It wasn't a camping weekend, but I did something a little different this weekend.
I have several friends that I haven't seen since before the great unpleasantness of 2020. We formerly went to the same parish, but due to events, two started meeting their Sunday obligations elsewhere. I still talked to them on Facebook, texted them, or phoned them, but we never were able to coordinate our lives enough to actually spend time together.
We rented an AIRBNB. There were four of us, and we found a farmhouse with four bedrooms. The total bill was around $480 for the weekend. 60 bucks a night for two nights...what a bargain! We had a full run of the home, a kitchen with basic cooking gear, essentials (salt, pepper, etc.), and some pantry items that were left by the proprietor and previous guests.
For our trip, we visited 4 distilleries:
-Jeptha Creed
-Bulleit
-Whiskey Thief Distillery
-Buffalo Trace
When I first heard of the trail in around 2000, there were 7 -- it's somewhere near 50 now.
We also visited a diner called the Cliffside Diner. Its on the backside of these state capital at the base of the cliff that Frankfort sits on. Probably the best hamburger I've had in as long as I can remember, I liked it better than Dyers that I was at last week -- but it shared some of the same properties. If you're a grease-phobe I'd suggest caution, but if you like a tasty burger -- high recommend the place.
Favorite experience? Jeptha Creed -- young woman (Hayden) did the tasting, and she was not hurried, and she was she was entertaining and well polished. Her pour was impressive. They used these little 'communion cups' and when she poured, not a drop hit the counter -- but each had a slight 'crown' from surface tension --- she was quite talented
Bulleit didn't have at tasting room, they had a bar where you could buy a flight. $14 for 5 2oz pours. Affordable yes. But I did not want to have 8 oz of whiskey in me...They allows splitting the glasses, but even 4 oz was too much. I liked their barrel strength best, but not enough to buy. Robust, Strong, lots of spice. I didnt' like the reset at all -- and that was the consensus. Not of it was very good
Least Favorite was Buffalo Trace who threw tiny samples -- I mean a a quarter teaspoon? Not enough to give an adequate 'chew'
Saving the best for last, was Whiskey Thief Distillery. Least "refined" business, very much a "craft" experience. Located on a small side road, with a dirt farm path to get to the experience room. You were getting the bourbon straight ouf of the barrel. But at $35 was just a bit pricy. We were "complaining" among ourselves when an employee overheard us (possibly an owner or manager), and she directed us to a small tasting room at the top of the hill -- 3 samples for $10 if I recollect correctly. Their Rye was very good --- the best of the trip. Sweet, slight spice, and had a buttery finish --- I actually got a strong note of butterscotch off mine.
If you're in Kentucky, of age, and have a day -- we started at 11am and finished at 4:36 at our last stop, woodford reserve, but the last pour was at 4:30. Next time, maybe.
On Sunday we visited St Martin of Tours Shrine in Louisville. It was one of the most beautiful Masses I have EVER been to. The Schola (choir) was spot on! It always amuses me that in every movie, when they go into an empty church there is chanting. That isn't the way it is....but musically, that is called Gregorian Chant -- and it is the musical setting for the TLM. Incredible. The TLM is the "Traditional Latin Mass" which has been celebrated since 1560's in its current form, and certainly longer than that. There way too much history on this topic for here. Books are written on the subject. Many books.
After that -- a 3 hour drive home, with a coffee shop in Scotsburg and some continued conversation with one of those friend (a camping buddy I see frequently) --- I "passed out" from exhaustion at about 9:30.
What a great weekend.
