Whiskey Fest - Part 3

When we last left you, your fearless hero was taking a breather after downing three shots is quick succession. Having tasted the new stuff it was time to visit old friends. First on the list was Heaven Hill. Notable for their 18yr Single Barrel Elijah Wood which I picked up after last Whiskey Fest and saved for a special occasion (the birth of my daughter). They were show casing two new offerings. First a Evan Williams Single Barrel. Quite tasty not as stand outish as I may have imagined but it was smooth with plenty of flavor and an after taste that stayed with you for a couple of minutes. Then came the novelty whiskey. Bernheim Original Wheat. If you took a beer got rid of the bitter and added the wood and color of a bourbon then that is what you get. It was a unique taste (I just picked up a bottle at my local store and I can’t wait to crack it). I don’t know if it was the novelty or just newness of flavor but I knew that this was something I could enjoy.

Since there was no one to shmooze with at the Heaven Hill table I wandered over to the Wild Turkey table to sneak home honey liquor. If I had to pick one alcoholic beverage to use on my pancakes that would be it. Only whiskey liquor in the world. Then I tasted their Russell reserve. Poured for me by Russel’s son. We shmoozed for a while and I said that of all their brands my favorite was still Rare Breed. He said they hear that a lot even though they have more pricier offerings. He was a nice guy and I asked him some general questions and we got to talking about how he uses a spreadsheet to keep track of his 440K barrels. 440K barrels! Wow. It was fun to talk to a person who was in a family business and loved what he does.

I kept passing by the Woodford reserve table b/c I really wanted to say hello to Chris Morris. He must have still be in the 8:30 session but I did see the fellow from the Glenrothes session. As I was standing listening to his conversation with another person he recognized me from the session. I said hello and thanked him for a nice talk. I said that only a bunch of drunk Americans will think it funny when a Scot says “Those F*cking English…Excuse my French”. He laughed and said it is easy to sound funny at these things. I told him that it was unique for me to see/taste/nose the spirit from the still before it had been bottled. He lamented that too many people at the event drank heavily and couldn’t appreciate the whiskey. I had to agree with him but more on that later.

So I figured I would do one last pass past the Woodford Reserve table and it paid of. Chris Morris was there and when I stopped he looked at me and came out from behind the table. I told him that it was nice to see him and he said he remembered me from two years ago. I told him that I was disappointed to miss his session and that I wanted to task the pot still they were poring. Even though they weren’t pouring it at the table he grabbed my glass and got me a taste. They say to save the best for last but this was great! The nose was powerful and full of spice. He called it Pecan and I agree it was Nutty but also woody. The taste was great. Smooth wood at the beginning, nutty spicy as it goes down and a warm after glow. I asked if it was available retail and he said they only bottled for Kentucky :( But they would be coming out with something similar in a couple of months.

I ask how did you get this and he said they changed the mash and the distillation. Great stuff! He also gave me his card and said that if I was ever in town to look him up. I just may take him up on the offer! I have to say that all the distillers there were absolute gentleman and even though they recognized right away that they were talking to an amateur they didn’t look down on me. It just goes to show you that it pays to stay sober to the end b/c that is when you get to talk to the most interesting people.

Next Post…Idiots & Conclusions