that you were footing the bill (which she jokingly claimed to find surprising, given your reputation in financial matters ), but I informed her that your offer was contingent on my finding the chocolates not to my liking.

Nancy also told me that the problem with shipping them in the summer is the reason they are not mentioned on the website. All things considered I suggest you consider listing them seasonally, especially during the Christmas gift-buying season.

Thanks for the contact information. After I've tasted the chocolates, I'll be in touch either publicly or privately , as appropriate.

BTW, your comment about unavailability of dry ice in Frankfort prompted me to learn more about the town. (I learned that its population is three times that of my town, Chino Valley, AZ.)

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[pepcycle]

FYI

Airgas, in Lexington, supplies us with 1100 lbs of dry ice/week. It'll run you about $.35/lb. You can pick up or they'll deliver.

[brendaj]

You could also try making some, it's not hard...

Bourbon Balls

[bluesbassdad]

Ken,

Except for the part about being able to order them online, you are shooting it straight (as Bettye Jo likes to say) in regard to Buffalo Trace chocolates. (Ordering by phone was easy; no harm, no foul.)

Mine arrived the day before yesterday, and I've eaten six of them (a model of self-restraint, I am ). Not only are they delicious, I swear I can taste not only bourbon, but Buffalo Trace bourbon. The sweet aspect of its taste profile is a splendid complement to the chocolate.

I must also comment that the packing was sufficient to see them through an air-drop safely. They arrived in an oversized box, packed solid with plastic peanuts. I dug all the way to the bottom just to see whether someone had slipped in a bottle of Blanton's at your request.

I have not tasted other commercially made bourbon candies, so I can't say whether yours are the best. I can say that you have set the bar very high.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[jeff]

My question is: When are we going to see some Van Winkle bourbon balls on the market?

[jvanwinkle]

We'd rather drink our whiskey rather than eat it!

Julian

[TNbourbon]

We'd rather drink our whiskey rather than eat it!

Julian

I'll drink to that -- in fact, I am right now (Old Time Rye 12yo).

[gr8erdane]

Pardon me but why would the two be mutually exclusive? I make my bourbon balls with ORVW 10/90 and sip 15/107 to compliment them. Who needs the Atkins Diet anyway? I'm on the Van Winkle Diet. It takes more muscles to smile than frown and the VWD gives me a complete workout Bowlex can't touch.

[Ken Weber]

Sorry to take so long getting back to you on the candy. I have been in London and Montreal since we last spoke and have little time to do the things I enjoy (like corresponding on straightbourbon.com). Have you received the candy? Is it any good? Am I going to have to reimburse you?

Ken

[bluesbassdad]

Ken,

Yes. Yes. No.

See here for details.

The only problem I've noticed is that if one keeps eating them, eventually the box becomes empty.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[camduncan]

Drool

**wonders if they'd survive an international trip?**

[bluesbassdad]

I'm afraid you would be subject to the weather paradox.

The Buffalo Trace gift shop won't ship them when the weather it too warm. I've been told, not that my brain really accepts it, that you have winter while we in the northern hemisphere are having summer.

At best there might be a few days during spring/autumn or autumn/spring when they could ship them to you, and they would arrive unmelted.

Of course if you can get Ken to drive his horse and buggy to a nearby town to pick up some dry ice , then maybe the weather would become irrelevant.

They are worth a special effort to enable one to sample them. How much effort is, of course, for you to determine.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[Dan]

my dad got some Abbey of Gethsemani chocolates for chistmas and i stole them from him the second he said he didnt enjoy them, i found them very pleasing after getting used to the combonation.

[Jessica]

I agree w. BJ...makethem makethem makethem! They are increcdibly easy and delicious no matter what recipie you use. I like the chocolate dipped ones best myself, and usually use Old Ezra. mmm....too bad Christmas candy making time only comes once a year!

~Jessica