TOWN BRANCH BOURBON .... A New Distillery on The Trail

THE LEXINGTON BREWING & DISTILLING COMPANY

TOWN BRANCH BOURBON 

The newest addition to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail is the Lexington Brewing & Distilling Company located on 401 Cross Street, Lexington, KY.  http://www.kentuckyale.com

The brewing and distilling company was founded in 2000 by Dr. Pearse Lyons, an Irishmen whose family worked as coopers supplying barrels to distilleries in Ireland.    Lyons is the president and founder of animal nutrition company Alltech, an animal health and nutrition company, focusing on natural solutions to agriculture and food industry challenges.  It actually all goes together. 

Pearse Lyons  graduated from the University College of Dublin with a degree in biochemistry.  He worked for Harp while in college and decided to become a brewer attending the British School of Malting and Brewing completing a doctorate in brewing.  He came to Kentucky in 1976  to start a company focused on fermentation expertise to help brewers.  He then turned his attention to animal feed believing that yeasts, enzymes and certain bacteria would help animals utilize feed more efficiently.  Today it is a global animal and health company with a presence in 128 countries.

This building originally housed the generator for an ice house.  It has been restored to a beautiful interior.

When the Lexington Brewing Company closed in 1999, Dr Lyons purchased the facilities and started a brewery .  

To do the tour, they charge $7 per person and you are given four tickets (each) to sample three of the bourbons and five of the beers so choose wisely.  

The bourbons include Town Branch Bourbon named after the river that Lexington was founded on; Pearse Lyons Reserve and Bluegrass Sundown a bourbon-infused coffee drink that when mixed with boiling water and topped with a layer of heavy cream makes a yummy after dinner drink.

 Kentucky Ale Meets Bourbon Barrel:  Within hours of Kentucky bourbon leaving the barrel, Kentucky Ale takes up residence for six-weeks in the used cask.  This creates an interesting flavor and fragrance; definitely improves the body of the beer.

The brews include Kentucky Ale, Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale stored is used distillery barrels like Woodford Reserve.   Kentucky Kolsch, Kentucky Stout which is brewed with coffee beans giving it a very rich and full bodied flavor and Kentucky IPA, a light hop with a bite.

 Beer is stored in used Woodford Reserve Distillery barrels.  I'm beginning to like the Kentucky Bourbon Ales.  

Aside from the Bluegrass Sundown, I preferred the ales to the bourbon.