February 24th, 2018 - Jim Beam Distillery to Ft Campbell

In the morning we left Winchester and headed to Ft Campbell by way of Clermont, KY, home of the Jim Beam Distillery.  After looking online and finding out that we needed to reserve a tour 2 days early, we took a chance to see if we could get a walk on tour..  We arrived about 10:22 and got on the 10:30 tour of the plant.  First the rules for Bourbon.  The Federal Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits (27 C.F.R. 5) state that bourbon made for U.S. consumption must be: Produced in the United States. Made from a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn. Aged in new, charred oak containers. Distilled to no more than 160 (U.S.) proof (80% alcohol by volume) 

 With that out of the way, we continued the tour.  The mixture basically is taking the mash mixture and distilling it up to certain percentage standards to meet the US requirements above.   

 Below, Danny explained the process of getting the resulting product into further production.  Before it is put into barrels, it is clear and gets its color from the wood charred barrel.

 They have 15 vats on site each holding 25000 gallons.

 In this building, a "small batch" was created.  Now, small batches are still made although now, the building houses the control center for the whole process.

 The aging process is important to a fine product.

 
After each barrel has spent anywhere from 2 to 15 years, or even more in barrels, the bourbon is emptied from the barrel into a container to measure how much is produced. Some of the alcohol has evaporated over the years and in some cases a 35 gallon barrel may produce as little as 10 gallons (rare).

 

 Because the barrel is charred before the bourbon is put in, there is frequently charcoal in the barrel.

 A sample was poured...to smell only while he held the glass.

In the bottling room we had a unique opportunity.

 Choose our empty bottle, mark it with a colored sticky dot, rinse it with bourbon to clean it...

 put your bottle on the line, watch the bottles being filled, capped, and labeled, ready for pick up back at the gift shop.

 At one time, they used to bottle the bourbon in special containers to increase sales.  Although no longer done, some of the containers have become collectables, demanding a good price.

  The Rainbow Trout container...

 and the PGA container.

 Although Jim Beam sells different bourbons, they all start from the same recipe, and leave the final results up to the temperature and amount of years that it is stored.  In this chart as an example, the bourbon sold under the Knob Creek label is taken from the locations in the lighter X shaped area.

 The 13 million and 14 million barrels produced. (April 2014 and May 2016)

 We finished the tour in the tasting room.  After viewing the different varieties sold, we were given a card with a chip in it that allowed us to taste up to 1.5 ounces in 3 different pours...and a shot glass.

 Yes, Grammie went back to school and received her Mixology Degree...or was it just a bartender?

 Alice and Jim Beam, the 4th in a line of 7 Master Distillers.

Over the years, production has resulted in 80 buildings for storage in the process.  They are not in the same location as a fire in a building would only take about 7 or 8 minutes to destroy the building.

Thanks for following Grammie.