Kentucky - Frankfort & Lexington - Horses & Bourbon!

[giradman54]

I started this thread nearly 2 months ago based on a visit to our son in Indianapolis w/ intermittent stops in Kentucky going & returning - really an enjoyable trip - I'm now mainly a wine drinker w/ some occasional beers - use to sip on cognacs, single malt Scotch, and bourbons, but this trip and the visits to the Kentucky distilleries renewed my interest in sipping on some of the products of that state.

My single bottle of bourbon brought back in October has disappeared - OOPS, my fault! SO, today I had some errands to do and per chance passed a local North Carolina ABC store (that's how strong alcoholic beverages are sold in this state) - thus, stop in and picked up a few bottles of Kentucky bourbon - now since this will last a while, I decided to splurge a little (I like to sip on these neat so taste is everything) and bought the two shown below - those who have read this thread will note a REPEAT, i.e. the Woodford Double Oak, the other is a new try but about the same price, i.e. the Jefferson's Reserve Very Old Small Batch - now for those interested, reviews of the Woodford HERE and of the Jefferson HERE - had some small 'neat' sips tonight and both are excellent - my recommendation is to pay a little extra, especially if you like to drink bourbon w/o mixing other ingredients - Dave
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[scifan5755]

It's amazing how good bourbon can evaporate from a sealed bottle, isn't it?

 

[giradman54]

It's amazing how good bourbon can evaporate from a sealed bottle, isn't it?

LOL! Well, I can't blame the disappearance in the glass bottle to the 'angel's share' when the bourbon is in an oak barrel - amazing how much is lost over the years sitting in oak, e.g. less than 30% left in the 23 y/o Pappy Van Winkle (quote below - Source) - storing these whiskeys for years (and decades) and then tasting and choosing specific barrel selections for release understandably impacts on the pricing of these more expensive offerings!

BTW, in my visit to our local NC ABC store, there were NO Pappy's for sale - - I would have paid the extra price! Dave

How Much Pappy Van Winkle is Left After 23 Years in a Barrel?
The most sought-after bourbon in the world, Pappy Van Winkle 23-year-old, begins life as 53 gallons of new-make whiskey at 114 proof.
What's left in the barrel after 23 years is a mere 14 gallons of bourbon at around 135-140 proof. What makes it into the bottle is even less.

 

[giradman54]

Well, this thread will not end! Today on NPR, there was a short story on a young 28 y/o lady who is Kentucky's only female master distiller - she works for Brown-Forman whose bourbon brands include Woodford Reserve, Old Forester, and Early Times - she has been enticed to soon become the Master Distiller at a 'new' distillery being opened near Frankfort - if interested, click the source below; and she's cute! Dave

In January 2015, Brown-Forman’s Marianne Barnes was named to Forbes magazine’s “30 Under 30” in food and drink. At 28 years old she was recognized as one of the highest ranking women in the bourbon industry and was on track to one day replace Chris Morris as the Woodford Reserve master distiller.

Well, the industry took notice and two Kentucky entrepreneurs, Will Arvin and Wesley Murry apparently made her an offer she could not refuse. Barnes has accepted the position of Master Distiller at the former “Old Taylor Distillery Company” near Frankfort, Kentucky (Source).

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[giradman54]

SAD EVENT TODAY - Frank Sinatra Jr. Died of a heart attack Mar 17 @ 72 y/o!

Back on page 4 of this thread, we were in Indianapolis in October 2015 visiting our son - we saw Frank Jr. in an excellent show at the Carmel Palladium Theater - great venue and performance - he looked in great shape at the time - we enjoyed and will remember. Dave

 

[giradman54]

NEW BOOK on Daniel Boone (2021) - just finished and read on my iPad Pro - for those of you who have read this thread which starts back a half dozen years ago - WOW! In the early posts on the state capital of Frankfurt and the Cemetery where Boone is buried w/ his wife, Rebecca, this book may be of interest.

Daniel Boone was born in Pennsylvania in 1734 (just two years after George Washington) and migrated down the old 'Wagon Road' via the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia to North Carolina when he was a teenager - for many years he resided in the Yadkin River Valley area of the state (really close to where I now live) - his major 'claim to fame' is re-discovering the Cumberland Gap (near the junction of Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee - have posts on that visit) and leading frontier pioneers into Kentucky, especially the central 'bluegrass' region in the middle of the 18th century.

The difficulties and interactions with the native Americans is well and often brutally described - Boone lost two sons to fights with the 'Indians' - this is a well done book - on his death in 1820 (85 years of age) he was buried with his predeceased wife, Rebecca, in Missouri where he had moved, but their remains were reinterred in the 'new' Frankfurt Cemetery on its opening - BOY, a remarkable story and highly recommended if you want to know what it was like to move west across the mountains at that time! Dave

 

[scifan5755]

Something that many people probably don’t know is that Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett never met or even corresponded.

 

[giradman54]

Something that many people probably don’t know is that Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett never met or even corresponded.

Well, as quoted below, Boone would have been 52 y/o when Crockett was born but was likely in East Tennessee when Davy was growing up - but agree that I've never heard that they might have met nor did the book that I just finished even bring up his name. Dave

David Crockett (1786 –1836) was an American folk hero, frontiersman, soldier, and politician. He is commonly referred to in popular culture by the epithet "King of the Wild Frontier". He represented Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives and served in the Texas Revolution. Crockett grew up in East Tennessee, where he gained a reputation for hunting and storytelling. He was made a colonel in the militia of Lawrence County, Tennessee and was elected to the Tennessee state legislature in 1821. (Source)

 

[giradman54]

Reunion with Son & DIL in London, Kentucky - September 2026!

Our Son and DIL live in Indianapolis and post-COVID, we've been driving to a 'location' about half way in between, renting a house, and having usually a 4 night reunion - they have a small Maltese (all seen in one of the pics below), so we usually have pickup or delivered dinners (I bring the wine to share with him - girls don't imbibe - more for us!) - this year, London, KT was our selection, a little longer drive for me (5+ hrs, 300+ miles - like going to Kiawah, Island in SC) - below a map of London vs. our home in Piedmont, NC., and the rental house which is quite nice.

Our first half day adventure was to Cumberland Falls - see map of the river, originates in the the eastern KT - western VA Appalachian Mountains, travels mainly east to west draining into the Ohio River near Paducah, KT and close to where the Tennessee River drains (important rivers in the early American Civil War when Grant and Foote captured Fts. Donelson and Henry - then Nashville, TN fell also along the Cumberland River when it dips south into Tennessee). The rest of the pics are of the Cumberland Falls State Park around the falls, which had several beautiful rainbows - also famous for its 'moonbow' described below (from the link above).

Last pic of the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame - which we plan to visit tomorrow, so a post or two coming up - Bill Monroe (and his Bluegrass Boys), the fisrt inductee is likely well featured, so until then. Dave

During or near a full moon on clear nights, a lunar rainbow or moonbow is sometimes formed by the water of the falls. The formation of a moonbow at Cumberland Falls is aided by a combination of steep gorge walls, which reduce dissipation of the waterfall's mist by wind, and a wide gorge which allows increased levels of moonlight.

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[scifan5755]

Reunion with Son & DIL in London, Kentucky - September 2026!

Our Son and DIL live in Indianapolis and post-COVID, we've been driving to a 'location' about half way in between, renting a house, and having usually a 4 night reunion - they have a small Maltese (all seen in one of the pics below), so we usually have pickup or delivered dinners (I bring the wine to share with him - girls don't imbibe - more for us!) - this year, London, KT was our selection, a little longer drive for me (5+ hrs, 300+ miles - like going to Kiawah, Island in SC) - below a map of London vs. our home in Piedmont, NC., and the rental house which is quite nice.

Our first half day adventure was to Cumberland Falls - see map of the river, originates in the the eastern KT - western VA Appalachian Mountains, travels mainly east to west draining into the Ohio River near Paducah, KT and close to where the Tennessee River drains (important rivers in the early American Civil War when Grant and Foote captured Fts. Donelson and Henry - then Nashville, TN fell also along the Cumberland River when it dips south into Tennessee). The rest of the pics are of the Cumberland Falls State Park around the falls, which had several beautiful rainbows - also famous for its 'moonbow' described below (from the link above).

Last pic of the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame - which we plan to visit tomorrow, so a post or two coming up - Bill Monroe (and his Bluegrass Boys), the fisrt inductee is likely well featured, so until then. Dave



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Nice photos and a little bit of what makes this part of the USA special.

 

[giradman54]

Nice photos and a little bit of what makes this part of the USA special.

Thanks Scifan.. - just reading some from the previous Wiki link - quoted below some interesting stats - Niagara Falls has the height beaten by 100 feet but the water volume for the shorter falls is impressive - been to Niagara three times, so I guess these might qualify to be named the ‘Little Niagara Falls'?

On average the falls, which flows over a resistant sandstone bed, is 68 feet (21 m) high and 125 feet (38 m) wide. Cumberland Falls is the second-largest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains, and the largest waterfall as measured by water volume in the Eastern United States, south of Niagara Falls. The falls divides the river into two sections, the Upper and Lower, or "below the falls" section.

 

[giradman54]

Kentucky Music & the Music Hall of Fame

Well, our last day and decided on a short drive north up HW 77 to the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame - the museum selected its 12 'inaugural inductees' in 2002 - heading the list was Bill Monroe, the father of bluegrass music (when he was still alive and performing to the end, I probably saw him live at least a dozen times, both in my hometown and in Nashville at the Grand Ole Opry). Took just over a dozen pics which will be put in two posts - some are briefly labelled while others our self-explanatory - over the years I've seen at least a half dozen of the inductees in person - please look at the links and bring up any questions - enjoy - Dave

The Music of Kentucky is heavily centered on Appalachian folk music and its descendants, especially in eastern Kentucky. Bluegrass music is of particular regional importance; Bill Monroe, "the father of bluegrass music", was born in the Ohio County community of Rosine, and he named his band, the Blue Grass Boys, after the bluegrass state, i.e., Kentucky. Travis picking, the influential guitar style, is named after Merle Travis, born and raised in Muhlenberg County. Kentucky is home to the Country Music Highway (Highway 23), which extends from Portsmouth, Ohio, to the Virginia border in Pike County. Source

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[giradman54]

Kentucky Music & the Music Hall of Fame (continued)

Could have taken many more pics but emphasized who I felt was the more important and earlier music stars and also some of the history of Kentucky and mountain music - the exhibits of the buildings and cars were unexpected but enjoyable. Again for anyone living or traveling through the area with an interest in country music or other such as jazz should pay a visit. The KT Hall of Fame is located in the historic Renfro Valley (described below and more at the link, for those interested.) Dave

Renfro Valley is home to the Renfro Valley Entertainment Center. Since being founded by local area native John Lair and others in 1939, Renfro Valley Entertainment Center has hosted the Renfro Valley Barn Dance, a traditional country music show which gave entertainers such as Hank Snow, Hank Williams, Red Foley, and Homer and Jethro the spotlight early in their careers. The Barn Dance and other programming originating in Renfro Valley was broadcast over the CBS Radio Network until the late 1950s. Source

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[scifan5755]

A great museum. If I was in that part of the country I’d definitely stop by.

 

[giradman54]

How many Kentucky HOF Members are also in Nashville's Country Music HOF?

About 20% overlap or the 16 below, although there is a new addition, John Michael Montgomery. Dave

P.S. ChatGPT came up with the comparison in seconds!
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