Vacation in Kentucky - Bardstown the "Bourbon Capital of the World."

This is the "mash" - a combination of wheat, corn, barley and water. If you click to make the picture larger, you can see the bubbling. This is from the yeast - not from being "boiled."


After the mash goes through its process, the liquor product is then put into brand new barrels that have been charred with flame for 40 seconds on the inside - this is what helps to give the natural color to the whiskey. One of the requirements for a whiskey to be a bourbon is that it can not contain any artificial coloring. These barrels start at the very top of the five-story storage building and make their way down to the bottom over a 5 - 1/2 to 6 - 1/2 year process.
Once the bourbon matures, it is then bottled - each one of the bottles is hand-dipped in the trademark red wax.You can even dip your own bottle after the tour.....
We decided to visit the Makers Mark distillery - I am glad we did. According to the guide, Makers Mark is a "top shelf" bourbon because of the process they use in comparison to the other bourbon distilleries. Other bourbons made in the Bardstown, KY area are: Jim Beam, Heaven Hill and Tom Moore. There are many more within an hour or two. Like upstate NY - they have a trail - except it is a bourbon trail instead of a wine trail.

If you ever get a chance to visit Kentucky - Bardstown is certainly worth a stop.



And for the REAL entertainment of the trip, this is Gonzo.....
He did a great job at keeping us entertained. He is one of the most energetic kittens I have seen in a long time. He was in to EVERYTHING!