Whiskey River II

Our next stop was the Woodford Reserve distillery. They had a large new gift shop and visitors center but the heart of the facility was a set of buildings constructed in the early 19th century that have earned a place on the National Register of Historic Places. The story goes back to when the Scots-Irish raised their rebellion against taxes on whiskey in Pennsylvania in the 1790s. Led by George Washington, federal forces quickly routed the farmers and Woodford Reserves claims (apparently with some authority) that they fled down the Ohio River and set up shop in Kentucky. That, they say, helps explains some of the characteristics of their distillery. For example, the old stone buildings do look as though they were hauled out of the Edinburg area of Scotland. And they argue that the copper kettles (naturally imported from Scotland) used in the process at Woodford help give their whiskey the distinctive taste.

At top, the three large copper kettles. Next is a close up of one of the kettles. Click on it to read the sign. Next is the ramp that is used to roll the filled barrles from the distillery to the warehouse. Next is a view of one of the distinctive stone buildings. At bottom, is a view inside the huge warehouse where roughly $35 million worth of whiskey is aging.