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Adventures in Bourbon
Topic Started: Dec 13 2011, 12:31 PM (115 Views)
Mikhailoh
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
Last night I attended a barrel sample tasting for Evan William single barrel bourbons by Heaven Hill distillery. Very interesting, as I was only lightly educated in the process of distilling and aging bourbon. The purpose of it was to become educated, and to pick two barrels that will be used for a private bottling from my favorite liquor store.

There were four samples. Each were identical the day they were racked (put in the charred oak barrels). Evan Williams has about 30 different rickhouses, each ironclad and 7 stories tall. Each floor is its own microclimate, and whiskey aged for 10 years on the bottom floor will be remarkably different than that on the 7th, which is much, much hotter - to the point where it is dangerous to be up there for long. The rickhouses:

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The bourbons at this point are 130 to 140 proof, they had not been gentled with water. I'm telling you, they were intense. Pretty hot for all the alcohol, but the flavors were incredible. As with most whisky a couple drops of water made them blossom. Wow.. the two barrels that won were very different whiskys, one with more traditional bourbon flavors and structure, but a finish that lasted forever. The one I liked did not have quite the finish of the prior one, but man... what deep, toasty, buttery caramel. OMG it was good. This stuff sells for around $30 a bottle. To get cognac that good I'd pay $150.

So anyway, now that we have a contact we'll make Heaven Hill our anchor place for the spring Bourbon Trail tour.

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Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball
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VPG
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Pisa-Carp
Can I assume that trees will not grow around Bourbon Distilleries?
I'M NOT YELLING.........I'M ITALIAN...........THAT'S HOW WE TALK!


"People say that we're in a time when there are no heroes, they just don't know where to look."
Ronald Reagan, Inaugural, 1971

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big al
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Bull-Carp
Just makes the free fire zone around the rickhouses clear of obstructions, in case anyone tries to steal a barrel. Actually, it's probably for fire protection. Large quantities of alcohol make a pretty hot fire. One of the Kentucky distilleries had a fire a few years ago. The reports said that seeing the rivers of burning bourbon pour out of the building was enough to make grown men cry.

Saw this today and it made me think of this thread: High Tech Distilleries

Big Al
Location: Western PA

"jesu, der simcha fun der man's farlangen."
-bachophile
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