Originally, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, which is the name given to the area where the state's distilleries are all situated, consisted of seven distilleries. At one time, it grew to eight distilleries, but a couple dropped out and the total currently stands at six.
The six distilleries currently on the Bourbon Trail include: Four Roses Distillery (Lawrenceburg, Ky.), Heaven Hill Distillery (Bardstown, Ky.), Jim Beam Distillery (Clermont, Ky.), Maker's Mark Distillery (Loretto, Ky.), Wild Turkey Distillery (Lawrenceburg, Ky.) and Woodford Reserve Distillery (Versailles, Ky.).
According to wikipedia, the members who were on the Trail, but dropped out were: Tom Moore Distillery and Buffalo Trace Distillery.
Woodford Reserve is one of the closest distilleries to downtown Lexington, where the AHP Seminar will be held, and if you are interested in the history and making of bourbon, it is worth a road trip out to the facility.
Nestled along the quiet back roads of Kentucky behind a Thoroughbred horse farm and with a small, scenic river rolling next to it, Woodford Reserve is one of the top tourist destinations of the area.
All of Woodford Reserve's stone buildings, except for the tourist center, are over 100 years old. The main distillery building is the oldest, having been erected in 1828. Since then, it has gone through some major and minor expansions, keeping its original look and resulting in the building sitting on the site today.
Woodford Reserve provides visitors with a number of things to do on a visit. First and foremost, you will want to take a tour of the facility and learn about the process that takes place to create bourbon. It is a process that starts with corn, rye, barley and limestone water and results in one of the sweetest tasting bourbons in the world.
You will get to see the fermenting tanks, the giant copper pots used to separate the alcohol from the water and the barrels, made from white oak and crafted by a "cooper" at the Bluegrass Cooperage in Louisville, Ky., which are used to age the bourbon to perfection. Without question, it is a fascinating process.
After your tour, you can then head to the restaurant to enjoy a nice, leisurely meal either inside or outside on the deck, weather permitting.
Then to end your tour, you can head to the gift shop and purchase some Woodford Reserve to enjoy when you get home.
The Woodford Reserve is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sunday from 12: 30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. You can get directions at the front desk at the hotel.
Photos by Rick Capone
