The Kentucky Bourbon Trail tour will get an eighth stop - and the first-ever in Louisville - when Heaven Hill’s Evan Williams Bourbon Experience opens this fall at 528 W. Main St.

Main Street in Louisville was once known as “Whiskey Row” for all the whiskey-related businesses that populated several blocks along the Ohio River. The city still produces one-third of the bourbon made in Kentucky and has a thriving Urban Bourbon Trail of 28 establishments that feature bourbon at the bar and in the kitchen. But there have been no working distilleries open for public tours.

That will change when the multimillion-dollar Evan Williams Bourbon Experience opens. Named for Kentucky’s first commercial distiller (and the namesake of Heaven Hill’s popular flagship brand), the attraction will include a fully functioning artisanal pot still distillery, along with historic displays and videos. The exterior will feature a five-story-tall graphic of a bourbon bottle “pouring” into a fountain in the lobby.

The site is almost directly across the street from where Evan Williams established his distillery in 1783.

A record 509,292 people visited Kentucky Bourbon Trail distilleries in 2012, Kentucky Distillers’ Association President Eric Gregory said in announcing the new stop. The other distilleries on the tour are Four Roses and Wild Turkey in Lawrenceburg; Heaven Hill’s Bourbon Heritage Center in Bardstown; Jim Beam in Clermont; Maker’s Mark in Loretto; Town Branch in Lexington; and Woodford Reserve in Versailles.  

(Photo courtesy of Kentucky Distillers’ Association)

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof

134.2 proof; 12 years old

$39.99/750ml

This limited-edition, non-chill-filtered bourbon was released by Heaven Hill in late March and capitalizes on the recent trend toward higher-proof offerings.

Aroma: Lots of vanilla, caramel and oak; sweet, but with a definite bite from the alcohol

Taste: Sweet caramel on the front, but watch out: That is followed quickly by a burn that lasts well into the finish. As it subsided, I picked up notes of chocolate and toffee. Adding a splash of water tamped the fire down, especially in the back, and smoothed things out. Note: Because this bourbon was not chill-filtered (a process that removes fatty acids), if you add ice it’s likely to get cloudy. That won’t affect the taste, it’s just something to be aware of.

Verdict: This rich, chewy bourbon would be great with dessert, ending your meal with an exclamation point. Well worth the price.

Heaven Hill Distilleries became only the second continuously operating distillery, and the first private family-owned one, to fill bourbon barrel No. 6.5 million on Tuesday at its Bardstown, Ky., facility.

The independent family owned and operated distillery - the last in the bourbon industry - has just around 1 million aging barrels of bourbon in its inventory, according to a news release from the company.

The company further notes that the 6.5 millionth barrel was “bunged off” by Parker and Craig Beam, Heaven Hill’s sixth- and seventh-generation father and son master distillers. While the bourbon industry is replete with colorful terms and delightful expressions, I cannot say that is a favorite of mine; it sounds more like the state you’d be in upon discovering that someone had finished off your bottle of Evan Williams Single Barrel. Anyway, the barrel is now in Rickhouse Y along with other milestone barrels; you can see them when you visit the Bourbon Heritage Center.

Photo courtesy of Heaven Hill (L-R): Bardstown Mayor Bill Sheckles, Heaven Hill Master Distiller Craig Beam, Nelson County Judge Executive Dean Watts, Heaven Hill Master Distiller Parker Beam, Heaven Hill Distilleries Executive Vice President Harry J. Shapira, Heaven Hill Distilleries President Max L. Shapira, and Heaven Hill Distilleries Chief Operating Officer Allan Latts.

The Kentucky Distillers’ Association will feature an exclusive sampling of bourbon brands at the Bluegrass Ball on Jan. 19 in Washington, D.C. The non-partisan event, hosted by the Kentucky Society of Washington, is the first of a series of black-tie celebrations surrounding the presidential inauguration.

Seven Kentucky distillers will pour premium single-barrel and small-batch bourbons: Bulleit, Four Roses, Heaven Hill, Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Wild Turkey and Woodford Reserve. Bourbon VIPs scheduled to attend include Master Distillers Jimmy Russell of Wild Turkey, Chris Morris of Woodford Reserve and Craig Beam of Heaven Hill, as well as Rob Samuels, chief operating officer of Maker’s Mark.

The Kentucky-inspired menu will be created by Chef Edward Lee, proprietor of 610 Magnolia in Louisville and a contestant on TV’s “Iron Chef America” and “Top Chef.”

The Kentucky Society of Washington, a not-for-profit organization, was founded in 1912 with a purpose to promote goodwill, fellowship and amicable relations among Kentuckians in the nation’s Capital region. The Bluegrass Ball started in 1949 to honor then-Vice President Alben W. Barkley, a Western Kentucky native who served under President Harry S Truman.  

Tickets to the 2013 Bluegrass Ball are $250 each and may be purchased here.

Larceny Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Very Special Small Batch

92 proof

Larceny, a new bourbon from Heaven Hill’s Parker and Craig Beam, is being marketed under the tagline, “A taste made famous by an infamous act.” As I reported previously, that’s a reference to the revelation that John E. Fitzgerald, the distiller for whom Old Fitzgerald is named, was more likely a Treasury agent who used his keys to bonded warehouses to “sample” bourbon from the best barrels. Like Old Fitzgerald, Larceny is a wheated bourbon. The story on the label is a good one, but what about what’s inside the bottle?

Aroma: Caramel, syrup, almost butterscotch. Sweet, with a little tingle from the alcohol.

Taste: Sweet on the very front, with notes of caramel and buttery toffee, this bourbon fires up a little mid-palate, then smooths out at the finish, leaving a warm glow with some cinnamon and toasted wood - almost spruce.

Verdict: This is a very nice bourbon, which I enjoyed sipping neat. Heaven Hill is positioning it with other “introductory upscale” bourbons such as Maker’s Mark, Buffalo Trace and Knob Creek, and I think it holds its own. One knock against wheated bourbons that you’ll sometimes hear is that they are too sweet or mellow; while Larceny is sweet and very smooth, it also has enough spice, and a high enough proof at 92, to give it a little kick. In that way it compares more with Maker’s 46 (94 proof) than with Maker’s Mark (90 proof), in my opinion. And at $25 for the 750ml, it’s quite reasonable - almost a steal, you might say.

Parker’s Heritage Collection 2012:

Master Distiller’s Blend of Mashbills

132 proof; 11 years old

Background: Every year for the past five years, Heaven Hill has released a special limited edition whiskey that pays tribute to master distiller Parker Beam. This year’s sixth edition blends 11-year-old barrels of rye-based bourbon, used for brands like Elijah Craig, with 11-year-old barrels of the wheated bourbon used for the Old Fitzgerald line. Last year’s edition, a bourbon finished in cognac barrels, was one of my favorite whiskeys of the year, so I couldn’t wait to try the 2012 version at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, where it was poured during the Gala. Here is what I thought.

Aroma: Sweet, hints of butterscotch and cinnamon - very lightly spiced

Taste: This bourbon enters the palate sweet, soft and buttery, and then the spice of the rye kicks in, adding a little white pepper, followed by some nutty notes - maybe walnut. The mouthfeel is velvety and smooth. The finish leaves a bit of a zing on the lips, a little heat and some nice oak.

Verdict: Lovely. Quite sippable on the rocks. Despite the fairly high proof, it never gets fiery or harsh - that’s the wheat’s influence on the rye. The rye, meanwhile, does its part to keep things snappy. This is a complex, interesting bourbon; like the players in a symphony orchestra, the rye and the wheat make themselves known, but also work together in harmony, creating something greater than themselves. I made a point to stop in at Toddy’s in Bardstown and pick up a bottle ($80 for the 750ml) the day after the Gala. Only about 7,500 bottles are being released, so don’t tarry. 

One of the great things about bourbon is the wealth of stories behind the brands. Heaven Hill Distilleries is telling the newest story with its newest brand, Larceny Bourbon. A wheated bourbon like those in the Old Fitzgerald line that Heaven Hill acquired in 1999, Larceny will make its debut at Tales of the Cocktail this month in New Orleans and be released in 12 markets including Kentucky in September.

The story of the Old Fitzgerald brand forms the historical basis for Larceny Bourbon. We’ll let the distillery tell it: “According to industry lore, John E. Fitzgerald had founded his distillery in Frankfort, Ky., shortly after the Civil War ended, making his bourbon available only to steamship lines, rail lines and private clubs. This story was furthered by S.C. Herbst, who owned the ‘Old Fitz’ brand from the 1880s through Prohibition, and ‘Pappy’ Van Winkle, who purchased the brand during Prohibition and made it his signature label. However, it was revealed by Pappy’s granddaughter, Sally Van Winkle Campbell, in her 1999 book ‘But Always Fine Bourbon—Pappy Van Winkle and the Story of Old Fitzgerald,’ that in fact John E. Fitzgerald was not a famous distiller at all. He was in reality a treasury agent who used his keys to the warehouses to pilfer bourbon from the finest barrels. His discerning palate led those barrels to which he chose to help himself being referred to as ‘Fitzgerald barrels.’ “

Larceny’s tagline is, “A taste made famous by an infamous act.” The skeleton key on the label references the brand’s story and also the logo and tagline of Old Fitzgerald - “Your key to hospitality.”

Produced by master distillers Parker and Craig Beam, Larceny Bourbon is 92 proof and will retail for about $24.99 for the 750ml bottle.

USA Today and Rand McNally named the Five Best Small Towns in America this week, and two of them are in Kentucky: Murray (“friendliest”) and Bardstown (“most beautiful”).

Bardstown’s proximity to several distilleries - Barton 1792, Heaven Hill, Maker’s Mark - definitely played a role in its selection. The judges deemed the distilleries a “don’t miss,” noting that visitors can “learn about the history and heritage of bourbon, and the pride and love that goes into making Kentucky’s signature spirit.”

Read more about Bardstown, Murray and the other three winning towns here. (Image from USA Today)

To celebrate the 13th birthday of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail tour (and to give you more ways to part with your money in the Bluegrass State), the Kentucky Distillers’ Association this week unveiled a new online Kentucky Bourbon Trail Shop.

A record number of visitors completed the Kentucky Bourbon Trail tour last year, and many of them expressed a desire for something tangible to mark the experience, said Adam Johnson, tour director. Now they can purchase everything from hats (above, $19.95) and shirts to glassware and cheese boards ($49.95) that carry the Trail’s logo. A shot glass holder crafted from a barrel stave ($79.95) has a space for a glass from each of the member distilleries - Four Roses, Heaven Hill, Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Wild Turkey and Woodford Reserve - and one for the new Kentucky Bourbon Trail tour shot glass ($5.95).

Already popular, Johnson said, is a leather cover for the Kentucky Bourbon Trail passport that one must have stamped at each distillery to earn the coveted free T-shirt. The leather covers are $19.95 ($24.95 if personalized) and come with a passport ready for stamps.

Many people surprise their friends or spouses with trips to distilleries as gifts, and they wanted something to put in the box besides a brochure or a map, Johnson said.

“We envision people opening a passport on Father’s Day or Christmas and saying, ‘Oh! I’m going on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail tour!’ “

To start shopping (you must be 21 or older), click here.