Wild Turkey

[LewBryson]

Just wanted to put in a plug for this excellent distillery. If you do go, go in cool weather to see distilling being done: Jimmy Russell doesn't believe in distilling (or putting spirit in the wood) when it's hot. Wild Turkey isn't the prettiest distillery, it's a little old in spots. But the view down into the Kentucky River is breath-taking, and the feeling of age demands your respect. Note to the observant: Jimmy makes it a habit to tag along on one or two tours each week. So watch out for him!

Lew Bryson

Hirsch Reserve 16 YO: Real Pennsylvania Bourbon

[jbutler]

I have to back up Lew's assessment of Wild Turkey. In contrast to a few of the newer "boutique" distilleries, Wild Turkey is a piece of true Americana. These folks are about as down to earth as it gets, and the tremendous welcome you receive there is absolutely genuine. I particularly liked the billboard as you approach the distillery from the east ...

A couple other notes about Jimmy Russell; he doesnt like to be called "Mr. Russell", and if you ask nicely, he'll autograph a bottle for you. Olivia Whitt, who works in the visitor center is a real live wire, and is tremendous fun as a conversationalist ... don't miss her.

Regards,

Jim Butler

Straightbourbon.com Staff

[jbutler]

So Lew,

When did you visit KY, and what distilleries did you have the opportunity to tour?

Regards,

Jim Butler

Straightbourbon.com Staff

[LewBryson]

I went to last year's Bourbon Festival, and got tours at Labrot & Graham, Wild Turkey, Ancient Age, and Four Roses. I toured Maker's back in 1987 when I lived in Kentucky. Being press is great, I got tours with Jimmy Russell at Turkey, with plant managers at L&G and 4R, and with the Blanton's brand manager at AA. I do what I can to share the wealth!

I'd like to tour the Beam distilleries and the two Tennessee distilleries. I also got a chance to tour Michter's back in 1985, that's a special memory.

Lew Bryson

Hirsch Reserve 16 YO: Real Pennsylvania Bourbon

[jbutler]

Ah, the Bourbon Festival. I guess that's next on my list of activities. I had given serious consideration to combining the National Corvette Caravan with the Bourbon festival. The Corvette Caravan is an annual event in which thousands of Corvettes from all over the nation descend upon Bowling Green over Labor Day weekend. Drag races, car shows, plant tours, keynote speakers from Chevrolet, etc... a ton of fun for a serious Corvette fanatic like myself. Two weeks later, the Bourbon festival. Wouldnt it just be wonderful to blow off work for the entire month of September and head out?

I digress however. I spent a week in KY this April, three days in Bowling Green, then the remainder in Frankfort. It just wasnt enough time for me to get over the initial excitement of being in Mecca, and still get serious about acquiring information.

I toured AA, L&G, Wild Turkey, and Maker's Mark. I would have toured Evan Williams as well, but couldnt find the front door, and we were running out of daylight. I think a return trip is requisite at this point, as I still want to see Beam and Evan Williams.

Lew, what did you make of L & G? I guess I should preface that question with "what do you think of the Napa Valley". Although a beautiful place, I found it a bit commercial for my tastes, lacking the rustic look and feel of a distillery where people actually work for a living. This is merely my opinion however, and I stiil like the product quite a bit (even if it doesnt come from there). I live in Sonoma County CA, and there is some serious rivalry between us and Napa. The Sonoma wineries tend to be less pretentious than their Napa counterparts, and I just don't hold with pompous snobbery. I felt that L & G had been plucked directly from Highway 29 and set down square in the middle of the KY outback ... an anomaly to be certain. Could've just driven over the hill and seen the same thing.

Regards,

Jim Butler

Straightbourbon.com Staff

[LewBryson]

Damn, Jim, you've got me laughing so hard with your placing L&G in Napa that I can't see straight!

I do see what you mean, of course, but I would say you have to cut L&G some slack because most of it is real. The buildings are restored, and not extensively restored. The site is the real site where Dr. Crow developed the sour mash process. They distilled and aged whiskey there fairly late in this century, in living memory, anyway. Sure it's a Brown Forman showplace, but what the hell: bourbon deserves a showplace, and a lot of respect.

I will admit that some of this had to do with the fact that I got a very low-key tour with Dave Scheurich, the plant manager, who was self-effacingly goofy, and while we were touring the yeast culture went crazy and blew right up through the exhaust vent, splattering yeast goop all over the side of the distillery building. Dave stopped, his jaw actually dropped, and he turned back to me and deadpan says "We put this on for you. Like it?" It's hard to take it too seriously after that. I also harbor a secret hope that somehow, someone will come up with the money and the desire to do the same thing at Michter's.

Besides, Maker's ain't exactly scruffy, yaknowwhatuhmean? If these Kentucky boys want to get a little market savvy and give the tourists what they want, well, as long as it sells bourbon, that's okay by me. If they start messing with the flavor, or gussying up the warehouses... That's different.

Lew Bryson

Hirsch Reserve 16 YO: Real Pennsylvania Bourbon

[cowdery]

Another interesting aspect of a visit to Wild Turkey is the daily underground explosions from the nearby limestone quarry. Supposedly they don't disturb the slumbering whiskey because the full warehouses are so heavy, they counteract the vibration from the explosions.

- chuck

[cowdery]

If I remember correctly, BF stopped distilling at L&G in 1965 and sold the property shortly thereafter. It stood empty until BF reacquired it a few years ago. I spent time there shortly before the restoration and the ruins had quite a bit of charm. At the time, the price was about $350,000--quite a bargain.

- chuck

[Guest **DONOTDELETE**]

Ah, the Napa Valley. That's really what got me into the love of Bourbon to begin with. Back in the early seventies, when I lived in Southern Californina, I spent ten long years in the Napa Valley one weekend. I'll never forgot the experience (although, to tell the truth, I also don't really quite remember that much of it either :-)) I always wondered what it would be like to live in or near there. (Yes, I also visited Sonoma County, and Mendocino, too). I even got a job at a (Cucamonga, Calif.) winery. I also made wine -- a pretty fair amount of it. Beer, too. Ah, but that was two or three lives ago.

So then, twenty-five years later, I move from Southeast Pennsylvania to Cincinnati, Ohio and on a trip to visit Mammouth Cave in Kentucky, my wife and I discover that we're living two and a half hours from... ~The BlueGrass~ -- a fifty-mile strip containing every bourbon maker in the entire world. It's like Deja Vu all over again!! Since then, my wife and I (she, who not only didn't like bourbon, she doesn't even like canned corn -- but she's tasted every bourbon whiskey currently being made and some that aren't) have visited distilleries and spoken with distillers and people in the bourbon world much the same as we would have with the wineries of Napa. The biggest difference is that having a really impressive bourbon collection is a LOT cheaper and easier to accomplish than have an equally impressive wine collection. And bourbon lasts forever (have YOU ever been present at the tasting of a $725-a-bottle glass of vinegar? I suspect it's even worse if was YOUR bottle being tasted - and you have another 11 left in the case).

-John Lipman-

http://w3.one.net/~jeffelle/whiskey