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.
Almost right next door to Wild Turkey is another distillery that I pencilled into our official visit list…assuming we had enough time. After leaving Turkey, we pointed the vehicle back toward Lawrenceburg’s downtown so we could get lunch…but we decided to stop at Larrikin Bourbon Company on the way.
PRESENTATION
Larrikin definitely doesn’t have the “presence” of Wild Turkey, Woodford Reserve, Maker’s Mark (the list actually does go on, but I won’t)…and being a “micro-distillery” or “boutique distillery” or whatever the term is, you wouldn’t expect it to compete with those places in terms of visual impact when you pull into the parking lot. Still, there was something very charming and fun about the low-key roadside attraction aspect of the place…it looks almost like a local roadside vegetable stand (you know, the ones that also sell boiled peanuts, local jams and jellies, and maybe even used whiskey barrels at amazingly low prices). Once inside, the front portion is a store with fairly dim lighting, but still neatly decorated and clean.
1.5/2
EXPERIENCE
We opted for a tasting flight at Larrikin, mostly because neither of us had ever even heard of the brand before this trip, much less tried it. The bartender in the tasting room was knowledgeable about everything they had on the menu and walked us through the flight before we started, offering little insights on each thing we tried. Based on the flight, we ended up buying the American Maple Bourbon and I think I ended up getting a pour of the Cigar Lounge Bourbon so I could decide whether or not it was worth the fairly expensive price tag…it was! While this wasn’t a full tour, I think it was definitely a very nice experience. This is the only place on the Bourbon Trail that has a fully stocked humidor with a very nice cigar selection…and they let you smoke outside. Unfortunately, it was cold and windy that day…and we needed to head to lunch…so we didn’t get a chance to light up.
2.5/3
GIFT SHOP
The gift shop had quite a few items in it…not as extensive as some of the larger distilleries, but enough to be of interest and it seemed to be very well-stocked with the different types of bourbon and other whiskies they offer. They also have a nice website and will ship directly to your door
3/3
EXCLUSIVES
While not a true exclusive, the Cigar Lounge was a very limited run and they claimed to have sold out all they had taken to the Bourbon & Beyond festival a month or so before we visited. I did see it at another store while we were in Kentucky, but it is definitely a hard-to-find “almost exclusive” bottle of whiskey.
1.5/2
The owner of Larrikin is Greg Keeley, a gentleman who had the distinction of serving in both the Royal Australian Navy and United States Navy, as well as with the Australian Federal Police. After his tours of service, he settled in Kentucky and named this distillery after a favorite Aussie term…Larrikin, which is slang for “maverick.” We didn’t get to meet him while we were there, but I’d like to return sometime when the weather’s a little warmer and hang out with him to smoke a cigar and drink some bourbon. Seems like he’s probably got some good stories about a wide variety of subjects.
Total 8.5/10 – Larrikin would have gotten an extra half-point if it hadn’t been so chilly outside because I would have fired up a cigar and enjoyed that immensely with their bourbon. This is a cool place to visit.
BONUS!
I’m really not sure when I would get time to review all the whiskies we brought back from this last trip to Kentucky, so I’m going to sneak a review of the Larrikin American Maple here…This is a small batch bourbon finished in maple syrup casks, non-chill filtered, and bottled at 90 proof (45% ABV).
I was wary of this stuff because the first maple bourbon I got was Knob Creek Smoked Maple…and it tastes kinda like they poured a few bottles of maple syrup into the barrel, swished it around, then bottled the result. It’s so strong as to be off-putting…I can’t drink it neat, but a half shot in coffee is fine and drizzling a little over bacon about halfway through its time in the oven makes for a dynamite breakfast meat.
But anyway, this American Maple turned out to not be anything like that. It is a dark coppery red in the glass. The barrels for this bourbon actually start with Larrikin Bourbon, but when they are dumped they go off to Wisconsin to a maple farm where they age syrup for about five months…before shipping them right back home. The result is the faintest of maple notes on the nose, alongside notes of honey and oak.
Taking a sip, there’s a good sweetness up front that has notes of honey and vanilla, with just that slight maple syrup note mixed in. Being non-chill filtered, it does have a bit of an oily mouth feel, even at a relatively low 90 proof. Toward the finish, it took on more of an oaky note and there was some low-burn, almost-cinnamon pepperiness. All in all, a nice bourbon that punches beyond its proof point, but is just a little more money than I would like to pay. It is a $70 bottle whereas I felt like it drinks more like something around $50.
