Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Location 1 - In and Around Bardstown

I suspect everyone close to me was getting tired of hearing it: I am going on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail! Well, I am back from Kentucky! Having concluded two stays, one in Bardstown and the other in Louisville, I feel like I had a very satisfying and balanced trip. This cigar blog will look at my bourbon tasting and cigar smoking in two parts, based on two locations: Bardstown and its "outer bourbon region," and Louisville. 

Milwaukee Departure, Maker's Mark, and Bardstown:

I left Sunday morning by about 6:45 am and cruised through Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana without incident. I snacked in the car and stopped twice to use the rest room and get gas. The plan was to drive directly to a tour at the Maker's Mark Distillery, and then after that to check into my hotel in Bardstown. On the way to Maker's, I drove through Bardstown and proceeded about thirty minutes south/southeast of Bardstown, in the vicinity of Laretto, Kentucky. The Maker's Mark Distillery was literally in the middle of nowhere, only accessible via narrow and winding roads without shoulders. These roads would pass for bicycle paths in the Milwaukee area, but they had posted speed limits from 35 to 55 mph. I was not used to driving like that. When I got to the distillery, I was still surprised how small it was, despite the fact that my mind should have been primed by the remote area.

The tour was interesting. Much of the work was still done by hand, from dipping the trademark red wax seals to handcranking the printing press for making the labels. The tasting at the end was very good, as I sampled four types of whiskey, and finally purchased two bottles. I will say more about all the whiskey I bought on this trip in later posts: I was surrounded by so much bourbon, so if I was gonna get the chance to smoke a stick in Kentucky, I was gonna pair it with other bourbons that I could find there. I will pair the whiskey I bought with cigars back home and share out later.

Maker's Mark Distillery

After Maker's Mark, I returned to Bardstown and checked into the Talbott Inn and Gift Shop. This hotel got its start as an inn in 1779 and has a restaurant, tavern, and gift shop attached to it. Sunday is a quiet place for Bardstown as most businesses, including all the other restaurants, were closed. Talbott's restaurant was the only one open, so naturally it was packed with tourists and locals alike. I waited patiently and ate a Kentucky combination plate: three sliders - one was fried green tomato, another pulled pork, and the third was ham and swiss cheese. Very tasty.

 Otherwise, there was only one liquor store in town that sold good cigars, and it was also closed on Sundays; so I prevailed upon a cigar I brought from home, a My Father Flora de las Antillas Toro. I snuck outside a side door facing the eastern sky and a waxing moon. I had already had plenty of bourbon at Maker's Mark so I just sipped on water as I enjoyed the mild, creamy flavor of this My Father. The Talbott is on a main street in Bardstown, and this eastern side door opened up around the corner at the beginning of a residential area. I don't like to be that annoying cigar smoker who disturbs people who prefer a smoke-free space, but the door was far enough away from the neighborhood homes, and there was no traffic in and out of this side door.

Enjoying a My Father outside the Talbott Inn, Bardstown, KY

Then I thought I was busted! An older couple rounded the corner, and the woman said to me, loudly, "That's you!" Her neck craned and nose sniffed the air.

I sprung up from the stoop to move away, waving away my cigar smoke. "I am so sorry," I said.

"No, no," she said. "If it is pipe or cigar smoke, I love it."

"That's a My Father," said the husband. "Did you get that in town, here?"

"No," I said with a sigh of relief. "I brought it from home."

They were from Delaware, and after brief small talk about the closed liquor store, both he and I expressed the intent to check out the store's humidor before leaving town. They excused themselves, and then I finished the My Father and turned in for the first night.

Woodford, Louisville, and back to Bardstown

On  Monday, Day 2, I awoke bright and early. I exercised and ate breakfast at the inn. Then I drove an hour west-northwest to Versailles, Kentucky. The roads were narrow with high speed limits, but the Woodford Reserve Distillery was located in the middle of Kentucky ranch country. The roads were only a little bit wider than the ones leading to Maker's Mark. The scenery was filled with lush pastures populated by beautiful horses that were grazing, walking and trotting.

Although Woodford Reserve was founded in the 1990s, the distillery is on a site that had been in the distilling business since the early 1800s. Many of the facilities are new, but some of the old buildings from the 1800s were still in use. Therefore, the site was very beautiful and historically rustic. The operation here was again smaller than I expected. (By contrast, Jim Beam, which I did not tour, but drove by, looked like a small city). The Woodford tasting was also delicious at the end, and I bought one bottle. Again I will write more about these purchases in later posts! 

A Cohiba Weller with Elkwood Reserve Bourbon; Volstead Lounge in Bardstown

Later on Day 2, I went to Louisville for a while, ate a late lunch, found a cigar bar, and toured another distillery, but those will be featured in the next post about Louisville. Later when I finished in Louisville on Day 2, I returned to the Talbott Inn in Bardstown. I took a break and then walked over to the liquor store which had an impressive humidor. I bought a Cohiba Weller, a little pricier, but I was in bourbon country, and this cigar's tobacco was aged in bourbon barrels. Then I went to the Volstead Bourbon Lounge, a tavern with an intentionally cramped and covert feel, like a speakeasy. They also had seats outside on their storefront, so I ordered a Bluegrass Elkwood Eleven Year Reserve to pair with my Cohiba. Now I know many of you are wondering if I asked the bartender if they had Weller Bourbon, which would have made sense. I didn't! When my eyes caught that Elkwood 11, I jumped at it!

I sat out front, and lit up the cigar. It's initial lighting bite was spicy; I could definitely taste the hint of spice and liquor on it from the bourbon barrel aging process. And then when paired with the Elkwood, it gave me fine buzz that carried me from the Kentucky twilight, through dusk, and well into the dark night. It is a robusto size, if I remember right, and it smoked for a good 80-90 minutes. I walked back to my hotel and ate some sandwiches I brought along from Wisconsin. It was 10pm by this time and all the dining in Bardstown was already closed. 

Cohiba Weller - hints of bourbon and spice.

That was my trip to Kentucky, summarized for the Bardstown region. Coming soon - the Louisville experience!