Exploring Kentucky Bourbon for Breeders' Cup

Woodford Reserve is just one great bourbon you'll find on Kentucky's Bourbon Trail. (Photos courtesy Wikimedia Commons unless otherwise noted)
Bourbon and Kentucky go together like, well, horses and Kentucky. And with the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky. (the heart of both horse country AND bourbon country) in just a couple weeks, what better way to celebrate than with some Kentucky bourbon? Read on for a little bourbon history and some recommendations, great for you to enjoy at home or on the Bourbon Trail in the Bluegrass.
Bourbon in Kentucky dates back to the 1700s when it likely came with the first settlers to Harrodsburg. In 1803 the Louisiana Purchase allowed the Southern states along the Mississippi River to trade and whiskey was shipped to New Orleans on flatboats from none other than Bourbon County, Kentucky. The whiskey grew in popularity and was soon referred to as bourbon whiskey.
Nowadays, Kentucky produces 95 percent of all bourbon.
What makes Kentucky bourbon unique? Many distillers boast that what makes their bourbon the finest is the high concentrations of limestone in the ground where the water used to make the bourbon is sourced.
In order to be considered bourbon it must fit specific qualifications: it must be produced in the United States, the mash used to make the bourbon must be a grain mixture of at least 51 percent corn and it must be aged in new, charred oak barrels. It also has to be distilled to no more than 160 proof, bottled at 80 proof or more and put into the barrel to age at no more than 125 proof. (Note: the alcohol content is half the proof).
A MINT JULEP

The Kentucky Bourbon trail is a tour formed by the Kentucky Distillers' Association to give visitors a firsthand look, education and experience about all things bourbon (how it’s made, its history, tradition and more). If you’re in Kentucky, you can take the tours – it’s on my bucket list. Plus, if get your bourbon passport stamped at all nine stops, you can get a commemorative T-shirt for your explorations.
The nine bourbon makers on the trail are Four Roses in Lawrenceburg, Heaven Hill in Bardstown, Evan Williams in Louisville, Jim Beam in Clermont, Maker's Mark in Loretto, Alltech's Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company in Lexington, Wild Turkey in Lawrenceburg and Bulleit Frontier Whiskey in Louisville. While not officially on the trail, Buffalo Trace in Frankfort is another great stop.
Enough about "the history of" and "what makes bourbon, bourbon." Here's some "drink this one" and "try that one."
The most popular bourbon cocktails include the Mint Julep, made famous by Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby, the Old Fashioned and the Manhattan, but bourbon is also mighty popular without a mixer on the rocks (on ice), straight (chilled) or neat (no ice). So which bourbons should you try?
WOODFORD RESERVE BARRELS AGING

Woodford Reserve, the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby, is made at the oldest and smallest distillery in Kentucky. Honey amber in color, this bourbon smells faintly of vanilla and tobacco with heavier smells of rich dried fruit and cocoa. It’s a citrus-y, cinnamon, caramel toffee, slightly cocoa tasting bourbon. I found this nifty ‘explore the taste’ wheel on the site for a better breakdown.
EXPLORE THE TASTE WHEEL

Image courtesy of Woodford Reserve
Bulleit Bourbon has a high rye content that gives it its bold and spicy character. A medium amber bourbon in color with scents of sweet oak, nutty undertones and a light toffee flavor finish.
What do you get when you add bold vanilla, oak and caramel with French oak staves to Maker’s Mark and age it a little longer? Maker's 46. The oak chips allow the tannins to be locked in to help create bolder flavors and eliminate the bitterness that would otherwise occur with a longer gaining process.  Not to mention they’ve teamed up with Breeders' Cup with a goal of raising $1 million over the next three years to support a variety of local and Thoroughbred industry charities through their limited-edition, five-bottle collection collaboration. Each of the five-bottles features a legendary Breeders’ Cup champion horse: A.P. Indy, Lure, Personal Ensign, Zenyatta and Cigar. How awesome!
CHAMPIONS FOR CHARITY BOURBON

Photo courtesy Breeders’ Cup
Four Roses has mixed and matched four original, limited bourbon recipes to create the Four Roses Small Batch – spicy and sweet, with fruity aromas, notes of sweet oak and caramel an a smooth vanilla-like finish.
These last one isn’t on the official Kentucky Bourbon Trail, but I have to mention it. Using stock from the original Stizel-Weller Distillery, Buffalo Trace Distillery ages Pappy Van Winkle - a coveted Kentucky bourbon created by Julian "Pappy" Van Winkle- for 20 years, and it’s in incredibly high demand. It is the No. 1-rated bourbon whiskey in the world with a 99 out of 100 score in the World Spirits Championships. With bouquets of cream, caramel and raisin, boasting the creamy, smooth flavors of vanilla and honey with hints of apple, this long and elegant finishing bourbon goes for $2,000 and upwards a bottle – if you can even find it! And no, I haven’t gotten my hands on any just yet.
If you're in Lexington during the week leading up Breeders' Cup you should purchase a ticket to "Bourbon Backstretch - Master Distillers Night" to sample almost 40 whiskeys and experience the best bourbon Kentucky has to offer plus Kentucky-themed food and live entertainment.
Did I not cover your bourbon of choice? Well, let me know! And if you go on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail be sure to tweet us some pictures @TeamABRLive.
Cheers to bourbon in the Bluegrass.