09/19/23
By Rebecca Herman McBrayer

Saturday was a fantastic day! Once again, we dined for breakfast at Mammy’s. We each had their Big Bird – 3 eggs, 2 meats, and grits. Wayne enjoyed two Bloody Mary’s – training for the day ahead! LOL.  I asked Wayne if there were any interesting statues in the men’s room because I’m always taken aback when entering the women’s room.  We each took our phones to the restroom to take pics. 

After breakfast, we had time until the gates would open so we walked the shops on 3rd street.  We had heard great things about Evergreen Liquors and decided to investigate.  Such a beautiful store, and more.  Their selection was outstanding and the prices were incredibly reasonable – many bottle prices were similar to what we have seen at distilleries and even in the KBF. They had a great line-up of special guest bottle signings throughout the week, but we were unable to attend. They also have a nice sized walk-in humidor and we picked up a couple of cigars.  I was impressed with their tasting menu – great selection and reasonable prices.  We decided to do a pour of Sweet Wheat 1792.

It was 10 AM and time to lineup.  Even with the VIP line, you need to get there early to have a chance at getting a range of allocation options. Gates opened and we headed straight to Jim Beam … we were hoping for some 2023 Bookers’s.  They had a great line-up, including Little Book Chapter 7 and Baker’s 13 year, but we were fortunate to get those at a dinner so we rushed over to Heaven Hill as we missed out on their offerings on Friday. After 40 minutes in line, success!  Elijah Craig 18 year and the Heaven Hill Bottled in Bond.

Not wanting to be weighed down, we went to the VIP tent and got a bottle locker for the day.  We also took an opportunity to grab a pour, enjoy the AC, sit comfortably before making the rounds. But we couldn’t rest long as the main gates would be opening very soon and we like to beat the crowds.

First up – Penelope.  We enjoyed them last year and were thrilled to see their success throughout the past year. Their Toasted really made a hit and Rio became the secondary market’s dream very quickly, yet unaccessible for most.  We truly enjoyed meeting Wendy Peveich (National Brand Ambassador) and our conversation with Matt Ward (VP of Brand Strategy) was enlightening and a lot of fun. It will be very interesting to follow their story and growth since being acquired in May by Luxco, a subsidiary of MGP, for $105 million.

We stopped by Neeley’s to say hello and get a picture with Paw Paw.  Next stop was Limestone Branch to visit with Stephen Fante. 

Near their tent was Filmland Spirits. There is nothing like chatting with an ownership group that is incredibly excited about their product. As their name implies, these “movie nerds” have created spirits with “stories you can drink.” CEO/Founder, Troy Bolotnick, was engaging and we fell in love with their story and concept.  Even better – the spirits are excellent!  While they were not able to sell at KBF this year, we went to The Blind Pig Bourbon Market to get the Moonlight Mayhem Extended Cut Single Barrel. There is a synopsis of the story on the bottle and you can visit their website to read more about this “saga of werewolves & bourbon.”  It’s a really fun and unique approach!

Time to venture into the crowds in the main area.  Buffalo Trace was the first stop and we enjoyed a pour of EH Taylor.  We had the opportunity to chat with Barton’s Master Distiller, Ross Cornelissen – a very nice young man who is thrilled with his fairly new role. Next were tastes at Michter’s and Wilderness Trail.

It was a warm day and a trip to the VIP tent was in order.  Small bites (that’s what they call them) were being serviced.  Potato salad, pimento cheese cocktail sandwiches, fruit cups, pulled pork, Swedish meatballs, shrimp & grits, asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, chicken fried in waffle batter, and a carving station!!! YUM! While enjoying our lunch, we noticed that Brent Elliott – Four Roses Master Distiller – was there and we chatted with him and got a picture. 

We decided we needed to start making our way toward the Brindiamo Penthouse for our 3:30 PM add-on private event.  Naturally, along the way, there was bourbon to sample! I had been looking forward to this event. Event: A Deep Dive into Whiskey Making and Tasting with Danny Kahn. He is the master distiller, distillation/aging ops. director, Sazerac. Danny is charged with supervising every whiskey made under the Sazerac umbrella in America, Canada and India.

There were five Glencairns in front of us and we could see the corresponding bottles on the front table.  Age ranged from 2 months to 11 years and the proof ranged from 123 to 142, if memory serves me (I should have gotten a picture of the tasting mat). 

We have tasted a lot of whiskey and been to more guided tastings than we can remember. That said, the journey Danny took us on for this selection was different. His starting advice was to always nose and taste the same way.  This helps you to truly compare and have consistent experiences. 

It was fascinating to see, smell, and taste the whiskey on its journey in the maturation process.  It reinforces what the mashbill and distillate bring to the final product as well as what the barrel and the aging process contributes.  You truly need all to be in concert to make a great whiskey. 

Wayne asked what was his earliest memory of enjoying bourbon or whiskey.  Danny smiled and discussed how he and a friend at UC Davis rigged a small still and would run wine and vodka through it to see what they could produce. He also worked in the brewery industry Venice, CA.  But his first whiskey was Canadian Club. 

We stayed after to chat with him and also get a picture.  He is incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, and down-to-earth. 

It was a great event and I’m glad that this was the one I selected for Saturday!

We were tired and it was getting close to 5 PM.  While the KBF ran through 6 PM each day, we found that getting in the hour early meant we were typically ready to leave an hour early as well. We made our way to the VIP tent to collect our bottles from our daily locker.  Of course, we chatted along the way and had a sample or two.  Another fantastic day was in the books for the Kentucky Bourbon Festival!  Hard to believe there is only one day remaining!!

Cheers!
Rebecca