The Big Guy's 30th Birthday: Bourbon Trail

Yes this is the Beer Barons not the Bourbon Barons (but it may be a good idea for a spin off), so I will make it quick. My wonderfully amazing wife took me down to Kentucky to hit the Bourbon Trail for my 30th birthday. We hit 6 out of 7 distilleries in a weekend (we would have hit all of them but they added a 7th in October of 2012). Sadly, we missed Four Roses. The upside of that is that we get to go back and do it again.

As we were heading down to Kentucky, I was struck by how beautiful the MidWest really is. As a sales guy, I travel all the time and really have grown accustomed to some of the Rockwellian landscapes that I see on a daily basis and have apparently started taking for granted. On the trip down to Kentucky I was not working; I was not on the phone. It was just me and my wife, and we were in awe of how beautiful this part of the world really is. We live in a place of where things are grown and stuff is made. We live in a place where you can get all natural, because so much here is natural.

To be a bourbon whiskey, there are several rules but the biggest of them are, the mash must be made out of at least 51% corn. The bourbon must be aged in a charred white oak barrel that has never been used. There are specific proofs entering and exiting the barrel. The final proof may vary as will the length of time used for aging. There may not be any additives to the whiskey (this is what excludes Jack Daniels, they run their whiskey through a maple flavored charcoal to filter out impurities making it taste cleaner and sweeter). Lastly and most importantly it is a spirit that by law must be made in the USA. This has made it more than just a drink, but a true American tradition.

In the craft beer industry we have started a similar tradition. The craft beer movement is one of the few growing industries even during this God-awful  recession. It is proof that the entrepreneurial spirit of America is still alive and kicking in this generation. It also shows that there are those of us out there who appreciate something that has been made so thoughtfully. We are no longer a lite beer nation, we are a people who appreciate quality, flavor and a hand made approach.

    

Like the production of Bourbon we have started creating our own standards and traditions. There is something distinctly american about an overhopped APA, or a bourbon barrel aged beer. Anytime someone goes against the norm and tries something different, I am proud to be part of an area and nation that celebrates them. For my 30th birthday there was nothing better than being shown all of this again.

I had my wife and my best friends driving through Kentucky for three days. We got to drink together, eat together and celebrate. It made me thankful for everything that I have been given. I am truly blessed with some amazing people in my life. Thank you for taking the time to read what we put up here, also thank you for supporting the men and women in Indy that dare to brew something different.

This was an amazing long weekend. Here are the highlights.



Favorite Bourbons were by:

Heaven Hill
Makers Mark
Woodford Reserve
Wild Turkey
Jim Beam
Town Branch (Altech)

Best Tours:
Makers Mark
Woodford Reserve

Heaven Hill

Jim Beam
Wild Turkey
Town Branch (Altech)

Coolest Facilities:
Makers Mark
Heaven Hill
Woodford Reserve
Jim Beam
Wild Turkey
Town Branch (Altech)

I came back home with nearly twenty bottles of hooch for friends and family.. and myself. Not saying I have problem or anything.