Just west of Bath County, in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, lies Bourbon County. Once a mighty and royal piece of land that consisted of some thirty odd counties, had been traded and handed down from the French to the State of Virginia. When this terra firma was part of Virginia it was named for the House of Bourbon This name was taken from a European family in an attempt to give praise and accolades to Louis XVI, for his assistance to our blue blooded American Revolutionaries. Without which, the shaping and forming of this nation, against the wishes of King George and his Loyalists would have; most likely not been successful. During these times of trouble, conflict and birth anew of this land people were in thirst. Being my great state was an agrarian one, there were farmers who struggled to navigate the daunting mountain passes when trying to sale their crops at market. Corn whiskey was initially made in attempt at using crops to make a product that was easily transported without worrying about spoilage. This spirit native to the bluegrass state, was eventually marketed and sold to the rest of the country. This business is how it came to be known as bourbon. In those days, goods were transported by boat down rivers, mostly down the mighty Ohio. During this slow, rolling journey the corn whiskey was contained in good ol Kentucky oak barrels. This packaging would then lend itself to creating the mellow oak taste and rich brown color, that came to be indicative of Kentucky corn whiskey. In an effort to distinguish itself from Pennsylvania rye whiskey, the barrels were stamped with "old bourbon", again paying homage to the geographical origins of what has became known as America's native spirit. In a 1964 resolution Congress stated: "Bourbon whiskey is a distinctive product of the United States and is unlike other types of alcoholic beverages, whether foreign or domestic; and whereas to be entitled to the designation 'Bourbon whiskey' the product must conform to the highest standards … and whereas Bourbon whiskey has achieved recognition and acceptance throughout the world as a distinctive product of the United States" . This excerpt was taken from the Regans' " the book of bourbon". Point being its been written an argued about for years and probably for many more to come. As for this writer, nothing evokes the pioneering and enterprising past of this great nation and my beloved home state, quite as well as a glass of Woodford Reserve or a Maker's Mark Old fashioned in my table as I craft this writing. Both sides of my family hail from the bluegrass state. If after reading this you have a taste for some Old Bourbon corn whiskey. Then saunter on over to http://kybourbontrail.com/ and sample some of the finest, traditionally distilled bourbons the commonwealth has to offer you. Cheers!
