Kentucky Bourbon Distillers - One year Later
Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2007 11:44 amI had the pleasure to be part of LeNell's tasting crew for her next barrel of Red Hook Rye. We met at the distillery at about 11:30 Friday morning and Drew gave us a tour of the distillery before we started the barrel selection.
Once again it was a cloudy, overcast day with a chill wind blowing but not raining. We walked down the gravel / mud road to the distillery and from the distance I could see they had finished the stone work and had mocked up a sett of doors into the distillery. It is very impressive with the gold tones of some of the limestone blocks making it shine in even the pale sun of the day. The place did not look too different from the distance outside of the stone work so I was prepared not to notice that much difference when we entered the building.
I was wrong. There were many more changes than I had expected to see. JD's lip prints are still on that work of art they call a copper pot still, but they have started to attach that still into the system with many of the connections laying on the floor around the still. There were other subtble appearing but major steps forward construction projects in progress as well. Drew took us out to see the column still and he has a copper head and beer heater waiting to be added to the system.
The column is one of the smallest in diameter I have ever seen. The fact that it towers above your head for about 50 feet makes it seem pencil thin. The doubler was sitting there in the yard just waiting to be installed. When they are through they will be able to make column still or pot still whiskey as the customer wishes. This will be the most flexable system in Kentucky.
The next place Drew took us was the boiler room that is just now going on line. As a matter of fact when Drew Brenda and I came down from the office when the rest of the crew arrived, Evan was taking the boiler inspector out to see the finished installation. Right next to the boiler room is a seperate room that will be a machine shop that also contains the electrical panels. There are a lot more active circuits this year than last year. Progress is being made.
After leaving the distillery area Drew showed us the cistern room. Unfortunately it was in about the same shape as last year, but heading to the cistern room we could see the same stone mason who was working on the stone last year working on the gutted building that will soon be their visitors center. John was kidding about turning the building into a bed and breakfast and Drew answered that the bed and breakfast will be further down the road. He was not kidding either he showed us an area that they plan to place a bed and breakfast that will be seperated from the distillery, but close enough to walk into the distillery during business hours allowing tem to watch the distilling process at their leisure.
Drew also pointed out a concrete base for a huge tank that they plan to turn into a rotunda and metal structure they plan to turn into a deck overlooking Rowan's Creek. Add to this another pond that will help them recycle waste water but also have "Noah's Mill" as part of the process and you are talking about a bourbon lovers dream vacation.
This is all going to take time and I suspect it may be another decade before it is all done. The reasons for this slow progress is important though - The family wants to do it right and they do not want to take out loans to do it. They are paying for this construction as they go. This makes for slow progress but it also means they will not have the banks looming over their head after it is finished. They are doing it right in more than one way as far as I can tell. I hope they continue to stay the course.
Once again it was a cloudy, overcast day with a chill wind blowing but not raining. We walked down the gravel / mud road to the distillery and from the distance I could see they had finished the stone work and had mocked up a sett of doors into the distillery. It is very impressive with the gold tones of some of the limestone blocks making it shine in even the pale sun of the day. The place did not look too different from the distance outside of the stone work so I was prepared not to notice that much difference when we entered the building.
I was wrong. There were many more changes than I had expected to see. JD's lip prints are still on that work of art they call a copper pot still, but they have started to attach that still into the system with many of the connections laying on the floor around the still. There were other subtble appearing but major steps forward construction projects in progress as well. Drew took us out to see the column still and he has a copper head and beer heater waiting to be added to the system.
The column is one of the smallest in diameter I have ever seen. The fact that it towers above your head for about 50 feet makes it seem pencil thin. The doubler was sitting there in the yard just waiting to be installed. When they are through they will be able to make column still or pot still whiskey as the customer wishes. This will be the most flexable system in Kentucky.
The next place Drew took us was the boiler room that is just now going on line. As a matter of fact when Drew Brenda and I came down from the office when the rest of the crew arrived, Evan was taking the boiler inspector out to see the finished installation. Right next to the boiler room is a seperate room that will be a machine shop that also contains the electrical panels. There are a lot more active circuits this year than last year. Progress is being made.
After leaving the distillery area Drew showed us the cistern room. Unfortunately it was in about the same shape as last year, but heading to the cistern room we could see the same stone mason who was working on the stone last year working on the gutted building that will soon be their visitors center. John was kidding about turning the building into a bed and breakfast and Drew answered that the bed and breakfast will be further down the road. He was not kidding either he showed us an area that they plan to place a bed and breakfast that will be seperated from the distillery, but close enough to walk into the distillery during business hours allowing tem to watch the distilling process at their leisure.
Drew also pointed out a concrete base for a huge tank that they plan to turn into a rotunda and metal structure they plan to turn into a deck overlooking Rowan's Creek. Add to this another pond that will help them recycle waste water but also have "Noah's Mill" as part of the process and you are talking about a bourbon lovers dream vacation.
This is all going to take time and I suspect it may be another decade before it is all done. The reasons for this slow progress is important though - The family wants to do it right and they do not want to take out loans to do it. They are paying for this construction as they go. This makes for slow progress but it also means they will not have the banks looming over their head after it is finished. They are doing it right in more than one way as far as I can tell. I hope they continue to stay the course.
