March - April 2018
On Day 5, we checked out of Louisville and headed out into horse farm country. Along the way, we stopped at 2 distilleries for tours and tastings, Buffalo Trace and Woodford Reserve. In between distilleries, we stopped in Frankfort to visit the state capitol. It turned out that teachers from all over the state were there to protest that day. So, we just blended in with them and did some sightseeing anyway. We also stopped in Rebecca Ruth's Candy Store for a quick tour to see and taste their famous bourbon balls being made. For lunch, we stopped at a tiny little restaurant that was recommended by our great tour guide, Barry, at Churchill Downs. I'm really glad he told us about it because it was one of a kind. Before checking into our hotel in Lexington, we also stopped by the Harland Sanders Cafe, the original Kentucky Fried Chicken location. We didn’t eat there since they just serve regular current KFC menu items, but it's also a fascinating little museum.
On to our next stop, Frankfort
Headed to a tour of the historic Buffalo Trace distillery
Buffalo Trace's rickhouses are old brick structures
Walking among the many buildings at the historic Buffalo Trace distillery
There's the Buffalo Trace Buffalo!
The Buffalo Trace water tower
Buffalo Trace's rickhouses are old brick structures
One of the many buildings at Buffalo Trace distillery
Buffalo Trace distillery is a national historic landmark
This display shows how bourbon changes as it ages and how the angel's share is taken
Walking through one of Buffalo Trace's rickhouses
The bottling room was not in operation the day we were there, but it meant that we got to get a closer look at the equipment
Buffalo Trace's brands on display including Blanton's and the incredibly expensive Pappy VanWinkle's
We only got to look at Pappy VanWinkle's. They certainly don't offer free tastes of that!
The bottling room was not in operation the day we were there, but it meant that we got to get a closer look at the equipment
The bottling room was not in operation the day we were there, but it meant that we got to get a closer look at the equipment
Some of Buffalo Trace's milestones
Buffalo Trace distillery painted on a barrel at the distillery. That's pretty meta.
We got to peek into the historic whiskey vault
One of the first things that greets you at Buffalo Trace distillery is the buffalo
We stopped at the historic Rebecca Ruth Candy Company for a tour
Visiting the Kentucky State Capitol
Getting a close-up look at the Kentucky State Capitol building
If the Kentucky State Capitol seems more crowded than usual, it's because there is a teachers union protest going on
If the Kentucky State Capitol seems more crowded than usual, it's because there is a teachers union protest going on
My mother took some time to pose with the protesting teachers
Getting a close-up look at the Kentucky State Capitol building
At the Kentucky flower clock, the flowers were replaced by teachers holding a giant pile of poo
Passing rickhouses as we arrive at our next distillery, Woodford Reserve
Waiting for our tour to begin at Woodford Reserve distillery
These tracks are used to roll barrels between buildings
Touring the fermentation room at Woodford Reserve distillery
This is the interior of an empty fermenter
The fermenting mash smells good
Touring the fermentation room at Woodford Reserve distillery
A 7500 gallon mash cooker
Woodford Reserve's iconic kettle stills are featured in their logo
Woodford Reserve is known for their kettle stills
Here is where the bourbon goes into the barrels
Barrel warehouse C at Woodford Reserve distillery
Barrel upon barrel of aging Woodward Reserve bourbon
Woodford Reserve's bottling line
Bourbon being bottled on the bottling line
On to one of the best parts of the tour, the tasting room
We got a bourbon ball with our bourbon samples
Driving past one of Kentucky's many horse farms
Our tour guide at Churchill Downs recommended Wallace Station restaurant. We are grateful that he did because it was wonderful!
Our tour guide at Churchill Downs recommended Wallace Station restaurant. We are gratefull that he did because it was wonderful!
We'd never had fried banana peppers before, now I wish they were available back home!
I opted for the Bourbon Trail Triple Crown Sandwich
Sanders Café was the original Kentucky Fried Chicken and still operates as a KFC
Sanders Café was the original Kentucky Fried Chicken and still operates as a KFC
My mother made a friend, Colonel Sanders himself
Sanders Café has a great KFC museum inside
Sanders Café has a great KFC museum inside
One of Colonel Sanders' original KFC business cards
One of the Colonel's actual famous white suits
There's the Colonel himself, Colonel Sanders
This is what the original dining area at Sanders Café looked like
Sanders Café also had guest rooms
Here's the kitchen where Colonel Sanders produced his now famous chicken
This was the original packaging of Kentucky Fried Chicken
Despite being a modern KFC restaurant, the dining area of Sanders Café still looks much like the original
The decor at our hotel in Lexington is appropriate, a display of whiskey bottles