A maximum of 10 points will be available for each distillery visit…with 2 points available for “presentation” (basically the first impression the place puts on based on the sites, sounds, friendliness, etc), 3 points for the “experience” (whatever tour or tasting we did…which can include just doing a flight at the bar), 3 points for the Gift Shop (this will encompass all the gift shop has to offer EXCEPT for the final category), and 2 points for bottles exclusive to the distillery.
After hitting Four Roses to begin our second day of distillery tours, we headed to The Colombian Corner, a Colombian restaurant in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. I wanted to experiment with more than bourbon! As I recall, we split the Bandeja Paisa, a traditional Colombian dish including beans, rice, ground beef, Colombian sausage, pork belly, a friend egg, arepa, sweet plantains, and avocado. It was all delicious and a great way to get out of our comfort zone in terms of food when it would have been easier to stop at the McDonald’s across the highway or just opt for the Mexican grill around the corner.
Castle & Key is a newer distillery operation that took over a very old facility…one that Col. E.H. Taylor built as a “destination distillery” back in 1887. It closed in 1920 and fell into ruin before the current owners bought it in 2014 and worked for years to restore the look of the place while getting ready to produce bourbon at the same time.
PRESENTATION
Castle & Key is fantastic to look at. The history of the place is evident everywhere, from the castle-shaped main building to the key-shaped spring where the water comes from. The grounds have a very nice mix of restoration and modern updates and just walking around the grounds is a beautiful experience. It sits on the banks of Glenns Creek and there are nice places to just sit and watch the water flow by while you sip a cocktail.
2/2
EXPERIENCE
The Distillery Experience tour took us through the modern renovations where they make all the bourbon, vodka, gin, and other spirits, as well as touching on all the history of the place. We got to see the castle inside and out, as well as the sunken gardens that are still undergoing restoration, and the old rail lines that used to bring visitors right into the heart of the facility. The space is visually stunning and is available for events, as well.
3/3
GIFT SHOP
Castle & Key had a nice sampling of all their available spirits in the gift shop, as well as apparel (I got a very nice hat), mixers (Kristine got a mixer that they had used in a gin cocktail we sampled at the end of the tour), and trinkets. Prices didn’t seem to be out of reason on anything.
3/3
EXCLUSIVES
I’ve dinged large distilleries for not having any exclusive offerings in the gift shop…and I have to do the same for Castle & Key. The week before we went, they released a “gift shop only” bottle…of course, it was gone in two days. And they apparently don’t have any regular distillery exclusives, so that means nothing that I “have to buy here.”
0/2
This place is spectacular and a sure-fire hit from the standpoint of feeling like you’re walking through a piece of history. We would recommend it to anyone to visit at least one time.
Total 8/10 – Amazing place to visit, but I wished they had something exclusive to pick up.
