When you’re in Kentucky, there are a myriad of bourbon distilleries to tour. Four Roses, Wild Turkey, Buffalo Trace, Barton 1792 – to name a few.
On our recent visit to Lexington, we chose Woodford Reserve Distillery Tours and it did not disappoint.
Located about 30 minutes from downtown Lexington, Woodford is not far from Frankfort – Kentucky’s capital. It also lies in some of the most beautiful horse country. We were surprised at the size of some of the horse barns.
Because it was a holiday weekend, tours were offered every 20 minutes. Despite this, we had about a 90-minute wait before our timed tour began due to the crowds. However, the Visitor’s Center at Woodford is much like a grand resort lobby with plenty of comfortable seating areas, a large fireplace and a cafe. While we waited, I checked out the gift shop. Outside on the veranda were tables and picturesque views.
When out timed tickets were called out, the group of 30 people gathered to receive head phones. It was easy to hear our guide, John as he welcomed us and explained the history of Woodford.
As a side note, I have to mention that one of the reasons we toured Woodford is that I descend from a Ruth Pepper. Her brother Elijah Pepper was the original founder back in the early 1800’s.
A shuttle bus took us to the distillery buildings about five minutes away. Inside the first stone building, large containers of “sour mash” bubbled in vats. We learned how bourbon is made and how the oak barrels are made – without any nails!
John took us to the barrel room, which had walls lined with barrels to age. The smell of bourbon was amazing – even if you don’t particularly care for it. Afterwards, we walked through the packaging and labeling area before heading back to the shuttle bus.
Back at the Visitor’s Center, we entered the tasting room. Two shot glasses of bourbon and a piece of chocolate candy awaited us. John instructed us to take the first sip and swish it around our mouth before swallowing. The second sip was to also get our mouths primed and it was the third sip that allowed us to enjoy the flavors.
The bourbon on the left was the Kentucky Straight bourbon, while the one on the right was the smoother, more refined (and more expensive) Double Oaked blend. They were both nice, but I could immediately tell a difference between the two. I can’t drink straight liquor so I barely could get two sips from each glass before calling it quits.
Tours are $10 per person and include the tasting. For more information, see the link about tours at Woodford Reserve.