Taste of Bourbon with a side of Trolls

Following the week in the Greater Smokey Mountains National Park this past spring, we joined a small group tour of bourbon distilleries. We parked the rig across the Ohio River in a very old RV park a few minutes outside Louisville. That first day, there were three tours: Angels Envy, Evan Williams, and Old Forester. Angel’s Envy had the best bar, and Old Forester had the best tour and tasting.

Day 2: started with a cocktail class at 11:00.  The bartender/instructor at Prohibition Craft Spirits was very entertaining. After making and sampling six delicious drinks, the rest of the day just passed by me.

Day 3: The group moved on to Bardstown, KY. There, we visited Preservation Distillery and Farm. We got to sample a barrel close to being finished and pet a Highland Coo, which you don’t get to do every day.  There was an attempt to tour the Jim Beam Distillery, but it was so crowded that I passed on the opportunity.

Day 4: I know you won’t believe this, but we went to a couple more distilleries: Woodford Reserve and Buffalo Trace. I must say that if you get a chance to be subjected to a Buffalo Trace tasting and tour, run away. It was worse than the old-timey restaurants just off every interstate highway in the country, you know what I’m referring to, the one with the rocking chairs on the porch.  There were long lines of people buying expensive cheap t-shirts and nick-nacks. On the other hand, Woodford Reserve was very well done: beautiful stone buildings with great landscaping and a comfortable tasting room.

Day 5: Another thing you may not believe is that I did not want more bourbon, so we decided to tour the Bernheim Arboretum. We came across this park because I missed a turn at one of the distilleries the day before.  I was surprised to see the Forest Giants featured on CBS Sunday Morning a few months prior.  Danish artist Thomas Dambo created these massive wooden sculptures.

Bernheim Arboretum and Forest

Thomas Dambo created Mama Loumari

Dennis

Note: I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the 1910 version of Old Forester bourbon. The distillery has several “expressions of Old Forester” from specific years when that version was first produced.