24 May 2023 - Old Friends Farm, Buffalo Trace Bourbon Tasting, Justin's Bourbon Bar + Last Night at Whispering Hills

 

Today was busy!  This morning a private tour bus picked us up here at the campground and took us first to the Old Friends Farm, a retirement facility for Thoroughbred horses.  Liberty got to go along in her kennel so we were not rushed getting back.

The Old Friends thoroughbred retirement facility started in 2003 and their focus was Thoroughbred aftercare. It was founded by Mr. Michael Blowen, a former Boston Globe film critic, Over the years they have grown the facility to a 236-acre farm with three satellite locations and over 240 retired former racehorses and breeding stallions.

They welcome the public to visit these retired Thoroughbred race horses in what they call their “living-history museum”, and they draw almost 20,000 visitors annually.  There is a modest charge for admission but you get carrots to feed some of the horses.  You also get to visit a couple Thoroughbred graveyards where you will see the names of horses you might recognize.  

We started in one of the graveyards where our tour guide explained details of the farm.  It is so nice to know there are facilities like this where the Thoroughbreds can live their final years with dignity and care.  They are never ridden here.

Our tour guide explaining the farm

From there we boarded the bus again and traveled further back into the farm where the horses are located.  Mr. Blowen's residence is also located back there along with some other houses and buildings where the horses are cared for.  

Behind Mr Blowen's house is another graveyard complete with granite headstones.  Most horses are cremated.  

The headstones list a lot in information about their careers

We continued down the fence to a different pasture where other horses were excited to see us.  They know the carrot routine quite well.

This one had an eye issue

So, a very impressive facility for the retired Thoroughbreds where they are well cared for.

We boarded the bus again and headed to the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort KY, our next stop.  They have been in operation since 1775 and arguably make some of the finest bourbon whiskey there is.  

We processed through the reception center where they verified our ID's and issued us chip-imbedded wrist bands.  These provide identification and also are scanned at the registers in the gift shop.

Each day they are open they feature several of their spirits for sale in the gift shop and one select bourbon of the day.  Today's they offered Colonel EH Taylor bourbon.  

We did not tour today but we did a tasting.  Before that we made our way to the gift shop and there were only seven bottles of the EH Taylor left.  So we were very lucky that at least some of the members of our group were able to purchase some.  They limit you to one bottle per person, so two per couple and because some of the couples did not drink bourbon they shared with others in the group.  

After visiting the gift shop we made our way to the tasting area and sampled several of the Buffalo Trace products.  Our bartender did a great job of explaining the various spirits.

Our first sample, their vodka.  This was plentiful in the gift shop.

Second was the signature Buffalo Trace bourbon, 90 proof. 

The gift shop had plenty of this on hand, but limit of one bottle per person.  

Third was Col EH Taylor, 100 proof, the select bourbon for today.  

This is the one the gift shop ran out of shortly after we arrived.

Fourth was their Sazerac Rye.

Fifth was their Bourbon Crème - so delicious!

They serve the Bourbon Crème with a side of their own root beer and it is really good!

We finished up inside and then took a couple group pictures, one inside the tasting area and one outside before departing.  

One the way back to the campground our tour guide deviated from the planned route with a stop by a local bourbon bar.  They have a large variety of bourbon to buy and to purchase by the shot.  

The bar area where many different premium bourbons were available by the shot.  

They also had many bourbons for sale by the bottle.  My son-in-law wanted one of them and it was $54.  A couple others he looked at were slightly more!!  See below.

This is a 1970 bottle of Old Weller and sells for $8000

This 1971 bottle of Old Fitzgerald sells for $4000

We wrapped up things at the bourbon bar and then headed back to the campground to make preparations to depart in the morning.  Doreen did a couple loads of laundry while I flushed and dumped tanks and got things ready to go here.  Later we gathered as a group and cooked some burgers.  Tomorrow morning we all pull chocks here and head up the road about 327 miles to the Elkhart Campground where the pre-rally festivities commence. 

Next report from Elkhart IN!