Kentucky Cartography – Bourbon
There’s more to the state of Kentucky than Colonel Sanders in his white suit who gave the world the finger-licking good fried chicken, bluegrass music and superb thoroughbred horseflesh. Digital editor Marsh Middleton explores the hills and vales of this southern state.
Kentucky is bordered by seven other states – a feat beaten only by two others, Missouri and Tennessee which have eight neighbour states. The mighty Ohio river flows along on its Northern border while the Mississippi, that riverboat gambler’s paradise, gushes past on its west.
The state is renowned for a number of things – the fried chicken, horse studs and bluegrass music already noted but also for its college basketball and coal deposits. Then there’s the fact that the state boasts the most head of deer and turkey in the United States – along with the largest free-ranging elk herd.
No surprise to find that its name is believed to have been derived from an Iroquois word for “meadowlands”, a reference to the rolling savannah in the centre of the state where thousands of buffalo once roamed free.
For the purposes of this article it’s not the wildlife, nor the basketball or coal which interest us but the distilleries, since 97% of all bourbon is produced in this state.
As a whisky geek I am constantly amazed at how little people know about American whisky – but those who do are seriously passionate. And it’s fantastic to see the numbers of bourbons available locally increasing every year.
If you’re keen to try some Bourbons you’re in luck. I’m going to highlight some of my favourites which I think are worth exploring. A good friend of mine mentioned that he conducted a geographical Bourbon tasting – that is, one based on the distillery location within Kentucky. A sort of Bourbon trail as it were. That sounded like a good idea, so have a look at the map and try and spot the following brands.
Unlike the Scottish distillers, the bourbon what is called the bourbon triangle and boys often produce a variety of brands at a roughly covers all the bourbons made in the single distillery. Come to think of it, it’s what state of Kentucky (only a few are a little more the Irish do too. The ones we’ll examine in off the beaten track, however). And good luck more detail hail from the following towns in trying to tell the missus that your GPS and Kentucky: Louisville, Bardstown, Lawrenceburg, compass went haywire and you got lost for a Versailles and Frankfort. This general area is few hours a la the Bermuda triangle!
Eagle Rare – from Buffalo Trace
Location: Frankfort, Kentucky
Frankfort is home to the Buffalo Trace distillery, which makes Blanton’s Single Barrel, Buffalo Trace, W.L. Weller, Sazerac Rye, Pappy Van Winkle and the Bourbon I have safely secured in our locker at Bascule – Eagle Rare 10 year old. These are all quite diverse whiskies, and that is what Buffalo Trace specialises in – diversity! Diversity is good and they really have made it work for them. Eagle Rare 10 year old’s slender bottle and imposing eagle on the label give you a hint that it’s going to be an elegant whiskey but that it means business too. As far as a sipping whisky over a block of ice or two on a hot summer’s day is concerned, I’ve not found better. The typical aromas and tastes that I get when tasting bourbons of this stature are the sweeter spices, vanilla, some toffee, fudge and at times mint and eucalyptus. It varies, obviously depending on the drink, but I do find the finish and wood influence softens the whiskey although at times a dry mouth feel may occur. The subtleties and similarities amongst bourbons call for a very alert palate.
Wild Turkey Rare Breed – from Wild Turkey
Location: Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
Lawrenceburg is where you’ll find Wild Turkey. There are various expressions in the range including the 101, which we sampled in the panel tasting, as well as a rye expression that is not that well known. The one I recommend you try is the Rare Breed. You should be able to find it fairly easily in South Africa. This Bourbon is ‘barrel proof’ as they call it – meaning it has not been diluted with water prior to bottling. It is unique in that it’s a blend of small batch bourbons, each of which have been aged for between 6 and 12 years. It is said that Jimmy Russell, the master distiller, keeps a bottle of this in his freezer so he doesn’t have to add ice and risk dilution over time. Do yourself a favour and have a look at what Jim Murray’s rating is for this whiskey. I think you’ll be suitably impressed. It’s a big, spicy and rich bourbon of the highest calibre. It’s one of those that I was amazed to see on a very discerning and respected whiskey friend’s top shelf. I now understand why, and have since enjoyed this despite the rather strange looks I get when I tell someone to sip on a Wild Turkey.
Elijah Craig – from Heaven Hill
Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Only the warehouses and visitors centre for all the Heaven Hill brands are located in Bardstown. The distillery is in Louisville, although there used to be one in Bardstown. This is one of those stories that you will never forget. The ultimate disaster struck just short of 20 years ago when the distillery located at the bottom of the hill in Bardstown blew up. It literally exploded in a gigantic fireball after lightning struck one of the maturation warehouses, and a stream of firewater flowed downhill and ignited the distillery. Imagine the sight! They subsequently moved all production to Bernheim disitillery in Louisville. This is where they now make the famous Bernheim Original wheat whiskey as well as Rittenhouse Rye amongst others. These are difficult to get hold of so try to find Elijah Craig 12 year old, which has been imported into South Africa and is available at certain outlets. Elijah Craig, the man, was one of the true pioneers of distillation in Kentucky. The whisky that bears his name is rich and woody. I must agree with Dave Broom who reckons this whiskey is one of those “sweet and rich, approachable old-style whiskies”.
Knob Creek – from Jim Beam
Location: Clermont and Boston, Kentucky
Jim Beam has two distilleries. One is in Clermont and the other in Boston – and no, it’s not the place in Massachusetts where they once chucked all the tea into the harbour! Both towns are in Kentucky (all in that larger triangular area). Apart from Jim Beam white and black, which we’ve included in our panel tasting for this issue, they’re also responsible for Booker’s and Knob Creek 9 year old. I’ve always found Knob Creek very good value for money. It is a small batch 9 year old whiskey that is most definitely an oily, rich, full bodied bourbon that boasts some cigar leaf, spices and sweet aromas and tastes. No reference to this product would be complete without explaining the origin of the name. It is another one of the crazy bourbon names that raises a few eyebrows when mentioned in the presence of non-whisky people. It is a serious whiskey nonetheless _ one that I have personally bought and a whiskey that keeps on surprising me every time I retaste it. Seeing that this whiskey is aged for longer, it is kept in the cooler central areas of the warehouses. By contrast the younger whiskies are racked on the edges and top of the warehouses where the heat is more intense and maturation is much faster. And the whiskey takes its name from a little river – or creek – that is a few miles south of the distillery, a place where Abraham Lincoln used to play.
Woodford Reserve – from Brown Forman
Location: Versailles, Kentucky
Woodford Reserve, as you’ll find in our panel tasting, is a whiskey that stands out in my opinion because of its more waxy and savoury character. It is quite spicy and complex and most definitely different on the palate compared to the others I have mentioned above. One of the reasons it is so different could be that it uses a triple distillation method. They use only copper pot stills that, strangely enough, were built by Forsyth’s in Scotland. It’s widely available in South Africa and has been a favourite of many discerning whiskey lovers over the years. This is one of my earliest bourbon memories. I recall late nights with a great cigar which paired perfectly with the whiskey, and a good friend and mentor who opened my eyes to the brave new world. Story has it that back in the day the whisky was also a favourite of Mark Twain, Walt Whitman, and US president Andrew Jackson.
Some of the other Bourbon whiskies that we’ve not covered here include:
Four Roses, of which I have an exquisite single barrel expression at home (and this one I do not share with anyone!).
Tom Moore, which I must confess I know very little about and cannot wait to try.
Makers’ Mark, one of our featured whiskies in this edition and also part of our panel tasting.
Early Times, another one that still needs to be tasted.
Jack Daniels and George Dickel – Tennessee Whiskey: In this article we’re not looking at Jack Daniels, which you’ll find in Tennessee, down in Lynchburg, or George Dickel which is not really available in SA. You’ll find information and our tasting notes on Jack Daniels’ Single Barrel in the panel tasting. Jack Daniels has dominated the South African market, with many of the lesser known American whisky brands only now beginning to feature in the local marketplace. I attribute this to a growing group of discerning whisky drinkers and smaller local distributors that are spreading their knowledge and love of bourbon whiskey generously.
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