CnC: Day 08 From Indy to Bourbon Sampling

There was no pressure on us to be anywhere by any time today. Our course was set to head back south to Kentucky to pick up the Bourbon Trail and work our way to Washington, Indiana. We are on the hunt for our remaining mainland states - Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and Missouri.

We woke late and had a leisurely breakfast. Also had the opportunity to say our farewells to Jack and Linda who are on their own quest. It's been great spending some time with them again.

Checked out of our room, packed the car and headed off on the Interstate again. As we passed Louisville, Kentucky we noticed that the sides of tall buildings were adorned with large posters of local personalities, one of which was Colonel Sanders of the fried chicken fame. We pulled into a travel information centre to find out about the Bourbon Trail. A very helpful couple gave some information and tried to talk us into seeing some kangaroos in the local zoo. No thanks, we've enough close encounters with those critters. We were told that the Jim Beam distillery was the closest one to the highway. Jack and Linda had been there and they told us that the tour wasn't being provided. We also asked about the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History in Bardstown. Duly armed with the necessary brochures and then some, we headed to Bardstown.

Oops! there goes the turn off to Jim Beam Distillery. Oh well, we are in Kentucky after all, so we had better try Kentucky Fried Chicken. The KFC that we pulled into provided a buffet. All we wanted was something small to have as a snack before trying any alcoholic beverages. Eventually we had two pieces of chicken and a biscuit each. They have way more options of sides than we do. You could have greens, green beans, wedges and a few other things that were said in rapid fire Kentuckian that we couldn't understand. None of this coleslaw and potato and gravy stuff. The chicken tasted the same, it's still on the bone which is our preference. Not the sort of food that we would normally eat, but it was worth a try in it's home town. We made a phone call to the Heaven Hill distillery to check on their opening times as the information lady had said they were closed, but the brochure said differently. Success! the distillery was open today.

Karen navigated us through some back roads making it seem like we were headed to some shady place, when all of a sudden we were presented with a venue that had beautiful lawns and gardens. We were just in time for the next tour. Holly was our guide, a local lady who was keen to answer our general questions about life in the area as well as take us through the official tour.

The fungi Torula was evident everywhere. The white storage buildings (rick houses) had what looked to be black soot creeping up the walls.

Inside the rick house we saw rows upon rows of barrels of bourbon in various states of maturation. These were three barrels high per row of 16, called a Rick. Dozens of ricks to a floor and the buildings, called rickhouses, were seven floors high, each holding around 20,000 barrels. They have 49 rickhouses. Holly told us that the evaporation of the contents of the barrels was considered taxes paid to the angels and that if you had a special request, this was the place to ask because there were plenty of angels hanging about and they would be in a good mood.

Back into the main area where we were taken into the tasting room. It's designed on a barrel. Here we were invited to participate in the art of sip and savor of 12 and 18 year old bourbon. Yum!

With the tour finished and a souvenir or two purchased, we decided to change plans and make for Elizabethtown, KY to be our stop for the night. We found a Super 8 motel with a laundry and settled in for the afternoon.