*as published in North Canton Living Magazine March 2022
“Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough.” – Mark Twain
I am a novice when it comes to hard alcohol. Using my Harvest Hosts membership, I camped overnight at a small distillery named R M Rose located in Dillard, Georgia. Founded in 1867, RM Rose is the oldest legal distillery in Georgia. I happily sampled their excellent product as the descendant of Rufus Rose tutored me on the finer points of whiskey. I learned there are differences between Kentucky bourbon; Tennessee whiskey and Georgia Moonshine.
Heading over the Smokey Mountains with my bottle of RM Rose Moonshine to visit a friend in Kentucky, I learned that you don’t arrive at a Kentucky home with Georgia moonshine. Bourbon is the drink of choice there and it better be Kentucky Bourbon. They have an entire industry dedicated to this very specific type of whiskey. In fact, there is a whole trail you can drive to visit eighteen major distilleries and all the craft micro-distilleries in between.
As a novice, I decided to visit the top-of-the-line, Makers Mark. I knew Makers Mark from its distinctive red wax seal. I plotted the route on my map to avoid the highways which gave me prime fall leaf-peeping through the hills of Kentucky.
I approached Loretto, Kentucky from a small road south of town. After hours of rolling hills and brightly colored trees, the site of large black buildings with odd windows struck me as unusual. Was it a prison? Corporate park? I didn’t see any cars or parking lots or heavy fencing so as I wound through the five-story buildings, I spotted a sign labeling them as Makers Mark. But my GPS said I had five more miles to go.
Driving through the lovely town of Loretto, I made a note to return and explore. This part of Kentucky is home to Abraham Lincoln’s birthplace and historic Bardstown with many quaint B&Bs. I made the final winding turn to Makers Mark Distillery nestled in a small valley marked by the original barn. The parking lot was full and I had the distinct impression this was a mecca for bourbon lovers.
The impressive visitor center was large with striking artwork. For this history nerd, I was impressed by the Burks family who began distilling bourbon in that historic barn in 1805. The barn is on the National Register of Historic Places. Unfortunately, there were no tours available that day but I was invited to visit the restaurant and gift shop. I hoped to purchase a bottle from the source so I waited out front for the shuttle. The shuttle driver gave me an impromptu tour of the property. Having been employed by the distillery his entire life, Stan regaled me with tales of working for the company and watching it prosper over his long lifetime. It was from him that I learned the large black buildings were actually warehouses where they age the bourbon. He warned me that I would find them dotted all over Kentucky. Stan was right – I drove by many more of the same design but different distilleries on my way home.
Exiting the shuttle, I entered the gift shop and immediately knew I would not leave empty-handed. I quizzed the young staff about the difference between the Maker’s Mark varieties. Their depth of knowledge was impressive. A young man sensed my interest and here is where this novice learned that bourbon is almost exclusively Kentucky. Apparently, bourbon in Kentucky is distinguished by the water. It is the limestone-rich spring water partnered with the corn mash that makes bourbon a mostly Kentucky product.
Maker’s Mark gift shop has an added bonus. You can dip your own bottles. I was given an industrial apron, gloves, and safety goggles and taught how to dip my own bottle. The same young man, Josh, told me that Maker’s Mark hand-dips all their bottles at a rate of 27-30 bottles per minute!
Laden down with bottles and infused chocolates, I stepped back on the shuttle to spend the next twenty minutes sharing photos with Stan on the way back to Wilbur the Campervan. I left the hills of Loretto, Kentucky, and drove another hour to Radcliff, Kentucky to stay overnight again with my Harvest Host membership at Boundary Oak Distillery. This micro-distillery is nestled in a knob with its own waterfall and natural limestone spring. I sampled their moonshine and cinnamon whiskey. The knowledgeable owners gave me a tour and I spent a lovely night under the Kentucky stars.
What I Learned
All bourbon is whiskey but not all whiskey is bourbon. I have more to learn and am planning a return.
Micro-distilleries have great whiskey as well as large distilleries. Try them all.
A little whiskey goes a long way.
Advice for Visiting
The best time to visit is late October before the distilleries close for maintenance and after the leaf peepers. Enjoy that lovely fall weather that pairs well with bourbon.
All your trip planning can be done on one website – kentuckytourism.com/bourbon. Here you will find links to all the distilleries with descriptions of the bourbon experiences. Start in Louisville, KY at the Frazier Museum where you can pick up your passport. Turn your passport in at the end for a commemorative shot glass. The tour takes you through eighteen distilleries covering 100 miles. On the same website, you will find info on craft distilleries along the way. Call the distillery to ensure they are open and check their current COVID protocol.
Plan ahead! Make your tour reservations early. Space them out and take the time to really stop, sample, and ask questions. There is beauty, art, and science to making the perfect bourbon.