Joe Canal's Takes Kentucky, Version 2.0

On occasion, Joe Canal’s staff members are able to go on trips to meet the producers of the items that we sell. Whether we travel to the great wine regions, or any other location, the trips are educational, great for team-building, and, of course, they’re fun.

David Rudd, Floor Manager at our Woodbridge store, recently visited Bourbon country on just such a trip with other Joe Canal's team members. Here's his report:

Early this September, I had the awesome experience of traveling to Bourbon Country in Kentucky. We arrived in Louisville on a beautiful sunny afternoon and got ourselves situated at the lovely Seelbach Hilton, which is located downtown. Immediately, it became clear that this would be a trip that would become a lifetime memory…the Seelbach is so rich with history.  F. Scott Fitzgerald was inspired by this very hotel to write some of the scenes in “The Great Gatsby” and it was every bit as opulent and strange as the Art Deco descriptions in the literary work would have you believe.

From the hotel, we walked a short distance to the Main Street hub of old Kentucky bourbon craftsmanship. We arrived at the Evan Williams Experience for a tour and were impressed right away with the production values.

The Evan Williams Experience is slick and polished and brand new and very clever. High production values and media created with professional actors take you through the history of Bourbon County’s most famous export. The EWE is located right on Main Street in Louisville’s Whiskey Row…in the next five years, several more distilleries are expected to open on Whiskey Row.


My travel companions and I had a wonderful time and we went to bed very happy that first night…

The next day found us up and at ‘em for a trip to the Jim Beam Distillery. Similar process and presentation, but with the added bonus of lunch on the lawn!

Jim Beam, Clermont, KY

Jim Beam’s Distillery gives a great tour – I had the opportunity to operate the bottling line and I hand numbered my own Single Barrel from the distillery. Jim Beam uses a traditional mash bill and houses millions of barrels of whiskey in several locations around Kentucky.

Our second distillery on the second day of the tour was in Loretto. I had to admit that I didn’t know that much about Maker’s Mark before this trip, but if anything was going to give me an appreciation for wheated bourbon, Maker’s Mark is the one. I still can’t get over the cool buzzy feeling that the recipe gives your mouth…mouthfeel, baby, it’s everything.

Maker’s Mark, Loretto, KY

Named after the markings left on hand-made pewter, the Maker’s Mark Bourbon is one of a kind. Maker’s Mark uses a wheated mashbill and the red winter wheat used gives an incredible mouth-feel.  When you taste it, inhale slowly and feel the edges of your tongue tingle…I hand dipped my own bottle of Maker’s Mark in their signature red wax, and it dripped down the label – they told me I’d be fired.

Our last day of tours began with a little more gusto at the Heaven Hill Distillery.  Earlier in the trip I was musing out loud, “Who makes the Parker’s Heritage?!”  Turns out:

Heaven Hill, Bardstown, KY

Heaven Hill is the largest family-owned distillery in the US – and maybe the most prolific.  They produce some of the best whiskies on the market, from Elijah Craig to Evan Williams and Parker’s Heritage, as well as several other spirits we all know and love.  This year’s 8th Edition of the Parker’s Heritage will be a Wheat Whiskey…definitely don’t miss it this winter – it’s delicious.

Lunch was at the purportedly haunted “Old Talbott Tavern” – not sure if it’s true but they make a fine Kentucky Hot Brown…and they were serving the luxurious winner of the 2013 Kentucky Bourbon Festival Cocktail Contest – “A Sidecar Named Desire”…see my write up in a Shopper’s Showcase about two months ago.

I was really excited to head out to Wild Turkey as I’d been told there was a surprise awaiting us there.  I had no idea….

Wild Turkey, Lawrenceburg, KY

You guys, you guys…Wild Turkey has always produced my favorite 101 proof Rye, but I have to admit that the tour of Campari’s Wild Turkey Distillery in Lawrenceburg was my A #1 favorite. Not only did I get to sample a brand new product not even available yet (ask me about Sting this winter), but I got to fire a shotgun and I was surprisingly good.  We are proud to have a Canal’s Family Selection of both the Russell’s Reserve and Kentucky Spirit whiskies…both are knockouts.

The crew at Wild Turkey treated us like royalty. The spread they put out at the end of the tour is still giving me good dreams. I cannot thank them enough for the amazing generosity of time, spirit, energy and kindness…

I highly recommend visiting the land of America’s one true spirit.  Thank God for bourbon!