Making Bourbon

[Old Timer]

Joy and I along with our daughter Sarah and her husband took a tour of one of the premier distilleries in Kentucky this weekend. Woodford Reserve is a a premium small batch bourbon that has gained a very good reputation in a short period of time. Here are a few picture from our tour that show a little about the making of bourbon in Kentucky.

[caleb]

very cool, great pictures

[Frog]

Did you get any samples?
That second shot of the vat/tank/or cauldron doesn't look like anything good could be made from it.

[byjamesderuvoDHQ]

What's interesting is that I saw a Food Network special which showed Bourbon being made and it said that the process is unique in that the brew begins as a wine, transitions to a beer of sorts, and ends up as a bourbon. Interesting process.

[Old Timer]

What's interesting is that I saw a Food Network special which showed Bourbon being made and it said that the process is unique in that the brew begins as a wine, transitions to a beer of sorts, and ends up as a bourbon. Interesting process.

The three stills in the third picture are called the wine, beer and spirits stills in that order. Our guide basically said you had to call them something so over the years those three terms have been used.

[Old Timer]

Did you get any samples?
That second shot of the vat/tank/or cauldron doesn't look like anything good could be made from it.

That second shot is the fermenting tank and it is the first step in bourbon production, while in this tank it is called sour mash. The corn (70%), rye (20%) and barley (10%) are mixed with yeast and lots of Kentucky limestone spring water and allowed to ferment for about three days before going to the first of the three stills for the distilling process. We did get a sample but only after the product had aged for seven years in the charred oak barrels.

[jetrim]

No sour mash samples? :skep: It looks positively delicious!
I really like that 4th shot of the oak casks.

[Old Timer]

No sour mash samples? :skep: It looks positively delicious!
I really like that 4th shot of the oak casks.

My son in law started to stick his finger in the vat and give it a try but better judgment prevailed. However when they gave us an opportunity to sniff the run right out of the third still I was sure he would give it a try, but he showed restraint again. Maybe my daughter didn't make such a bad choice after all.

[n8]

woodford is good stuff.