All-American Road Trip: Kentucky Bourbon Trail
Todd Piro learns the art of making bourbon at Kentucky distilleries.
Our final stop on the "Fox and Friends" All-American Summer Road Trip is the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, which stretches from Louisville to Lexington. Each year, more than a million visitors travel to this idyllic setting nestled in the heart of horse country, so we decided to check it out.
At Wild Turkey, we met master distiller Jimmy Russell, a legend around these parts. He’s been working in the bourbon business for 64 years — and shows no signs of stopping.
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We also learned how Wild Turkey got its name. Executives from the original company, while on a wild turkey hunt, were tasked with bringing bourbon to the annual event. They drilled into a barrel of a special selection and the hunters liked it so much, they decided to market it. That’s how the unusual — and now legendary — brand name was born.
Over at Woodford Reserve, we sampled product from various stages of the distilling process, with tastes ranging from citrus to "bready." We learned about the hundreds of flavors that natural elements can impart on a bourbon and how to properly appreciate the aroma of bourbon in order to activate your senses.
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At Town Branch, we learned how important barrels are to the bourbon-making process. For instance, bourbon actually enters the barrel as a clear liquid, and takes its distinctive hue from the inside of the oak barrels it is stored within. As it turns out, the barrels themselves are charred before being filled, and over the course of years, the liquor takes on the amber color it's known for.
We could think of no better place to end the All-American Summer Road Trip for 2018. Thanks for coming along for the ride!
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