More Frankfort

After days of learning about the importance of corn in bourbon and stallions on horse farms, our journey continues with the nickname Corn and Porn bestowed by a member whose name begins with R and who makes great pralines.

We had a wonderful tour of Claiborne Farms led by Tony, a trainer and race horse owner. The farm is rightfully proud of its stallions. They include Blame, a Breeder’s Cup winner famous for ending Zenyatta’s 19-race winning streak. He is considered the second best horse in the world. (Google will tell you who and where the best is.)

The farm’s stallions have been successful at racing and at siring. Sixty-three stallions from the farm have won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness or Belmont. It has been home to six of the eleven Triple Crown Winners. One stallion, Mr. Prospector’s progeny earned $1 billion in winnings.

Among the horses that have sired on the farm are Secretariat and Seabiscuit. Secretariat is buried here as is Swale, the only Derby winner bred and buried at Claiborne (others were bred somewhere else).

Gallant Fox, the only horse to win the Preakness before the Derby is buried near his son Omaha; they are the only father/son Derby winners. Seabiscuit, though he was stud here, died and is buried on another farm and is remembered here with a statue.

Our lunch was catered at Buffalo Trace Distillery.

Opened in 1881, it has been in continuous operation ever since. During the Depression, their bourbon and that of three other distilleries in the nation was sold for medicinal use. A prescription was good for one pint every ten days. They remain a small company producing 20,000 cases a year. The distillery is located near a bend in the Kentucky River where Lewis and Clark ran aground. This was an area full of buffalo which led to the name Buffalo Trace (Road).

They use five recipes from 50 bourbons to blend their bourbons which are aged from 12 - 23 years. We watched the application of a hot wax seal on $50 bottles of Blanton’s Single Barrel

Warehouse C is one of thirteen warehouses and contains 24,000 barrels including OFC barrels that he tricked at least one of us into believing stood for Only For Catholics (actually Old Fire Copper).

Our tastings, shared per couple, were of Rain, a delicious vodka, Buffalo Trace and Eagle Rare bourbons and Bourbon Cream, like Bailey’s Irish Cream.

Kentucky has quite a bond with France because of its support during the American Revolution. The capital Frankfort was named for France. Other “French” cities are Paris, Louisville, and Versailles (mispronounced ver Sales). And then there is the famous region of Bourbon where we have been staying.

As we leave Frankfort, we want to show you a bit of what we have passed during our travels. The country roads of Kentucky are lined with stack fences. Originally built by slaves who collected the stones and built the fences without mortar. Over the past hundred plus years they fell into ruin and are now being re-stacked. They do add charm to the roads.

Some of the barns in the area have quilts painted on their sides. We thought the one on a local school most apt.

The old Court House building in town is topped by Lady Justice

The buildings on the main street are antebellum.

Here’s a bit more about us. We are 15 mostly retired couples. Twelve of us have been teachers, others farmers, entrepreneurs, scientists, and a lawyer. Most of us started out in tents, moved up to tent trailers or Class C’s and are on our second, third or more motor homes. Since we are Monaco in Motion, we now all travel in Monaco Motor Homes. Collectively, we have been to all the states and throughout most of Canada.