travel directions – the still trippers

A Journey Down The Bourbon Trail

The surging popularity of Bourbon and Rye in the past decade is partly due to the increasing numbers of people that visit Kentucky each year. These visitors gain a newfound appreciation of the history and dedication behind these spirits. The Bourbon Trail can please both the novice bourbon drinker and the bourbon expert alike with different tailored experiences at each distillery. Just recently I led the 9 Maple Bourbon Trail Tour with a group of 12 guests. For many of them it was their first experience and I am sure not their last.

Our group was based in downtown Louisville for 4 nights at the Embassy Suites which is in a very good location with access to everything.

Day 1

The group arrived on Wednesday throughout the day. Our first group get-together was not until the evening and this gave myself and a couple of others time to check out the new Angel’s Envy distillery and do a tour. This is a must stop in Louisville for anyone on the Bourbon Trail and for my future tours, this will definitely be included. It is a beautiful distillery and visitor experience. All $27 million can be seen here, with its shiny Angel-shaped spirit safe to the fancy tasting bar. The tour itself was great and will be covered in a future blog post.

Our 9 Maple Bourbon Trail group tour started off with a welcome dram of Angel’s Envy Rye at the hotel before heading to our first group dinner at Doc Crow’s Southern Smokehouse, a classic southern joint with a great selection of BBQ items and cocktails. Just what the group needed before venturing over to the Haymarket Whiskey Bar…

Day 2

The southern part of the Bourbon Trail was on the itinerary for our first full day, Thursday, with stops at Maker’s Mark, Willett, Heaven Hill and Jim Beam. Here is a brief description of each experience:

Maker’s Mark – a beautiful location just south of Bardstown; a very nice overall tour; large groups; you get to see all of the different parts of the distillery including the new warehouse built into the side of the mountain used for aging the Maker’s 46; great spot on location for lunch with a bar making bourbon slushies (good timing); a nice gift shop where you can wax your own bottles which is a fun experience; great overall first stop on any tour – exceeded expectations!

The group at Maker’s Mark with bourbon slushies in hand

Willett Distillery – another beautiful spot just outside of Bardstown; surrounded by tall white warehouses filled with aging spirit; this tour happened to be one of the group’s favorite tours; family-run, working distillery; just felt right; nice tasting opportunity at the end of the tour; decent gift shop with some fun swag and bottles to bring home – really looking forward to getting back to Willett.

Heaven Hill – after two tours already for the day, our group did the Connoisseur Tasting at Heaven Hill which was about an hour-long tasting that included the following whiskies: Henry McKenna 10 Year Old, Old Fitzgerald 12 Year Old, Heaven Hill Bad Bourbon Aged 25 Years (this was a sample bottle of something aged too long – tasted really bad to me, but some people didn’t mind it), William Heavenhill 14 Year Old, and the Pikesville Straight Rye – overall a relaxing tasting and great to try some of the brands that you can only get at the distillery

Jim Beam – to finish off the southern trail, we made a stop at Jim Beam for their Cocktail Experience; you get a token from the gift shop and climb the hill to get your cocktail; a nice selection of cocktails and well-made; a good way to end the day

Our group had a night off in Louisville and some of us went to Harvest, a superb restaurant run by Chef Patrick Roney. Chef Roney prepared a special tasting menu for our table of 8. It was a fantastic way to end our first full day on the Bourbon Trail.

Day 3

On our next full day, Friday, we got up early since we had four distilleries to visit and a cooperage. The Brown Forman Cooperage, Peerless Distilling, Woodford Reserve, Wild Turkey and Buffalo Trace were on the agenda for the day. Here is a brief description of each experience:

Brown Forman Cooperage – to see the coopers work up close is a fantastic experience; most of the barrels being made were for Jack Daniels and Woodford Reserve; a nice intro presentation to start the tour; safety goggles on and closed-toed shoes are a must; great photo opportunities; this will be a must do stop on any future tour

Peerless Distilling – a newer ‘craft’ distillery which released their 2-year old rye the day after our visit; very interesting to have a newer craft distillery in the middle of our tour of more familiar brands; a lot of pride in their process and history; a very nice visit – just wish we could have sampled the rye (which you can now) – a couple of guests on our tour went back the following day to pick up four new bottles so we did eventually get to try it…

Woodford Reserve – another beautiful location among the rolling hills of horse country; a very polished tour where you are able to see where some of the spirit is made; as a group you are bused down from the visitor’s center to the distillery; great to see the barrels being moved on the tracks; nice tasting at the end with some chocolate; gift shop was ok

Wild Turkey – after two distillery tours and a cooperage tour, we were ready for a tasting; held at the newer Wild Turkey Visitor’s Center; beautiful spot overlooking a river valley; the tasting could have been better as we were grouped with some people that just came off the tour and had a different experience, the tasting included the normal range of Wild Turkey

Buffalo Trace – our last stop on the eastern trail was at Buffalo Trace where we did a tour; highlights included our guide who had quite the sense of humor and being able to visit some warehouses and the bottling line; next time would like to do a more in-depth tour; the tasting was ok on the top floor of the Visitor’s Center but the shop lacked any special bourbon for purchase which was a disappointment – with all of their brands there should have been something special…

That evening we returned to Louisville for our second group dinner, this time at Bourbon’s Bistro. We had some nice cocktails and great meal to round out another full day on the trail. Bourbon’s Bistro is not in downtown Louisville, but a great area of Crescent Hill with lots of fun spots.

Day 4

On our final full day in Kentucky, Saturday, we decided to make it a “horse” day. Our group started the day back near Lexington where we visited the famous Claiborne Farm which is home to some past Kentucky Derby winners and is where Secretariat is buried. We were able to pet Orb, the 2013 Kentucky Derby winner, and to see many other horses and areas of the farm that are used for stud purposes. It was a great way to spend the morning and a get a good sense of the significance of horses and history in Kentucky.

For lunch we tasted beer at the West Sixth Brewery and had food at Smithtown Seafood in Lexington.

Back in Louisville it was time to head to Churchill Downs to visit the Kentucky Derby Museum and spend the rest of the afternoon at the track. It happened to be the same day that the Preakness Race was running in Baltimore, so we were able to watch the live stream feed on the main screen at Churchill Downs. It gave us a sense of what it might be like at the Derby, but without all of the people! Some day…

Our last evening was spent dining at Butchertown Grocery, a great newer restaurant in Butchertown area of Louisville. It was a nice way to end our tour as a group.

Final Thoughts

Wow, it was a fantastic trip and a great group! I learned a lot of things about each distillery and Louisville. We had an aggressive schedule but the breaks between each visit helped. There were a few things that I would change or add, but overall it was the perfect balance of tours, tastings and fun. I look forward to the next tour. Please let me know if you are interested in joining. All of the whisky tours can be found at: Whiskey Tours

Distilleries Visited:

Angel’s Envy – 500 E Main Street, Louisville, KY 40202

Maker’s Mark – 3350 Burks Spring Road, Loretto, KY 40037

Willett Distillery – 1869 Loretto Road, Bardstown, KY 40004

Heaven Hill – 1064 Loretto Road, Bardstown, KY 40004

Jim Beam – 526 Happy Hollow Road, Clermont, KY 40110

Peerless Distilling – 120 N 10^th Street, Louisville, KY 40202

Woodford Reserve – 7855 McCracken Pike, Versailles, KY 40383

Wild Turkey – 1417 Versailles Road, Lawrenceburg, KY 40342

Buffalo Trace – 113 Great Buffalo Trace, Frankfort, KY 40601

Restaurants:

Doc Crow’s Southern Smokehouse – 127 W Main St, Louisville, KY 40207

Harvest – 624 E Market St, Louisville, KY 40202

Bourbon’s Bistro – 2255 Frankfort Ave, Louisville, KY 40206

Butchertown Grocery – 1076 E Washington St, Louisville, KY 40206

Bars:

Haymarket Whiskey Bar – 331 E Market St, Louisville, KY 40202

Old Seelbach Bar – 500 S 4^th St, Louisville, KY 40202

Brown Hotel Lobby Bar – 335 W Broadway, Louisville, KY 40202

META – 425 W Chestnut St, Louisville, KY 40202

The Silver Dollar – 1761 Frankfort Ave, Louisville, KY 40206

Hilltop Tavern – 1800 Frankfort Ave, Louisville, KY 40206

The Hub – 2235 Frankfort Ave, Louisville, KY 40206

Teeling Whiskey Distillery

Visit #29, September 24, 2016

The last stop on our week-long Ireland distillery adventure was to The Liberties area of Dublin to visit the Teeling Whiskey Distillery. Dublin was once home to over 30 distilleries, but the last one closed in the mid-70s. Teeling opened just recently in 2015 and is the first new distillery to open in Dublin in the last century. Similar to some Tullamore D.E.W. branding, Teeling Whiskey uses a phoenix on its labels to represent the return of Irish whiskey to Dublin and to the Teeling family.

Our tour started with the history of whiskey in Dublin and in Ireland, its rise and fall and now resurgence across the country. A video described the roller-coaster ride of Irish whiskey history and the construction of the new Teeling Distillery. They sure did not hold back on the building of this modern distillery with a very nice gift shop, bar, tasting area and semi-museum of artifacts and timelines. And the inner workings of the distillery were just as impressive.

Here are some notes from our tour of the “working” area of the distillery:

they use a wet mill – the water reduces the risk of explosion
15,000 liter lauter tun used, holds 30 tons of grist at 60 degrees
6 fermentation tanks – 2 wood (for looks) and 4 metal – 30,000 liters each
fermentation takes between 3 to 5 days
each of their stills has a name
- Alison is the Wash Still – 15,000 liters – temp at 90 degrees
- Natalie is the Intermediate Still – 10,000 liters – temp at 84 degrees
- Rebecca is the Spirit Still – 9,000 liters – temp 78.2 degrees
stills come from Siena, Italy – each are 5 tons and valued over $1 million
aging is done outside of the city in Louth – too dangerous to mature whiskey in the city due to fire concerns

teeling-x — Natalie, the Intermediate Still

teeling-viii — Rebecca, the Spirit Still

teeling-xii — Description of the barrels and aging

Our tour ended with a premier tasting of the following:

Teeling Single Malt
Teeling Single Cask
and a distillery only Single Malt finished in Cabernet casks

Overall it was a good tour. Unfortunately it was on a Saturday and the distilling floor was non-operational. It’s always nice to be able to see the whiskey being made. It was a very different experience from our other 5 distillery tours in Ireland earlier in the week. Just being in Dublin made it more crowded and busy. The tour was on a strict schedule and there was not much time to linger. We also rushed through the tasting at the end which was less than ideal. But this is part of being in a big city on a weekend too. Teeling is becoming a very popular destination and I am glad we were able to see it now in its early stages.

Charles’ Notes: I had very high expectations for this visit. It was our last distillery visit during our week in Ireland which included Kilbeggan, Tullamore D.E.W., Jameson Midleton, Dingle, Walsh and Teeling. But there was something off about the visit. Our reservation was lost, even though it was guaranteed in advance with a credit card. The tour felt rushed and the tasting too. I had read so many great reviews about distillery visits here so maybe my expectations were too high. Or it’s possible my earlier distillery visits during the week were competing with each other. But whatever the reason, it seemed off. I do think they have a good thing going there with lots of potential and I will definitely be back to make another visit on another Ireland distillery tour. The bar was a very nice touch and the space was well planned out. I am still a big Teeling fan! It’s great to witness the new Irish whiskey renaissance.

Aberlour Distillery

Visit #9, September 24, 2016

In the heart of the Speyside region of Scotland surrounded by burns or streams and the River Spey is the town of Aberlour. Some people know Aberlour from the famous Walkers shortbread which is made here. Others make the pilgrimage to fish or enjoy the beautiful countryside. Our group came to Aberlour for its whisky and what a great place to base oneself to visit the many distilleries in the area. Of course, when you stay in Aberlour, the highlight has to be the Aberlour Distillery, and it was better than shortbread, a fine treat indeed.

The Aberlour Distillery was built in 1879 by James Fleming, the son of a local farmer. He wanted to create a distillery that would represent what a true distillery should look like. Unlike most distilleries, it was powered by a waterwheel until the 1960s using the rushing stream nearby. He was a community man and did many important things for the town and people as well. A town hall is now named after him, Fleming Hall. But he was also very proud of the spirit that came out of the distillery and had a famous family motto of “Let the Deed Show,” telling people that the spirit itself was the true testament of his whisky-making and expertise.

Upon Fleming’s death in 1895, the distillery went through a number of hands and eventually was acquired by Pernod Ricard in 1975 which then joined Chivas Brothers in 2001. Aberlour is the best selling Scotch in France with over a million bottles a year being sold there.

Our Aberlour Experience tour started at 10am and was led by Susan. After telling us about the history of the Aberlour Distillery and James Fleming, we visited the different areas of production of the spirit, and here are some notes from our tour:

Water source comes from springs on the Ben Rinnes mountain and Linn Falls – pH of 7 (neutral)
320 liters of liquid yeast used in each production
1962 – the year malting was out-sourced, Balvenie still malts 10% of the barley for Aberlour – no peat used for their malt
25 tons of malted barley delivered at a time, 12 tons used with each production
The Porteus mill is over 60 years old
In 1898 the distillery was completely destroyed by an explosion in the mill
48,000 liters of water go through the Mash Tun – mash water temps are 65 degrees / 80 degrees / 95 degrees to produce the wort (about 60,000 liters)
6 washbacks – stainless steel painted white – fermentation takes between 48-50 hours
4 swan-shaped stills – 2 wash and 2 spirit stills (15,000 liters)
Heads: 15 minutes / Hearts: 1 hour (5,000 liters) / Tails: 2 hours
Ex-Oloroso sherry butts and Ex-Bourbon casks are used
2 large racked warehouses (stacked 8 high) on site (15,000 barrels), some whisky stored off site but within 15 miles of the distillery
7 team managers on site

The tour was very well done and and we were able to visit all of the areas of production. The Aberlour Experience tour includes a nice tasting as well. The following different expressions were tasted:

The New Make Spirit – straight off the still (un-aged), 63.5% ABV
Bourbon-Cask Matured 15 year old, 53.7% ABV
Sherry-Cask Matured 16 year old, 56.5% ABV
10 year old – #1 selling whisky in France, 40% ABV, bourbon and sherry cask fill
16 year old – first-fill bourbon cask, re-fill sherry cask, 40% ABV
A’Bunadh – Batch 51, cask strength 60.8% ABV

Let’s just say that it was good that we were able to walk to the distillery from our hotel up the hill! It was a great way to end a very nice tour and experience.

Charles’ Notes: Aberlour was one of the distilleries that I was most interested in visiting due to its popularity abroad and the fact that we were staying right next to it at The Dowans Hotel for 4 nights. By the way, The Dowans Hotel made for a perfect base to explore the Speyside region’s offerings and I would stay there again in a heartbeat. Great food and whisky bar! The distillery had a smaller feel than what I expected from a Chivas/Pernod Ricard owned maker, but this was a good thing. It made me think of the late 19th century when the distillery was being run by Mr. Fleming. It is set on a nice piece of property right along the stream. It really is a perfect spot for someone to visit, especially if they are staying in town like we did. I did regret not picking up the bourbon-cask matured 15 year old. This was my favorite taste. At home, the A’Bunadh has become one of my favorites as well (Batch 50). I guess I will just need to make another visit! Cheers.

Glenmorangie Distillery

Visit #8, September 23, 2015

A safari in Scotland is something most people would laugh at. But in the Highlands of Scotland, about an hour north of Inverness, is a waterhole where a certain type of game can be viewed. Giraffes. A whole herd of them. Tall and colored in copper. Here at the Glenmorangie Distillery are the famous stills, the giraffe stills, which they say are the tallest in Scotland. Set in a beautiful location outside of Tain, the Glenmorangie Distillery produces classic single malts using a number of types of casks. These giraffes produce a lighter, cleaner taste, one that represents the beautiful location and air surrounding the Dornoch Firth and area around Tain. There were no lions, just thirsty tourists!

The history of the Glenmorangie Distillery goes back to 1843 when the “Morangie” farm distillery was started by the Matheson brothers. Malt wasn’t produced until 1849 and it wasn’t until 1887 that the Glenmorangie Distillery Company, Ltd. was founded. The distillery was sold to two partners, Macdonald and Muir, in 1918. The Macdonald family would run the company until 2004 when it was purchased by LVMH, a French multinational luxury goods conglomerate, headquartered in Paris, France.

Prior to our tour we had the opportunity to go walk to the shore banks at the base of the slope where the distillery overlooks the Dornoch Firth. It is a beautiful spot and one where the warehouses filled with spirit get to rest and take in the fresh Scottish air and temperatures. It is a great time to reflect and think about the long history that these distilleries have withstood. It is also a great time to prepare you for the tour and the process from which their spirit is born.

Our tour was led by Michael Fraser who started with a description of their famous icon, the Hilton of Cadboll Stone, a Pictish stone discovered on the East coast of the Tarbat Peninsula in Scotland. This carving inspired the brand emblem and ties both the old skill and modern day skill of the Scottish people. Michael led us through the distillery and here are the notes we took:

They don’t add their single malts to blends
In 1977 they started to use off-site malting, 6 million liters/year of malted barley
They only use 2 parts per million peat
10 tons of grist per batch
They use hard water (lots of calcium and minerals) taken from the Tarlogie Springs – only Highland Park and The Glenlivet are the other two distilleries using hard water
Mash tun is stainless steel and holds a 9.8 tonne mash
Mash tun water temps – 63.5 degrees / 84 degrees / boiling point
12 stainless steel washbacks each holding up to 50,000 liters – they changed to stainless steel in the 1960s and they were one of the first
Fermentation takes between 52-55 hours
12 stills – the tallest in Scotland called “giraffe” stills, measure 8 meters, 5.14 meters is the neck of the still – still house is called Highland Cathedral
6 wash stills holding 11,400 liters each
6 spirit stills holding 8,200 liters each
Pressure relief valves seen on the stills are there for aesthetics, no purpose
Stills run 15 minutes of head, 3 hours of hearts and 2 hours of tails
1st to use an ex-bourbon cask in 1949
29 warehouses, Cellar 13 is famous because of its proximity to the water
They own some forests in the Ozarks, wood is dried for 2 years and then used in Kentucky for 4 years before being sent to Scotland
Barrels are only used twice
Giraffe Stills

Warehouses

Overall, the tour was very informative. Michael was able to answer our questions or guide us to someone who did. At the end of the tour we had a tasting of the 10 year old. It is the 4th most popular dram in the world and the 1st in Scotland. We also paid to taste a couple of different other editions as well.

Charles’ Notes: I wasn’t sure what to expect with Glenmorangie but I was very impressed. The location is stunning and I think this is what stood out most about this visit. Just to walk down to the shore and see the warehouses overlooking the water… We were unable to take pictures inside which always is tough for me since I like to have these memories recorded. But I understand that safety and liability is the number one priority at these highly-visited spots. The giraffe stills were beautiful and definitely unique. They had a nice little museum and gift shop. I would like to come back to Glenmorangie one day and do the Heritage Tour and visit the springs and have lunch at the Glenmorangie House.

The Dalmore Distillery

Visit #7, September 23, 2015

Certain single malt whiskies have a special place in our hearts. Maybe it was the first one you tried. Or possibly a special dram for a special occasion. The Dalmore holds a place in my heart. It was one of the first whiskies that I tried making me want to buy another bottle! The trip to The Dalmore distillery just north of Inverness in the Northern Highlands of Scotland was a day I was looking forward to for a long time. The distillery is set on the banks of the Cromarty Firth overlooking the Black Isle. It is a beautiful spot and turned out to be worth the wait.

Founded in 1839 by Alexander Matheson, the distillery was leased and managed by the Sunderland family until 1867. In 1886 the distillery was sold to new owners, brothers Andrew and Charles Mackenzie, members of the Clan Mackenzie. Currently the distillery is owned and operated by Whyte and Mackay Ltd which is owned by Emperador, Inc., a Phillipine holding company involved in bottling and distributing distilled spirits.

Our late-morning tour started by learning some of the history of The Dalmore and the story of “The Death of the Stag,” which is also a painting by Benjamin West found in the National Galleries of Scotland. The story goes that the first chieftain of the Clan Mackenzie saved the life of the Scottish King Alexander III during a hunting expedition in 1283. In turn, the King gifted the chieftain with the Royal emblem of a 12-pointed stag that was used in the coat of arms. The 12-pointed Royal Stag emblem is now found on every bottle of The Dalmore spirit, called the caberfeidh. It is quite the story and a great symbol for The Dalmore.

Here are some of the notes from our tour:

Malted barley goes into 14 twenty-five ton bins
Stainless steel Mash Tun holds 42,000 liters of grist
Three water infusions of 62 degrees, 75 degrees and 82 degrees in Mash Tun. Process takes about 7 hours.
8 washbacks hold approximately 49,500 liters of worts. Washbacks are made of Oregon Pine and are between 50-80 years old.
50 hours of fermentation in washbacks
8 stills in total – 4 wash and 4 spirit
Flat-top stills because of the roof of the old barn
Wash stills – 13,000 liters and Spirit stills – 8,000 liters
Heads run for about 30 minutes, hearts for six hours and tails for about 30 minutes
9 warehouses on site (4 racked) holding 4 million liters of spirit
10% is kept at the distillery, about 60,000 casks on site
Down time is 2 weeks in summer and 2 weeks near Christmas

Overall, it was a great tour of the facility. Pictures were not allowed inside the facility, unfortunately. But we were able to walk around the property and enjoy the views and take in that great distillery smell.

Our tour ended with a tasting in a very nice tasting room where we watched an initial video on the history of The Dalmore. The tasting included:

12 year-old, which is aged for 9 years in bourbon casks and 3 years in sherry casks
15 year-old, which is aged for 12 years in bourbon casks and split into 3 sherry casks for 3 years
18 year-old, which is aged for 14 years in bourbon casks and 4 years in Matusalem sherry casks
Cigar Malt, no age-statement, approximately aged for 15 years and ends in Cabernet casks for 18 months
Distillers Edition 2015 finished in bourbon casks, higher ABV (my favorite)

Charles’ notes: The Dalmore distillery turned out to be a great experience. I did have one regret, however. I ended up not buying a bottle of the Distillers Edition and it haunted me for the rest of my whisky tour through Scotland…!! There were only a limited number of bottles left too. Well, we do learn. The tour was very nice and informative even though our guide was battling through a cold, but she was great and a trooper. There was a funny story about some Scandinavian visitors skinny dipping in one of the water troughs after hours, but that is for another time. I wouldn’t hesitate to go back to The Dalmore. It was set in a great spot and close to some good food options as well. We made the day trip up from Aberlour in the Speyside region and this is very doable. We combined this visit with a visit to Glenmorangie later in the day. I look forward to the next visit at The Dalmore.

Springbrook Hollow Farm Distillery

Visit #15, December 19th, 2015

The Christmas holidays were close at hand when we visited this northern oasis in Upstate New York just outside of Queensbury and Lake George. Springbrook Hollow Farm Distillery is set on a beautiful property tucked back in the foothills of the Adirondacks. Co-owned by Mike Forcier, Dave Bannon, Tony DeSantis and Ken Rohne, the distillery has been opened to the public since December of 2014. In this time they have done some remarkable work crafting their spirits and drafting plans that should make them known outside of New York state and possibly the USA.

Our tour was led by owners Dave and Ken and they provided us with a great overview of how their distilling operations work and the plans they have for the future. It is very much a local operation with ingredients coming from many of the local farms and providers found in New York state. They use all New York state grains and most of the grain comes from the Ellsworth Farm in Easton, NY. The cider, cinnamon and maple all come from local farms in the area as well.

Here are some notes from our tour of their equipment and process:

600-gallon mash tun / 1000 lb of grain
Bulk farm milk tank is used for both cold water and fermentation
Fermentation takes approximately 5 days
2 days of distillation on Thursday and Friday
Kothe German Pot Still – 300 gallons – has a stainless steel jacket
The still is steam-fired with a 1 million BTU steamer
Hot water is solar-produced
Whiskey Helmet – shape configured for whiskey
Hybrid still produces 30 gallons of hearts
Barrels come from US Barrel in Wilmington, NY
They currently use 15 gallon and 53 gallon barrels
4-bottle labeler machine – takes 30 seconds
Bottles dipped in wax similar to Maker’s Mark
Mash Tun

Mash Tun

Farm milk tank

Kothe Still

Grain storehouse

Mill

Work Station

Wax melting and dipping

Upstairs in a barrelhouse

The tour itself was great. You can see the passion that both Dave and Ken had for their products. Dave took us upstairs to see the spirit aging in barrels in the hay loft. He mentioned that they would like to remodel the space upstairs for special events and possibly dinners. I think it would be a great idea. Out back we saw their grinder/mill and storage area for grain.

Back inside we were able to taste some of their products, including their Double Gold National winner Two Sisters Vodka, the Gold International winner Sly Fox Gin, the varied flavored moonshines (both apple cider and maple), and their “cellos”, the Limoncello and the Orangecello. After talking to them for a while about their whiskey aging upstairs, Dave thought that we needed to see how it was doing. Before I knew it Ken went upstairs and pulled a small sample from one of the barrels that has been aging for almost 16 months. Now this was a cask-strength taste and it was very good. I really look forward to tasting the final product. This could be special. Thanks to Dave and Ken for a great tour and taste!

Charles’ Notes: What’s nice about a small operation like this is that you can really see the amount of work it takes to run a distillery like this. And the modifications that are made to make things work. To see a farm milk tank being used as a fermentation tank was new to me. But what a great dual use of this piece of equipment. This distillery is a combination of science and function. The location is really beautiful, set above the property with the woods as a backdrop. I look forward to revisiting soon to see what projects are in the works.

Glenfarclas Distillery

Visit #6, September 22, 2015

There is a sense of calming when visiting the Glenfarclas distillery in the Speyside region of Scotland. Maybe it is the “family” atmosphere which is evident at the distillery as we saw Mr. Grant loading the family dogs into his vehicle. It could also be the Glenfarclas dram and taste that has become so memorable over the years. But the real calming came from the tour and experience of visiting this family-run distillery, one of the last remaining family distilleries in the Speyside region.

Located in Ballindalloch, the Glenfarclas distillery was first founded in 1836 by a farm tenant John Hay. It wasn’t until 1865 that the Grant family became involved. Since then it has remained in the Grant family and is currently run by both the 5th and 6th generations of the family. This is quite impressive and unique in this era of large corporate-run makers of spirits.

Our tour started in the Visitor’s Center where we learned about the family history behind this special malt. From here we were led down to the working facility. On the way we passed a waterwheel being fed by water from springs coming down from the Ben Rinnes mountain, the main water source for the distillery. The facility is not fancy or embellished. It is a true working facility and not set up for looks…

We visited all of the different stages of the process, including the mill, the mash tun, the washbacks, the still room, and the warehouses. Our guide was excellent and she provided a lot of information on all aspects of the production.

Here are some notes from the tour:

11 storage tanks / hoppers store 3 weeks of grain for spirit production
Up until 1975, Glenfarclas did their own malting but it is now delivered
Buhler mill is used to make grist, they test the grist three times looking for a mix of 80% grist, 15% husks and 5% flour
16.5 tons of grist is placed in the mash tun which is 10 meters in diameter
Three water stages during the mashing at 64 degrees / 78 degrees / 89-90 degrees
12 stainless steel washbacks from over 40 years ago hold 41,000 liters each
Fermentation takes approximately 48 hours
Six stills heated by direct fire (gas)
1 large wash still (26,500 liters) and 1 large spirit still (21,200 liters)
25,000 liters of wort in the wash still
Three cuts of the spirit: 20 minutes of head, 3 to 4 hours of heart, and 4 to 5 hours of tail
A total of 33 warehouses store 55,000 casks
Grist Hopper

Malt Mill

Stone Remover

Mashing

Mash Tun and Washbacks

Washbacks

Large stills

Spirit Safe

Warehouses

Family Casks

The standard distillery tour ends with a tasting at the Visitor’s Center. They have two other tours that are provided for a higher price, including the Connoisseur’s Tour and Tasting, and the Five Decades Tour and Tasting. These tours offer more to taste and the Five Decades tour includes a taste of each of the decades from the family casks. Very cool. Our guide let us taste the 10-year old Glenfarclas, but then did let us taste the 25-year old as a special treat. Classy! It was very much appreciated.

Charles’ Notes: I was very much looking forward to this visit. Glenfarclas has always been a favorite, but this propelled it to a place of admiration that is tough to beat. There is something to be said about a family-run distillery. Maybe it is the buy-in of the people who have worked there for so many years. But it is also the old-school methods that are still used to produce this great spirit. Compared to some of the distilleries we visited, there was less computerization, more human contact and a family history that is still seen. I definitely want to return here for another visit when I am in the Speyside next. What was also fun was that the Mash Tun hotel/restaurant down in Aberlour had many of the family casks available at their bar. Not a bad way to end a day!

Jersey Spirits Distilling Co.

Visit #14, November 21, 2015

As I drove into the commercial, industrial park in Fairfield, NJ, a certain HBO theme song kept popping up in my mind. But I did not run into Tony Soprano as I turned the corner, fortunately. Rather, it was a progressive business that is changing the landscape of the spirits industry in New Jersey. Co-owned by John Granata, Sue Lord, and Betty MacDonald, Jersey Spirits Distilling Co. is a new operation created out of a true passion for craft distilling.

Jersey Spirits Distilling first opened its doors for tastings in mid-August, 2015. It is the youngest distilling operation that I have visited, but there is a knowledge-base that runs deep. John and Sue come from a food (restaurant) and science background. They visited many distilleries prior to starting their own and mentioned the High West Distillery in Utah as one of their favorite inspirations. After workshops and intense research, Jersey Spirits Distilling was started.

On the Saturday afternoon that I showed up for a tour they were having a group Infusion class. This is just one of the different programs and classes that the distillery offers. Also offered is a barrel share program which includes the ability for members to be involved in the process of distilling and aging a spirit. There are monthly tastings where barrel-share members can come back and sample the changes that take place as the spirit is aged. Not only that, you get to take home six bottles when it is aged to your liking. Other classes include mixology and an apprentice class on being a distiller.

I was able to participate in the tour that was included with the Infusion class. Here are some of my notes regarding their products and distilling process:

Boardwalk Rum uses Grade A molasses – sourced from LA or Caribbean
Water Filtration System, calcium is added
Fermentation for vodka takes between 3-8 days
Bourbon mash bill is 60% corn, 30% rye, and 10% malt
Rum fermentation takes between 2 to 3 weeks
There is a separate gin still
Ingredients such as honey (gin) and maple (bourbon) are sourced in New Jersey
Column still produces 150-200 bottles a week

After the tour I tasted three of their offerings: the Boardwalk Rum at 43% ABV, the Barnegat White Whiskey at 46% ABV and the Jersey Apple Hootch at 23% ABV.

Charles’ Notes: I wasn’t sure what to expect on my quick stop at Jersey Spirits Distilling Co. I knew that an Infusion class was starting at about the same of my arrival, but this worked out well since I could join their tour which was given by TJ, the assistanct distiller. Both John and Sue were gracious owners and spent time answering my questions. I do look forward to coming back to New Jersey to try out their bourbon once it has aged longer, hopefully in 2016. It had a great bar for tastings and a great vibe overall. There is also a brewery, Magnify Brewing Company, in the same complex so this could make for a nice double visit. I did not have time to visit them. Overall, it was a very nice visit and tour and I look forward to meeting them all again.

The Glenlivet Distillery

Visit #5, September 22, 2015

The Glenlivet Distillery is a very popular stop on the Whisky Trail in the Speyside region of Scotland. Its global presence in the marketplace is unmistakable. Even the branding includes the saying, “The single malt that started it all.” It’s definitely one of those malts that everyone has heard of and maybe even tasted. There were travels that I took in different parts of the world where The Glenlivet was the only selection of single malt Scotch available. Not surprisingly, it continues to be the largest selling single malt in the United States and now ranks second globally. It also doesn’t hurt that the distillery is located on a beautiful hillside just outside of Ballindalloch. Quite a stunning sight!

The history of the distillery goes back to the time when Scottish legislation was passed in 1823 for distillers to apply and receive a license to legally produce spirit. George Smith, the creator of The Glenlivet, was one of first adopters of this “legal” process to the dismay of many other distillers who wanted this new legislation to be repealed. Many threats on his life were made, but eventually The Glenlivet distillery was established in 1824. The distillery remained in the family and it wasn’t until the early 1950s that the distillery went through a variety of mergers and acquisitions and is currently owned by the French spirits company, Pernod Ricard.

Stills to the left and Visitor Center straight ahead

The Glenlivet distillery offers one of the few free tours found in the area. The distillery also has additional tours that are more specific based on different experiences and tastings and these are priced accordingly. We decided to do the free tour since we were short on time and visiting two other distilleries on the same day. There are also walking trails of varying lengths that can be done in the surrounding countryside. On a return visit, we would definitely include some time to do this. It is such a beautiful area.

Below are notes that we took during our distillery tour:

Josie’s Well is the main water source for The Glenlivet distillery. The name Glenlivet in Gaelic means “valley of the smooth flowing one”
400 metric tons of malted barley are delivered into the Malt Bins – this lasts about 5 days
The distillery operates 6 days a week and 42 weeks a year
13.3 tons of grist are mashed with 105,000 liters of water
Three water temps (Fahrenheit) used during the mashing process: 65 / 78 / 78->96
59,000 liters of wort are produced per mash
8 washbacks seen on tour, an additional 8 washbacks in the old building
Washbacks are made of Oregon Pine and are 8 meters deep
Fermentation takes 2 to 3 days
3 pairs of stills in the new building and 4 pairs in the old building
Wash stills hold 15,000 liters / Spirit stills hold 10,000 liters
Head cut – 20 minutes / Heart cut – 2 hours / Tails cut – 3 hours
Silent season – time needed for maintenance, anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks
Casks are re-used 3 times
6,000 casks in 10 different warehouses totaling 60,000 casks
No cooperage on site
The Still Room – behind the windows – no photos allowed inside

Warehouse

The tour ended with a tasting. Three tastes were provided which was generous considering that the tour was free. The first taste was the no-age statement Founders Reserve. The second taste was the 15-year-old French Oak Reserve at 40% ABV. The last taste was the cask-strength Nadurra, another no-age statement whisky at 63.1% ABV.

There is a nice cafe and small exhibition space at the main visitor center. This is helpful because at The Glenlivet they do get busloads of people so there might be a wait for the free tour. We did have to wait, but this was fine since we were hungry and needed a little break.

Charles’ Notes: The Glenlivet distillery was a nice surprise. I did not have very high expectations since it was a free tour, an immensely-marketed whisky and such a popular destination for tourists. For some reason, I always think this would make for a lackluster experience. But it turned out to be a very nice visit on a beautiful property. The views were incredible. The tour itself was very informative and open to information (sometimes you never know what they like to keep secret). The one downside was that they do not allow photos inside any of the working buildings. For this reason, I do not have many photos to share!! Most distilleries that do not allow photos say it is for safety reasons (fire danger, etc.), but there are a lot of distilleries that do allow photos. I think at times it is said more for keeping things secret, but oh well. I would like to return to The Glenlivet to do a higher-level tasting tour and then go on one of the walking trails nearby. Now that sounds like a nice Speyside day. Slainte!

Glenfiddich Distillery

Visit #4, September 22, 2015

It was a cool, damp Speyside morning. One that begs to be distilled. The visit this morning was to the Glenfiddich Distillery just outside of Dufftown. Upon driving into the parking lot, you are greeted by huge antlers shaped from two-by-fours and other plant material. Quite a sight. The antlers are appropriate since Glenfiddich means “Valley of the Deer” in Scottish Gaelic and they can be seen on every bottle.

Founded in 1886 by William Grant and sons, Glenfiddich is one of the few remaining distilleries to remain family-owned. You could feel the pride in this from our tour guide. This is quite amazing since they are such a large producer of single malt Scotch and since 2000 they have received more awards than any other single malt Scotch whisky in both the International Wine & Spirit Competition and the International Spirits Challenge. We took the Explorers Tour, one of three tours that are available at Glenfiddich.

The water that sources the world’s best-selling single malt whisky is the Robbie Dhu spring. 100 tons of barley a day are used and this is taken down to 9 1/2 tons during processing. They use two mills for grinding the barley and two mash tuns that hold up to 60,000 liters each. The three water sparges in the mash tun are at 68 degrees, 75 degrees and 86 degrees. 41,000 liters of mash are converted into wort and then cooled in a heat exchanger before being sent to fermentation. Glenfiddich uses 32 washbacks made of Douglas Fir for fermentation. It was an interesting note that they use the high branch line of the Douglas Fir (over 17ft) for their washbacks. Fermentation takes approximately 72 hours and produces a wash of 9.6% ABV.

There are two still buildings at Glenfiddich containing a total of 28 stills. The life of their stills is between 8 1/2 to 9 1/2 years and they use gas heating, not coils. Once the wash stills have started to produce the condensed, cleaned-up spirits, the first 1/2 hour comprises the head or the foreshots and this is then taken to be redistilled. The heart, or the runoff with the proper high percentage of alcohol, runs for about 2 1/2 hours at 21% ABV. This tail or the feints are the last runoff and they last for about 1/2 hour and are redistilled. The low wines (heart) is then heated and condensed again in the spirit stills. Glenfiddich has two differently shaped spirit stills, one that is a pot belly where vapor spirals up and the other which is a witches hat or lantern where the vapor goes straight up. The heart from this new distillation will produce a ‘new make’ spirit of about 70% ABV.

Glenfiddich houses its own onsite cooperage where the coopers build and char new casks and do repairs as needed. They store 1 million barrels and casks among 46 warehouses. Amerian oak and Spanish Oloroso oak casks are used. We visited one warehouse with a marrying tub where spirits of 85% bourbon and 15% sherry were being married. Here also is where Glenfiddich uses the Solera process for its 15-year old whisky.

Our Explorers Tour ended with a tasting of four Glenfiddich whiskies. The first taste was the 12-year old which is comprised of 85% bourbon casks and 15% sherry casks. The second taste was the 14-year old Rich Oak, also a mix 85% bourbon casks and 15% sherry casks. The third taste was the 15-year old Solera Unique Reserve. The last and my favorite was the 18-year old which is comprised of 80% bourbon casks and 20% sherry casks.

Charles’ Notes: I was not sure what to expect from this distillery visit. I was thinking it was going to have more of a corporate feel since it is such a large producer worldwide, but the family influence came across nicely. Our guide also made it feel that way which was nice. I think he was the only guide on our 11-distillery visit that even wore his tartan clothing! The tour itself was very well done with a movie to start in a nice facility and then a full visit to each stage of the operation. The tasting room was nicely laid out with artwork and Glenfiddich memorabilia. It made me want to come back and do their other tours which I will definitely do the next time I am in the Speyside. Just a quick note, if you are a driver and visit this distillery, they do provide “to go” drams so that you can taste at your leisure when you return back to the hotel or home.

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