Kentucky, Day 5: Clermont

So did I wake up early enough to get to Bernheim Forest before my lone distillery tour? NOPE. I was a 46-year-old man drinking unwise amounts of oak extract for four days in a row. The fact that I woke up at all is a testament to the existence of an intact liver.

Perhaps I should qualify and quantify "unwise amounts". Some of you excellent readers burn through 1/4 or 1/3 of a bourbon bottle on a Wednesday night. I cannot. Usually I'll make 30mL of bourbon disappear without much struggle, but then the sweetness and tannins lead me to a low-abv lager to wash it all down. On this Kentucky trip, I was trying 8-12 whiskies a day, some 15mL, some not.

Thus when I woke up on Day Five after 11 hours of sleep [Ed. Attention parents, this is a thing you can do when vacationing without children.], my priority was hydration and finding an easy breakfast, rather than sticking to a silly schedule.

Nonetheless, I made it to James B. Beam Distillery on time. And I was the only one in my tour group. That made for a great visit, especially since my guide didn't toe the entire company line about all of their products. In this person's professional defense, I will say they provided all the production facts and history at a perfect pace. And they also didn't disagree when I stated my feelings about the Basil Hayden range, and the company's Canadian brown spirits.

Triple sploosh

The thing is, I really like Beam's bourbon (aside from BH). Despite the company being another soulless conglomerate, they've honed a certain type of figurative wheel that cannot be reinvented by any of the new startups, unless those baby companies are still around in 100 years. (If anything is still around in 100 years.) Knob Creek bourbon just hits right, as does the new Jim Beam 7yo Black Label. OGD 114 still works, as does the latest version of Baker's. I'll never forgive them for disposing of Old Taylor and degrading Old Crow, but that doesn't mean Beam can't maintain a good product or two.

As you may see above, the product ranges aren't just about picking barrels in the rickhouse, though Booker's does come from the center rows, furthest from the windows. There are different spirit cuts, and varying fermentation times (3-5 days) depending on the mash's starting temperature.

Their 65'x6' column still easily measures up in any size contest. They continue to source their corn (yellow #2) from within Kentucky. Bernheim Forest provides their water. And they're transparent about batch sizes. Beam White Label = 1000 barrels. And "small batches" are around 250 barrels.

The company now has a trio of distilleries: the one I visited; another in Boston, KY (where White Label is made); and a little crafty one that was completed four years ago.

At the conclusion of the tour, I got to put my thumbprint on my own bottle of Knob Creek Single (1 of 1, baby! It's worth a fortune!), and then I went upstairs to the bar, because of course.

Clermont Steep, Beam's single malt, works for my palate because it is very barley-forward, and not gussied up with extra-extra-charred barrels. Baker's High Rye 7yo, is good enough to buy......once I whittle down the bottles that came back to OH from KY. The OGD 16yo with the excellent label was probably the best of the four, with KC18 just behind it. Not a single complaint from me about their qualities.

Then FINALLY, Bernheim Forest.

Is this heaven? No, it's a Bob Ross painting.

Yes, a day with sunlight! I highly recommend a visit to Bernheim Forest, especially since it's just across the road from Beam, and the perfect place to indulge one's buzz and then walk it off on a clear day.

Happy little trees, flooded

Me posing with Ardbeg's latest cask experiment.

Upon returning to the hotel, I got changed and headed out for another long stroll, this time to downtown Bardstown. After an early dinner, I went to Evergreen Liquors to explore their bar.

After trying two of Evergreen's sold out exclusive single barrels (see above), I ventured to the nearby Volstead Bourbon Lounge. Why there? Because:

With a visual setup reminiscent of my favorite Tokyo whisky bars, Volstead provides the patron with just a few beverage choices. Luckily, I sat down right in front of an 11yo single barrel of MGP rye. Was it delicious? I'm going to say......yes. Only upon finishing my pour did I realize the bar was closing.

I exited the bar and walked 45 minutes through dark neighborhoods, back to the hotel. Was that wise? Probably not. Was I sober? I'll let you guess. The evening air was calm and cool, and I didn't have to pee. Equal pluses in my book.

Under the covers I went, moments after returning to my room. I slept the sleep of an organism processing ethanol. Louisville would beckon me in the morning.