Pilgrimage to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail - Day 1 - The Arrival

Day 1 - I've been drinking bourbon and enjoying the stuff for number of years now. In fact, I've been enjoying it so much so, that it has more or less turned into a hobby. About two years ago I started this blog, and I took what was just a regular enjoyment of whiskey and turned it into . Yet, despite it being only a 5 1/2 hour drive away, I have never been to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail--I have never been to my bourbon Mecca.

Well, as of yesterday morning, all that has changed. In celebration of my making partner at my firm, my neighbor, who is celebrating his 40th birthday, and I, along with our wives, embarked on a roadtrip to Louisville, where we have plans to visit six distilleries in two days. I'm so excited for this trip that I went to bed early last night and woke up early this morning without the need for an alarm or one of my three kids waking me up with screaming, yelling, thumping, etc.

After a mostly uneventful drive down (though we found a great sandwich shop in Lebanon, IN called the Fig Tree--I highly recommend it), we pulled into the incredibly beautiful Inn at Woodhaven. This bed and breakfast will serve as our home for the next three days as we explore the Bourbon Trail and see all that Louisville has to offer.  Plus, they keep free booze for all their guests in the common sitting room.

Despite the stormy weather when we arrived, we headed straight downtown for some food and drinks. We started off at Hillbilly Tea where I enjoyed some barbecue frog legs and a pour of Elmer T. Lee.  From there it was on to Down One, the first stop on my trip where I was absolutely impressed and amazed by their bourbon selection. I didn't go too crazy and simply enjoyed a pour of Calumet Farms (quite tasty!) along with my pulled pork, pork belly and bacon sliders (Three Little Piggies). I initially ordered a Rock Hill Farms, something I just can't find by us, but unfortunately they were out of stock.

From there we had intentions of making our way to Haymarket, but that is when the skies decided to open up and we were forced to run underneath an awning of a building to escape the torrential downpour . . . only to have that building be struck by lightning! So, soaked and a bit shaken up, we decided to drive till we found somewhere with close parking where we could get drinks and some more food.  We ended up at El Camino, a taco joint that was open until 2:00 a.m. Although their bourbon selection is not very big (their tequila and rum selections are quite impressive, though), what they did have were all private select single barrels, so I enjoyed one of their Eagle Rare offerings to go with my tacos, which were really good!

All in all, despite the driving and the storms, it was a fun day, and a good appetizer for the next day's events.  We booked our tours through Mint Julep Tours, and our tour stops on the first day include Buffalo Trace, Wild Turkey and Four Roses. On day two we will be visiting Maker's Mark, Barton 1792, and Heaven Hill.

It's quite the full boat, and yet each evening I expect that we will continue to partake in the local restaurants, bars, more great food and, obviously, more great bourbon. I cannot wait for the meat of this trip to begin! I feel like a kid getting ready to go to Disney World!

Colonel E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof Straight Kentucky Bourbon

VITALS:

- $75

- 127.2 Proof
- NAS
- Kentucky

This is one of those bottles that I've known is out there but have rarely seen in the wild (kind of like Elmer T. Lee, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof and Angel's Envy Rye).  So, on a drive back to the office one day, while stopping at a couple liquor stores just to see what was there, I looked up and saw about eight bottles of the E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof sitting on the top shelf, and I grabbed one without hesitation.

I told the clerk that I'd been looking for a bottle for quite a while and had not seen it anywhere else, and he was surprised, noting that he had no problem getting his shipment. In any event, I was happy to have finally landed a bottle.

I found the nose to be incredibly enjoyable, as I was hit with unexpected notes of chocolate and almond, and perhaps a slight hint of cherry. 

The first sip hit me with the heat, but not enough to take away my enjoyment. Expecting the chocolate and almond that I noticed on the nose, I was surprised to find that on the front end it was instead coffee and caramel (a personal favorite flavor combination of mine). At the back end the oak influence really came through, adding that dry, spiciness to counter the sweet, up-front flavors.

I expected more viscosity from this high-proofer, but it actually comes across as a bit watery in texture. However, it was still full of flavor.

As I made my way through the bottle, the bourbon became much more oak forward, and it seemed to take on a more peppery spice. The other flavors seemed to transform into a blend of cinnamon and leather, moving away from the sweetness that dominated at first.

I really liked this bottle when I first opened it. It had an incredible nose and a great combination of sweet and dry notes. Towards the end of the bottle I found myself wishing for those flavors to return, but, of course, they did not.

It was a very good bourbon, and I'm glad I finally got the opportunity to give it a run, but it was not what I would deem a great bottle. I felt it was kind of a tease and found myself yearning for more from this bourbon, that it could have been great, but just didn't realize its potential.

Grade: B+

Slaughter House American Whiskey

VITALS:
- $45
- 88 Proof

This is one of the more intriguing bottles I've grabbed off the shelf.  It's interesting, because I've seen it plenty of times, but knew nothing about the product, and the label provides very little information as to what's inside, only that it's an American whiskey finished and bottled in Napa, California. There's no age statement on the bottle, and it doesn't even state what exactly it was finished in.

However, I happened to come across some article about craft whiskeys worth giving a try, and after learning more about this particular whiskey, I went to the liquor store for the sole purpose of grabbing a bottle of Slaughter House.

Slaughter House is the creation of a man named Dave Phinney. While I certainly didn't recognize his name, he is apparently well-known in the wine industry. I did, however, recognize the wine that he's most commonly associated with, "Prisoner" wine. I've enjoyed a bottle or two of this stuff myself. My interest was piqued on this basis alone.

Then I learned that Slaughter House is not a young whiskey, like so many craft whiskeys, but is actually aged for 9 years in oak barrels. After that, it is finished in Orion Swift Papillon barrels, a high end Bordeaux blend, and then bottled in the interesting and unassuming packaging and sold under a relatively odd name. Everything about this product sounded like something that I at least had to try at some point.

The whiskey has a slightly pink hue, something I've come to expect from wine barrel finished whiskeys. The nose is a fruity, nutty mix, primarily raspberry and pecan. So far so good.

I've never had a Bordeaux finished whiskey before, so I wasn't sure exactly what to expect. On my first sip I noticed a bit of a sour bite, like not quite ripe fruit, that I would need to get used to. Behind that initial sour note, however, was a great mix of plum and cherry with vanilla and bread notes behind it and on the finish. It was incredibly tasty, and I found myself regularly enjoying this bottle after dinner as my dessert.

The whiskey also has some serious legs. However, I didn't really notice as I was drinking it, but it was incredibly noticeable on the glass.

After that first pour, the sour bite up front went away completely, and the rest of the way it was a velvety smooth drink, providing the grain and vanilla flavors but complemented by the influence of a not-so-sweet red wine that added some great complexity and flavor and let the sweetness come from the grain.

If it weren't for that article, I may never have picked up a bottle of this stuff, and that would have been tragic. This is an excellent whiskey, well-aged, well-finished, and incredibly delicious. Mr. Phinney knows what he's doing, even when it comes to Whiskey.

Grade: A

Willett Pot Still Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:

- $44

- 94 Proof

- Batch No. 3139

This is another one of those whiskeys that I've been wanting and meaning to grab for a long time, but for one reason or another, I always passed it by. Apparently I'm not the only one, though. When I grabbed it off the shelf at my corner store, I had to wipe off a considerable layer of dust. I hoped this would not be some sort of foreshadowing, some kind of message that there's a reason that much dust was able to collect on the bottle.

However, upon first popping that cork, I knew I was very safe with this one. The nose was a distinct chocolate malt. In fact, I couldn't get over just how prominent the chocolate was on the nose, and I found myself sniffing it frequently.

On the palate, however, the chocolate wasn't as prevalent. As much as I enjoyed the nose, I kind of wished it were. Rather, it had a peppery flavor up front, something I usually find on the back end of bourbons. On the finish that spice was covered up by unsweetened vanilla, reminiscent of vanilla extract, as opposed to, for example, vanilla ice cream.

The finish ended up being what I enjoyed the most with this bourbon, actually, as in addition to the vanilla, there was a brown sugar and cinnamon flavor that came through, almost in succession, like a parade of different, enjoyable flavors, one after the next.

As I made my way to the bulbous bottom of the bottle, the vanilla remained prominent, but I also noticed a nutty, walnut flavor that seemed to complement all the other flavors very well.

Overall, this bourbon is not too bold or complex, and at the same time, it's far from simple. It's full of flavor, but rather than having layers of flavor, you're almost hit with each flavor one at a time. In that sense, I found I didn't have to really go searching for any of the different flavors. It's a very drinkable bourbon, and the layer of dust was clearly not any sort of commentary on the contents within the bottle.

Grade: B+

George Dickel No. 12 Tennessee Sour Mash Whiskey

VITALS:
- $24
- 90 Proof

I feel like it's been a while since I visited the lower shelves, and, quite frankly, I feel like I'm doing myself a disservice. While I have been lucky to run into some really nice bottles of top shelf bourbon lately, there's so much value to be found on the lower end of the spectrum that it simply should not be ignored.

So, I grabbed a bottle of Dickel. At $24, it's incredibly reasonably priced. I'm not sure, quite frankly, if I've had it before, whether at a bar or elsewhere, and even if I have, it was probably in a mixed drink. This time I was going to give it my full attention and a chance to stand on its own.

Much to my surprise, it stands up very well on its own. It's a different flavor than bourbon, and I even found that it differed quite a bit from it's primary Tennessee Whiskey counterpart, Jack Daniels. The charcoal that I expected to permeate wasn't really there. Rather, the nose was a healthy mix of banana and tobacco leaf, which even seems like an odd combination as I type the words, but yet it worked well.

The palate is sweet, but does not cross that line into being overly sweet. I primarily noticed an odd mix of banana and pine (and this mix was about as odd as it seems when I type the words). Underneath that weird mixture, however, is a light spice blending with vanilla and wood tones that were quite enjoyable once I got to them.

On the back end is a light pepper spice along with a light smokiness. The charcoal that I expected from the beginning also started to creep its way in right at the end.

All in all, I was surprised at the complexity of this whiskey, considering it's somewhat of a staple bottle. Although it's complex and offers a lot of different notes, sometimes resulting in an odd commingling of flavors, none of the flavors is particularly overpowering or bold, which makes it nonetheless easy to enjoy. Although I'd imagine this is a popular whiskey for mixed drinks, I found it to be pretty enjoyable on its own, particularly at its price point.

Grade: B

Barton 1792 Port Finished Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:
- $44
- 88.9 Proof

I keep a list in my Notes app on my phone of all the whiskeys that I want to eventually try. Some of them on this list are readily available, and I just haven't gotten around to trying them yet. Others are a little more difficult to find. However, there are certain releases that I don't bother putting on my list because, quite frankly, they are no-brainers when I find them.

At only $44, and with only one left on the shelf, the 1792 Port Finish was one of these no-brainers. I knew it was released, but I had never seen it in the wild before then. Given that it's a special release and at a relatively easy-on-the-wallet price, I honestly didn't expect that I would stumble upon one. When I did happen to stumble upon a bottle, there wasn't a moment's hesitation to grab it.

I'm not going to bury the lead on this one. This stuff is incredible! The port influence is very noticeable on the nose. However, the nose on this is one of the most complex that I've ever enjoyed. It's packed with dark fruit and plum notes, but the traditional vanilla and caramel flavors are readily present as well, and they all blend together perfectly.

On my first sip, I couldn't help but notice how incredibly smooth this is. It's not a high proofer, but it still had absolutely zero bite. Rather it had a velvety, silky smooth mouthfeel that coated well.

The fruit forward profile of this bourbon seemed to go perfectly with the texture, too. Grape and plum were at the forefront of each sip, showing the strong influence of the port. Despite being fruit forward, though, the vanilla undertones seemed to balance it out perfectly.

If you're looking for something spicy, this is not your bourbon. However, if you like something on the sweeter side that is not going to be overly or sickly sweet and will offer a lot of complexity and depth, then this is where you want to go. Finished bourbons can so frequently be overwhelmingly influenced by the barrel in which they are finished. Barton 1792 got the balance of the sweet port influence perfect with this one.

I was truly sad to pour the last drop. Even as I sit here and write this, I wish I could pour another glass. By all means, if you find a bottle on a shelf somewhere, grab it. At this price, it's a can't miss!

Grade: A+

High West Yippee Ki-Yay Blended Rye Whiskey

VITALS:

- $70

- 92 Proof

- Batch No. 1

There's always something about that exclusive bottle, the one that's only available at the distillery, the one that I won't be seeing here in Illinois, at least not any time in the immediate future, that just makes me want to have it. Usually it's a bit of a passing feeling, as wanting what I'll never have seems like a waste of time. But, in the case of High West's Yippee Ki-Yay, I actually had a real opportunity to get my hands on a bottle, despite it being available initially only in Utah.

Luckily for me, a friend of mine, the same one who likes to bring me back bottles from his trips to Cincinnati, also makes regular trips to Park City, Utah. So, when High West announced Yippee Ki-Yay, a blend of two ryes, one finished in a vermouth barrel and one in a syrah barrel, and further announced that the first batch would only be available at the distillery, I immediately texted my buddy, knowing he had a ski trip coming up. Lucky for me, when he returned from his trip, he did so with a bottle in hand!

The first thing I noticed is the very reddish hue to the whiskey. It was not only dark, but clearly red, likely from the wine barrel finishes.

On the nose and on the tongue, however, the first thing I noticed was how incredibly sweet this stuff is. It came across heavy on the cane sure, seeming as though rather than being wine barrel finished it was rum barrel finished. It reminded me a lot of the Angel's Envy Rye in this respect. To be honest, the substantial sweetness was a bit overwhelming.

Beyond the up-front sweetness were some really enjoyable flavors, however. There was a sweet cereal flavor to it not unlike that of graham crackers. According to the label, the rye used is High West's Double Rye, and the rye spices eventually make their way through the front line of sugar as well, adding some cinnamon to the finish that would linger around for a while.

In the end, however, the flavors from the vermouth barrel seemed to influence this rye the most, even overpowering the typical, more strong-willed rye flavors and spices.  I really wanted to love this whiskey, but in the end it was, for me, good-but-not-great.

Grade: B-