The Mound

There's nothing like bourbon for breakfast.

I woke up to 1-2 inches of snow, 29 degrees, and the small roads to get to the distillery covered in snow and ice. I had enough juice in the van to heat water to wash dishes and make coffee. On the roads, there was a little bit of slipping and sliding. The ice on the road reflected the sun. Several vehicles were in the ditch, including an F-150.

My tour at Four Roses Distillery began at 10 am. I arrived early as instructed and made my way through the gallery and shop. The tour was guided with a live tour guide who was mic'd into our headsets. We walked the property to multiple buildings to see how they make the bourbon. 26,000 gallons of bourbon are made each day and trucked out to the warehouse to be placed in barrels. Four truck loads of corn come in every day from Indiana farmers, and four truck loads of bourbon go out each day.

Four Roses was established in 1888, and the buildings where the distillery is now located were built in 1910. The site was originally called Montrose, named after the 1887 winner of the Kentucky Derby. The company was owned by the original family owners from 1888 until 1943, through two world wars and Prohibition. During Prohibition, Four Roses was one of the six distilleries that were granted rights to produce medicinal bourbon and legally sell their product under the name Frankfort Distilleries. The famous picture of the sailor kissing the nurse in Times Square has Four Roses advertised in the background at the top of the building. They have been around a long time!

After seeing the distillery and process of making the bourbon, we headed into the warm tasting room to taste the bourbon. My favorite was the small batch, which is smooth and buttery. My favorite thing about bourbon is the warm feeling that it produces as is rolls down the esophagus. They call this the "Kentucky Hug."

I bought some small batch and some bourbon truffle balls. I didn't bring my Bourbon Trail passport book, but I got a stamp on a piece of paper.

Nearby is Bulleit, Buffalo Trace, and Wild Turkey distilleries, so I definitely see another trip to the region later this year.Read more