Yes folks, I’m back!

Back from Kentucky, Nashville, and all of that stuff.

So before you read on, warning: I may bore you with my trip.

Yeah, it’s one of those posts.

Anyway, here was the trip:

• Flew into Nashville. Everything you think about Nashville from the outside, well, you are probably correct. They really embrace their stereotypes. The entire city is one big museum of Country Music where pretty much every Country star with a modicum of success gets represented.

• Drove to Louisville to stay for the evening. Everything you imagine about Louisville, being a city in Kentucky and all, was not the case. First off, Louisville is quite a progressive city. You can tell they have recently put a lot of money into revamping their downtown, which was very cool. Also Louisville has claimed the mantle of ‘Bourbon Trail’ where about 8 big name brands house a tour of their mini facilities that are recently annexed there, all within walking distance as well. Very cool town. Side note: tons of fleur-de-lys were everywhere, sort of like New Orleans. I first thought that was surprising, then when you think of the name ‘Louisville’, well, it does make sense there is French influence there.

• After Louisville, stayed in Bardstown, Kentucky. Before this visited the Old Forester tour in downtown Louisville, which was cool because this was their original place, unlike the Jim Beam Urban Experience and other big names that recently set up a tourist shop there in downtown. Also visited Old Barton. Yeah, you probably don’t know them, but they are good. Anyway, Bardstown……that may be a ‘so what’ to you, but it is sort of known to be the first place where bourbon became huge. Went to a wonderful bourbon restaurant to end the evening, which in a some way resembled more of a bourbon museum, displaying bottles from over 100 years ago and actually selling a dram, if you wanted to taste bark for $1000+ a pour.

• The nest day was the main distillery tours: Jim Beam, Wild Turkey, and Buffalo Trace. All of these tours were at the real site of production, so no Disneyland tours for us! Three does not sound like a huge undertaking, but consider each tour is around 90 minutes and all of these places close at 4. Anyway, hearing about how they make bourbon over and over again can be a bit redundant, but each tour had its personal twist. Jim Beam, the largest American distillery, does not have a product I care for. Wait, check that. Beam bought a ton of labels that I DO love, just their base stuff is sub par. However, the tour was top notch. We even got to buy a single barrel bottle that we got to see bottle and sealed with an etching! Wild Turkey was amazing as well. I mean when your tour guide is led by an 80 year old ex-drill sergeant standing 5’4” from North Carolina named Bubba, well you cannot go wrong. And Buffalo Trace…well…the faculty was amazing and the tour was free!!!

• Ended up in Nashville the next day for the main event………..The Whiskey Fest in Nashville hosted by the Cork Dorks!!!! YES!!! With VIP status in hand, I ran in with about 150 other eager drinkers to grab as much expensive shit as I could. Macallan Rare Cask, Johnnie Blue, Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, Glenfiddich 21, Glenlivet 21, etc. Oh my lord!!! What a night!!! I had about $300+ worth of whiskey pours and about 40+ different tastes. One of most memorable nights I have ever had, and yes even with all that juice in my belly, I remember every detail of that evening. :)

• Sunday was a day of rest.

What a trip!!! So much fun and so much whiskey. But now I’m back, so….yeah…..back to work. :/