It is no secret that we like bourbon. So, what could be
better than a weekend on the Kentucky
Bourbon Trail? Perhaps throw in a
stay at a castle and let someone else do some of the driving … We did just that
with a group of friends and here’s how it went!
First, if you have ever considered hitting the Kentucky Bourbon Trail … do it! There are so many distilleries with such a variety of experiences, it’s hard to go wrong! If you love good food along with bourbon and a tour, Bardstown Bourbon Company is one we definitely recommend. Their bourbon is still aging so they do blends right now. But their visitor’s facility is world class.
Now, back to the weekend. Our first stop was for a tasty
lunch and brews (yes, beer was on the agenda) at the Versailles Brewing Company – pronounced
Ver-sales. It was a great way to start the weekend! More importantly, it was
very close to our first stop on the Kentucky
Bourbon Trail, and one that has been on Christy’s list for a while – Woodford Reserve. We drove
ourselves and arrived on Friday afternoon. The visitor’s center is recently
remodeled and very welcoming. Our version of the tour took us down the hill and
into the distillery, where we learned about the distilling process, including
the importance of the cypress wood fermentation vats (no steel containers here
- just good old copper). They also took us inside one of the barrel houses! As
every good tour should, it ended with a tasting of “the product.” Woodford’s recent remodel also includes the
addition of a tasting bar across the road, where we had a very good Woodford
old fashioned before we hit the road again.
On to the castle! The Kentucky Castle was built by
a husband for his wife in 1969. But like some fairy tales, this one ended in
divorce. A couple of owners, a fire, and a major renovation later… the castle
is now a fancy way to spend some time on the bourbon trail. Our room included a sitting area in the
turret, if that tells you anything. They have a restaurant and more
importantly, a bar with a solid bourbon selection. Knowing his audience, the
bartender made us some excellent Manhattans!
One benefit of the castle location in Versailles is that
it’s about 15 minutes from downtown Lexington, which is where we chose to spend
our Friday evening. We had some great food at Oscar
Diggs and some fantastic cocktails at Bourbon on Rye, a classic downtown
bar.
For the main activity on Saturday, the girls chose to spend
some time at the castle spa while the boys hit the trail.
After a tasty breakfast at the castle, our day on the trail
started with our driver from Pegasus
who met us out front. Nothing better than NOT having to drive yourself around
the Kentucky countryside to drink bourbon! We did our own trail weekends
before, but this one included two stops that were #offthetipsypath to say the
least.
First, Bulleit.
This brand has seen a dramatic increase in popularity in recent months because
of a certain TV show based in Montana on which the characters are said to enjoy
Bulleit
bourbon. We agree that Bulleit
is particularly good in a Manhattan. The Bulleit
facility is relatively new, especially compared to the historic distilleries.
The tour included a short walk and a ride on the tour bus to the distillery
itself, but not a visit to the barrel houses. The tasting afterward was unique
in that it included tins of various items like nuts, cinnamon etc. designed to
enhance your palate as we tasted the varieties of Bulleit.
They also had a bar just off from the gift shop where we purchased a very tasty
Manhattan.
On our way to the next stop, our driver suggested we stop
for lunch at Heavens
to Betsy, a cafe in historic Lawrenceburg. We certainly never would have
stumbled onto this on our own, but we’re glad we did!
The town is also home to Four Roses Distillery, which was our
destination. Four Roses definitely
has that historic look and feel, but with a new visitors’ center and tasting
area. One bonus – they provided headsets for each of us so we could hear the
tour guide, even around the loud machinery.
So for the day, Bulleit wins for the actual bourbon, but Four Roses had the better overall experience.
Saturday night we went back into Lexington to Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse, where we
had the best meal of the trip for sure! The food, drinks and service were all
excellent.
One more note about the castle itself – it’s definitely a
unique way to spend a weekend! There were a few hiccups, like the heating and
cooling, but customer service made up for it.
On Sunday, we had time for one more distillery, and we
lucked into a tour at our favorite, Buffalo Trace. These tours
book up months ahead, but we got on the wait list and the bourbon gods were
smiling. Buffalo Trace is
a must-do in our opinion – not only because most of our favorite bourbons are
made there, but they have the visitor experience down to an art. The tour was
an excellent walk around the grounds and through the buildings, including a
visit to one of the barrel houses, and of course the tasting at the end. On the
day we visited, the shop had a stock of Weller Special Reserve on
the shelf (one of Scott’s favorites). Knowing they would sell out during the
tour, they had put aside enough bottles for every one of us on the tour to
purchase. Now THAT’s customer service!
As we mentioned before, we’ve been to other distilleries
including Maker’s Mark, which we
also highly recommend for the grounds, tour and overall experience – especially
if you get the chance to dip your own bottles in the signature red wax! We
enjoy the small towns like Frankfort
and Bardstown
and will definitely be back on the trail again!
As always, let us know what you think and if you have any
questions or suggestions!
No comments:
Post a Comment