Jim Beam Distillery tour

I had a little more free time today.



So, I had to visit a place that Kentucky is known around the world for . . . Bourbon. I toured the Jim Beam Distillery in Clermont, Kentucky. Here are some pics I took at the distillery.

This first picture is the road side sign at the entrance.

They had a building called the American Outpost that was a combination vistor center, gift shop, museum, and auditorium. They had various artifacts and some displays that showed the distillation process. They also showed a 13 minute movie about the history of the Beam family and the bourbon production process. There are actually laws governing the production of bourbon such as alcohol strength (proof), aging process, and flavor. The Beam family started producing their first Bourbon for sale in 1795. Bourbon became very popular and was even used as payment/currency by many persons. In fact, Abraham Lincoln's father sold his original farm where Abraham Lincoln was born for the sum of $20 and 20 barrels of bourbon. He could use the bourbon to buy other things he needed.

After distillation, the bourbon is placed into the oak barrels like the one pictured here for the aging process. The barrels hold 53 gallons of bourbon.


The barrels are actually burned/scorched on the insides to help flavor the bourbon while it is stored.

When the bourbon is first distilled it is actually clear. After aging in the barrels for several years, the bourbon takes on the golden brown color that is normally seen on the bottles on the shelf.

The oak barrels actually give the bourbon it's color and much of it's flavor.

The aging takes from 4 to 9 years or more depending on the grade of the bourbon. The barrels are stored for aging in many warehouses on the Beam property.

This picture is one of those warehouses.

Here's some pictures of the barrels aging inside this warehouse.

The plaque below was displayed on the front of this warehouse.

Barrels can only be used once for bourbon production. The production of the barrels became a big business. The building where they were produced was called a Cooper Shop.

Here's a picture of a Cooper Shop that has been restored at the Beam property.

The following pictures are inside the Cooper shop showing the various tools and processes used to produce the barrels.

This picture is of the Jim Beam fire truck restored and on display at the property.

This picture is the house where many of the Beam family members have lived.

We were invited in to tour the downstairs of the house and were offered a free sample of some of the Beam's bourbon. On the day I visited, we were served the BOOKER brand of bourbon. This was one of the older smaller batch bourbons produced by the Beam family.



Bye,
GLENN