More S’ing and T’ing

We have found a new way to start the morning. Forget breakfast and go to Woodford Reserve for their chocolate bourbon balls. Then continue the bourbon theme the rest of the morning like we did.

Started in 1812, Labrot & Graham’s Woodford Reserve was built by Elijah Pepper. It was James Crow who made the distilling of bourbon a true science. Closed for many years, the distillery reopened in 1993 with a production of only 105-110 barrels a week.

Woodford is unique in several ways. They use a triple distilling process.

The sour mash is moved from copper still to copper still going through the stages of beer still, high wine to spirit still which is up to 158 proof.

Their distinct flavor comes from the use of both a pot still and column still. They make their own barrels. They add water that has seeped through limestone. Their yeast arrives frozen from their labs in Louisville and is mixed in cypress fermenters.

We were given a chance to sniff the eye-stinging barrel proof distillate.

We found a better aroma, known as angel share, in the five-level storage facility.

Best of all was the tasting of the bourbon and learning that adding ice makes the taste sweeter.

After lunch on Woodford’s patio, we went tripping to Three Chimney Farm. There we found a different aroma, hay, grass, and horse. The farm has three divisions, brood mares, stallions, and yearlings. We visited the stallion paddock where each of the six stallions has his own stall; outside they have their own paddock. The stallions are kept separate because they will fight. This horse, Point Given, won two of the three triple crown races but missed out on the Kentucky Derby. Still a beautiful animal.

Twenty-six-year-old Dynaformer is the lead money stallion on the farm earning $150,000 per act and has sired offspring who have earned $89 million. His most famous progeny is Barbaro.

The receiving barn is for the brood mare. Before going to the stallion, her papers and identification are thoroughly checked and she is examined to be sure she is healthy and ready to breed. A teaser horse greets her to make her interested and performs a preliminary, but not consummated, mating. Her tail is wrapped in gauze and her hind feet are put in padded shoes. Five people assist in the process of breeding, making sure neither horse is injured and that the act does take place. We were able to watch the act and it was quite brief. No pictures allowed.

This farm was home to Seattle Slew until his final illness. He earned $500,000 per stud.

The barns were built by the Amish in keeping with the age of the farm.

Our drive throughout the day was through the green rolling hills of Kentucky passing lovely homes and stables. We saw stallions, mares and foals.