Guest **DONOTDELETE** Posted October 1, 2000 Share Posted October 1, 2000 Our tour began with a short wait in the visitor's center/gift shop. A woman in her mid fifties with short cropped salt & peper gray hair would be our guide. Her name is "Paul". The tour was just about to begin when the back door opened and shut. "Hi Mr. Jimmy!" Paul sang out. I peeked around the corner and sure enough it was Master Distiller Jimmy Russell. Of all the things in my life that I've been accused of being meek & mild hasn't made the list yet. I strode back and asked "Are you Jimmy Russell?" He answered affirmatively. "I'm Linn Spencer and this is my wife Vickie, and we're mighty pleased to meet you sir." We shook hands. Paul called the tour to order. Mr. Jimmy slid out the back door and drove away.Paul went to a scale model of the the Wild Turkey Distillation apparatus and described the distillatrion process from whole kernels of corn to fermenter to distillers beer to the continuous beer still to the low wine tank to the doubler to the high wine tank and into the barrel. She flat out knew her stuff.I know how a pot still works but I was just a little foggy on how a column still could work continuously. Paul knows, and now I know too.Now for a short walk across the street past some rackhouses and into the stillhouse where everything we just saw in scale now lept up into life sized reality. The smell of the fermenting mash was everywhere. I love the smell of mash as it is so agrarian. It simply negates the post industrial revolution and totally denies the existance of Microsoft and Intel. This is a good thing.If only our nation could be run as well or smell, and taste as good as Wild Trukey!Next came the bottling line. Simple old industrial revolution technology here.Oh look there's Mr. Jimmy! He took me in to where the Kentucky Spirit is made ready for bottling. He has just given it his final OK. It a'int KY Spirit until Mr. Jimmy says it is! He can't give us a tase but we sure can breath in the aroma! You think smelling bourbon by the bowlful is silly/funny Mr. Jimmy's got a whole big tankful you can stick your whole head into. And I did too! I got stuck and they had to pull me out. I tried to get back in but they wouldn't let me!Now it was time for a photo opportunity with Mr. Jimmy! What a great guy. The very best. Paul said "you don't have to live with him like we do". Hell we don't want to live with him, but we do want to drink as much of his bourbon as we possibly can before either one of us dies!See how good GOD can be? We are blessed with men like Mr.Jimmy and the bourbon that they make. Want to go to heaven? Come to Wild Turkey. All of a sudden I feel very saintly like. Must be the bourbon.Linn SpencerHave Shotglass. Will Travel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest **DONOTDELETE** Posted October 1, 2000 Share Posted October 1, 2000 Wild Turkey has always been my favorite distillery tour. I think the tour guides are very well trained and know what they are talking about at every step of the tour. You also can not beat the scenery at High Bridge with the Kentucky River as a backdrop to the distillery. Maker's Mark and Labrot and Graham both are excellent tours but if I have a choice, I go to Wild Turkey.Mike Veach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest **DONOTDELETE** Posted January 11, 2001 Share Posted January 11, 2001 There has been a lot of discussion of distillery trips lately and I want to remind everybody about Wild Turkey. In my opinion it is one of the best trips in Kentucky. Their tour guides are very well informed and very freindly. The setting is beautiful with the Kentucky River Gorge as a backdrop and the distillery is very accessable. Everybody should visit this distillery and do it often. Mike Veach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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