Bourbon Tour

The state of Kentucky is not a place that normally comes to mind when we think of the United States. Maybe only the Kentucky Derby; the famous horse race that takes place every year and that is known worldwide for its mint juleps and for the extravagant hats that the guests wear; It was the only thing we could relate at first to this place. Little did we know about the number of amazing places that the city of Louisville harbors and above all we knew little about the cradle of American whiskey, the world famous bourbon that has been produced in this region for hundreds of years.

Bourbon is a distilled drink from the family of whiskeys. It is characterized by being slightly aromatic and caramelized. Bourbon, according to US law, should be made from corn, at least in a concentration between 51 and 70%. Other ingredients typically added are wheat, rye or malted barley. Its aging period is usually at least two years.

Our Bourbon Tour started at the Jim Beam distillery, located half an hour from the city of Louisville. During the trip, we could see how the landscape changed drastically, from the plains where the Ohio River flows to reach a valley in the middle of the forest, place that David M. Beam chose to establish the factory that would continue with the legacy of Jacob Beam. Jacob was the first member of the family to dedicate himself to creating a new type of whiskey which also had a mixture of rye and malt. Why did you choose this place? Easy, the location close to the rail system made it easier to send the product to other places. In addition, the mountainous soil is formed by limestone, which is full of unique minerals that give unique characteristics to the water that filters through its different layers. Once the water comes to the surface, either naturally or helped by the hand of man, it becomes the differentiating ingredient of the bourbon of this region.

When we arrived at the Jim Beam distillery we were amazed for several reasons. First, the place does not look like a factory, rather it looks like a resort full of extraordinarily manicured gardens, paths winding around white wooden houses with porches decorated with rocking chairs and ceiling fans, we see some black buildings of many meters high and an imposing building in the shape of a red barn facing a plaza.

Second, although it is a working day, there is an air of tranquility that is completely enviable. The people who work here have the advantage of being in the middle of the forest surrounded by beautiful landscapes so no matter how heavy the day is, all you need to do is go out to one of the terraces distributed around the imposing gardens to forget of stress.

Third, we can not believe that 45% of the world’s bourbon is manufactured here, more than 7 million Jim Beam bottles per year, which are exported worldwide. Perhaps behind a nearby mountain is a massive factory and all this is a mere illusion, the Disney version of a distillery for visitors to learn how bourbon is made. We are wrong, the magic happens around us and those black buildings that we saw upon arrival are key to the process of creating bourbon.

During the process, corn and rye are boiled and then the malt is added. The mixture of what was cooked the previous day is taken and the yeast is added to begin the fermentation process. After three days of waiting the distillation process begins and then the aging process.

The barrels where the bourbon is aged spend time in one of the black buildings we saw at the beginning and which are 29 stories high. There the almost 1.8 million barrels expand and contract with temperature changes adding color and flavor to bourbon.

Undoubtedly the visit has left us with a good taste in our mouths, and more so when almost at the end of the visit, we were able to taste different flavors of Jim Beam such as Maple, Honey, and Apple, as well as one of the cocktails, which uses each Once again this versatile liquor that carries with it a lifetime of tradition and expertise.