Bourbon flows on Whiskey Row, but the mysteries are found underground. The road that contours the bucolic countryside along miles and miles of white plank fences and black plank fences, takes us past massive caves and on to a Bourbon Trail distilled in a rich and spirited history.
We wind past icons like the picturesque Maker’s Mark, where we can hand-dip bottles into hot red wax; Woodford Reserve for the only double-oaked bourbon in Kentucky; and the Botanical Trail, gardens and historic grounds of new-kid-on-the-block, Castle & Key.
Buffalo Trace is the longest continuously running bourbon distillery, with family-friendly tours and a wide range of bourbons like Blanton’s, Eagle Rare and Pappy Van Winkle 23. Across the road is J. Mattingly 1845. It is here that we have the most unique and rewarding bourbon experience we can find. Never mind tasting bourbon, at J. Mattingly 1845, we blend our own.
We’re led to a private room with stations of bourbon barrels. Each one has a base of 78% corn, 12% malted barley and 10% rye. But there are differences, some subtle, some not. We talk about our preferences and our guide intuitively leads us to one grouping of five barrels for us to taste and take notes. He’s very conscious of the power of suggestion, and is careful not to influence our decisions. In my first sample I taste a sweetness up front that disappears on the back end. Another has the weight to carry it forward, but feels too volatile for me. It’s a delicate balance, but the art is in the blending.
I disturb my son, seated in the corner with a colour wheel and an aroma kit, and ask him to smell what I’m blending, to see if he can discern the smooth buttery caramel, toasted hazelnut and ginger notes that I’m picking up. “It all smells like hand sanitizer to me!” He replies. And…back to the drawing board I go. Others in the group create their own unique blends according to their own tastes. We each draw from the same well, but craft completely different styles.
Our guide cautions us to keep it simple. I’ve decided on three bourbons that I sense would pair well together; a blend that would not be too strong for my palate, but would have a smooth texture with just enough depth and complexity in the flavour profile. Using a copper whiskey thief, we remove bourbon from each barrel and pour it into a hydrometer test tube to measure my chosen blend of 55%, 35% and 10%. I’m quite proud of my blend! And it’s totally different than the others in the group, who are completely happy with theirs.
My limited edition, private barrel select bourbon whiskey is 127 Proof and tastes like the nectar of a godly pecan pie. Together with my son, we choose to seal the bottle in a burgundy wax with a golden drizzle. We’re allotted two 375ml bottles. One for me, and one for him in another ten years. But what are we going to call it? We label this elixir; this memory in a bottle: American Road Trip.
Kentucky is chock full of diverse museums from Corvette to KFC to Muhammad Ali, and horses thundering ‘round the track from Keenland to Churchill Downs. But what makes Kentucky so attractive to horse breeders, bourbon distillers, and outdoor enthusiasts is that the rivers and forests that blanket the Bluegrass State rest on a bed of limestone. That porous rock enables a percolation of pristine water with good minerality that creates nutrient-rich soil, awe-inspiring vistas for hiking and awesome caverns for spelunking. We head east.
Within the Daniel Boone Forest lies the Red River Gorge. This geological area of ancient rock formations is a mecca for climbing, hiking, zip-lining, UTVing, and overnighting in tree-houses and yurts.
We could choose to kayak along a river or descend into any cave on the map, but what about kayaking in a cave? Could there be a cooler experience? The Gorge Underground is a former limestone mine that was abandoned after tapping into an aquifer system. Now, completely flooded, we paddle through the darkness, illuminated by our clear kayaks lined with LED lights, and navigate through seven acres of tunnels, 250 feet underground. The water is about 40°, there are hibernating bats, and massive Rainbow, Blue, Brook and Palomino Trout that pass right underneath our toes. It’s actually startling, because these fish are huge and our kayaks are totally transparent. There’s a stillness. It’s like paddling in glass, through glass. Our imaginations soar.
Family-travel today is no longer about compromising on activities so that each person gets a turn to enjoy one thing. It’s about finding that one experience that will blow everyone’s minds together. Paddling around each dark corner of this mine with wonderment and awe is unique, brilliant, fun, and we’ll never forget it. That value of enjoyment and bonding is priceless.
Within minutes of resurfacing we drive up the road to Red River Rockhouse. It’s the kind of place we would hope exists, but don’t actually expect to find. Renowned for their farm-to-table menu, including salads and grass-fed burgers, we opt to share the most gargantuan burrito I have ever seen. It’s the size of a mini-football and weighs almost as much as my backpack. The ingredients are sourced from local farmers. Crammed with savoury, tender barbacoa, steaming rice, a fresh toss of black beans, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, jalapenos and cilantro, it is the perfect meal for our hike up to Natural Bridge.
It’s not far, but it is steep. Trickling water and an occasional bird call are the only sounds that exist in our immersion into forest-fresh air. We breathe deeply. There’s a poetic quiet surrounding our ascent, only broken by my chomping on the greatest burrito I’ve ever tasted in my life. At the base of the Natural Bridge is a setting reminiscent of a challenge in The Princess Bride. We side-chasse through a slender passage between rock walls, and up narrow steps to the sky. The 65ft high bridge is a sandstone arch that stretches 75 feet over a canyon. Perched on the edge, we feel unknotted, refreshed, as though we’ve been at a spa. This is one of those quite places and moments that speak so loudly to what truly matters. Like the bourbon that flows so freely here, our Kentucky experience is authentic and perfectly distilled to proof.
