This award comes after Buffalo Trace was named “American Whisky Visitor Attraction of the Year” last November as part of Whisky Magazine’s “Icons of the Industry” regional finals. After garnering the American title, Buffalo Trace went on to compete with distilleries from around the world before being named “Whisky Visitor Attraction of the Year” for the entire industry.

“This is so exciting and such an honor,” said Elizabeth Hurst, visitor center manager. “We are always trying to improve our tour to draw new visitors, while encouraging old friends to return. This really validates the efforts of everyone at Buffalo Trace in welcoming our guests and giving them a memorable experience.” In recent months Buffalo Trace has added a new cooperage display and the Warehouse D Annex to the tour route. Later this spring new trails along the river will be opened as well as the Firehouse Cafe, giving visitors even more opportunities to explore the historic distillery.

Whisky Magazine has been presenting the “Icons” awards for a decade. The judging process starts with regional competitions in the U.S. and Scotland. Then it is opened to the rest of the world, including Japan, Canada and Ireland. Those honored by making the shortlist then competed for the worldwide title.

To learn more about Whisky Magazine’s “Icons of the Industry” awards visit www.whiskymag.com. For more information on visiting Buffalo Trace Distillery please visit www.buffalotrace.com.

About Buffalo Trace Buffalo Trace Distillery is a family-owned company based in Franklin County, Kentucky. The distillery’s rich distilling tradition dates back to 1787 and has included such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee. Buffalo Trace is a fully operational distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Buffalo Trace has won seven distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Malt Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Buffalo Trace has also garnered more than 200 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies.

SOURCE Buffalo Trace Distillery www.prnewswire.com Copyright (C) 2010 PR Newswire. All rights reserved -0-

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“The rich tradition of Kentucky bourbon is intertwined with our nation’s storied past,” said Eric Gregory, president of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association. “It’s fueled the economy of Kentucky and played a vital role in the culture, heritage and history of America.”

In fact, George Washington had the largest whiskey distillery in the 18th century, Gregory said.

Visitors can learn more about Kentucky bourbon along the famous Kentucky Bourbon Trail®. Several of the Trail’s eight legendary distilleries are open during this holiday weekend. All hours are Eastern Standard Time:

Buffalo Trace, Frankfort – open Friday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., closed Sunday.

Four Roses, Lawrenceburg – open Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., last tour at 3:00 p.m., closed Sunday.

Heaven Hill, Bardstown – open Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday noon to 4 p.m.

Jim Beam, Clermont – open Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Maker’s Mark, Loretto – open Friday and Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Sunday tours 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m.

Tom Moore, Bardstown – Closed for tours Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Wild Turkey, Lawrenceburg – Tours Friday at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Gift shop will be open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed on Saturday and Sunday.

Woodford Reserve, Versailles – Tours Friday at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Closed Saturday. Tours on Sunday at 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Visit www.kybourbontrail.com for more information on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

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“We are ecstatic about this transaction,” said Mark Brown, president and CEO of Buffalo Trace Distillery. “Part of our family is returning and we are thrilled to welcome home a true bourbon whiskey pioneer.”

Taylor, the great-nephew of President Zachary Taylor, briefly lived with his great-uncle after the death of his parents. He later moved to Kentucky where he was adopted by his uncle, Col. E.H. Taylor, Sr. Following in his uncle’s footsteps, Taylor went on to be a leader in the Frankfort community. He served as mayor from 1871-1887 as well as a local state representative to the Kentucky General Assembly and a member of the State Senate.

Taylor’s link to Buffalo Trace dates back to 1870 when he first purchased the distillery and took on the daunting task of modernization. He later named the distillery O.F.C. (Old Fire Copper) and continued to invest large sums of money, making it a leader in the industry.

Taylor over-extended himself financially in an effort to use the most modern equipment to make the finest bourbon whiskey available. The end result of Taylor’s financial difficulties was the sale of O.F.C. to George T. Stagg. However, even with Taylor out of the picture, the new owner moved forward using his name, as it was synonymous with fine bourbon whiskey. The award-winning Buffalo Trace Distillery is proud to carry on the legacy of this great pioneer.

“It’s an exciting, new opportunity for us,” said Harlen Wheatley, master distiller. “We are very proud of the bourbon we produce at Buffalo Trace and to be able to carry on what E.H. Taylor started more than a century ago is a real honor.”

For more information about Buffalo Trace Distillery please visit www.buffalotrace.com. To learn more about the other award-winning bourbons of Buffalo Trace please go to www.greatbourbon.com.

About Buffalo Trace

Buffalo Trace Distillery is a family-owned company based in Franklin County, Kentucky. The distillery’s rich distilling tradition dates back to 1787 and has included such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee. Buffalo Trace is a fully operational distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Buffalo Trace has won seven distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Malt Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Buffalo Trace has also garnered more than 170 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. The distillery is part of the Sazerac family of companies, which has operations in New Orleans, Louisiana; Franklin County, Bardstown and Owensboro, Kentucky; Fredericksburg, Virginia and Baltimore, Maryland.

SOURCE Buffalo Trace Distillery

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“This caucus offers a solid base of bipartisan support for one of Kentucky’s most important industries and largest employers,” said Congressman Yarmuth. “Congressman Guthrie and I both agreed it was important to create a working group that would advocate for this critical part of the Commonwealth’s economy.”

“I am proud to co‐chair this caucus with Congressman Yarmuth, as we strive to promote one of Kentucky’s signature industries,” Congressman Guthrie said. “The bourbon industry is a vital part of the Commonwealth’s heritage that provides thousands of jobs, and this bipartisan caucus will ensure that the industry’s impact is valued.”

Seventeen Members of Congress from across the nation have signed on as original members of the caucus, and more are expected to join in the weeks ahead.

Over 95 percent of the bourbon produced in the world is distilled and aged in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, where the alcoholic beverage industry employs over 43,000 Kentuckians. Over $3 billion of the gross state product in Kentucky is generated by distilled spirits and over 500,000 visitors annually tour the Commonwealth’s Bourbon Trail.

Read the Full Story: The Chuck Cowdery Blog: Congressional Bourbon Caucus Formed. or Kentucky Bourbon Has New Special Interest Group

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Bourbon and Kentucky
Kentucky and bourbon go hand in hand as Kentucky provides 95 percent of the world’s bourbon. The state’s Bourbon Trail connects seven of the state’s more prominent bourbon distillers. Bourbon is a unique spirit, different from whisky in that it must have at least 50 percent corn, at least 17 percent rye, and be aged in new charred white oak barrels. Early settlers to the area included many Scotch or Irish immigrants and their descendants, and they brought with them to America their whiskey-making skills. Corn was a native crop growing abundantly in Kentucky, and there was also seemingly unlimited supply of clean, calcium-filled, iron-free water that had been distilling for millions of years in the state’s limestone beds; both of these are critical components of the whiskey-making process. Farmers new to the area soon began distilling their surplus corn using the limestone water, producing a new kind of whiskey. When farmers began shipping their bourbon down the Mississippi River to New Orleans they used new barrels made from white oak—which are native to the state—as shipping containers; these oak barrels ‘mellowed’ the whiskey, further setting this unique kind of whiskey apart from others. Later, it became customary for the distillers to use barrels that had been charred on the inside; this process provided the whiskey with a smoother taste and its distinctive amber color. During the early 1800s, corn whiskey produced in other parts of central Kentucky finally came to be known as bourbon whiskey.

The Bourbon Chase Course
This race will showcase the best of Kentucky in the autumn months. Runners will begin at the Jim Beam Distillery American Outpost & Homestead in Clermont, Kentucky, and continue on to Bardstown, the Bourbon Capital of the World. In the charming city of Bardstown, runners will run through the grounds of Heaven Hill, the largest family-owned distillery in the world, and then head to the charming town of Loretto, home to the historic and beautiful Maker’s Mark distillery. From Loretto the course runs through Lebanon, where most of the state’s bourbon barrels are made. The course then passes through and along some of the state’s Kentucky’s most historic areas, including Perryville Battlefield, the site of a Civil War battle, and Stanford, the second oldest city in Kentucky. Runners will then head north and pass through Danville, the site where the state’s first constitution was written, and Harrodsburg, which was established as Fort Harrod in 1774 and was the first permanent settlement west of the Alleghenies.

The course then takes runners back into distillery country, starting with Four Roses and Wild Turkey, both in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. Runners will then cross the Tyrone Bridge, several hundred feet above the Kentucky River, in Anderson County and enter the official gateway to Horse Country. This section of the course, heading toward Woodford Reserve, will undoubtedly serve as the most stunning because of its rolling bluegrass countryside and picturesque horse farms.

Continuing north, runners will run through Frankfort—the state’s capital. Here runners will pass the abandoned castle of the Old Taylor Distillery, once a tourist destination itself for Washington and Kentucky’s elite. The course then takes runners through historic downtown Frankfort where they will run by the ‘old’ (1830) and new (1910) Capitol buildings, the Governor’s Mansion, and of course, the Buffalo Trace Distillery, one of only four distilleries permitted by the federal government to continue producing through prohibition for ‘medicinal’ purposes.

Runners will leave Frankfort heading east, and pass through Midway, home of Midway College, one of the state’s leading colleges focusing on equine professions. As runners wind their way out of Midway and down the scenic back roads of the Bluegrass Region, the course will run near Keeneland, a beautiful track and thoroughbred sales complex, which is home to several Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cups prep races, most notable of which is the Blue Grass Stakes. Runners will then head for the finish line in downtown Lexington, near the storied Rupp Arena. The celebration will include live music, food, and of course, bourbon. All runners will receive a Bourbon Chase medal and shirt.

The Finish Line
Lexington calls itself the Horse Capital of the World, and there are many good reasons why. In addition to Keeneland, Lexington is also home to the Kentucky Horse Park, the world’s only equine educational park, recreation area, and museum. The Kentucky Horse Park is also where many of the world’s greatest racing thoroughbreds come to retire. Also boosting Lexington’s claim as Horse Capital of the World is its role of host of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, which will feature more than 50 breeds on 1,200 rolling Bluegrass acres.

Race Details
For this inaugural Bourbon Chase, start times will be determined based on each team’s average pace. The first teams will begin on October 9 at 9:00 am and waves of teams will leave every 15 minutes. Each team member will runner three legs of the 36-leg race; the length of each leg will vary but will be no shorter than 3.8 miles and no longer than 8.2 miles. All teams will be expected to finish the course in under a pace of 11 minutes per mile. Further, all runners must be 21 to participate in this libations-themed race.

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LEXINGTON, Ky. – The world-famous Kentucky Bourbon Trail today introduced a new logo, brochure, souvenir passport and commemorative t-shirt to mark its 10th anniversary and to celebrate National Travel and Tourism Week.

“This is a significant milestone for one of Kentucky’s most popular tourism attractions,” said Eric Gregory, President of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association. “It’s also a perfect opportunity to introduce a fresh new look that reflects the growing bourbon revolution.”

The KDA formed the Kentucky Bourbon Trail in 1999 after witnessing tourism and marketing opportunities in California’s wine country and Scotland’s whisky trails. Since then, millions of visitors from around the world have made the pilgrimage to Kentucky, the birthplace of bourbon.

The Trail features eight historic distilleries nestled among the beautiful Bluegrass scenery: Buffalo Trace, Four Roses, Heaven Hill, Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Tom Moore, Wild Turkey and Woodford Reserve.

All participated in the unveiling of the new Kentucky Bourbon Trail “brand” at the Bluegrass Hospitality Association’s annual tourism forum in Lexington. “The new image combines our proud history of crafting fine bourbon with a contemporary look and feel,” Gregory said.

Rich brown and amber colors highlight the new logo, along with a sleek modern script over a bourbon barrel. The new brochure showcases each distillery and provides details about their unique tours.

Visitors also will now have a new keepsake – a souvenir passport. Guests who collect stamps at all distilleries can redeem the passport for a free Kentucky Bourbon Trail t-shirt. This year’s shirt commemorates the 10th anniversary of the Trail.

Gregory also encouraged bourbon enthusiasts to visit the Trail’s new Facebook page. A revised web site (www.kybourbontrail.com) and Twitter page are in the works and should be launched soon, Gregory said.

“Just like great bourbon, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail gets better with age,” Gregory said. “And just like the millions of barrels sleeping at our legendary distilleries, the best is yet to come. It’s the experience of a lifetime, 200 years in the making.”

For more information, contact Eric Gregory at (502) 875-9351 or (859) 771-1050

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LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Organizers of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail will unveil a new logo to celebrate its 10th anniversary.

The tour of eight distilleries allows visitors to get a glimpse into production from start to finish.

The new logo will be revealed Wednesday morning at the Lexington Convention Center during the Bluegrass Hospitality Association Tourism Forum. Maker’s Mark President Bill Samuels will be the keynote speaker.

Along with Maker’s Mark, other bourbon makers featured on the trail are Buffalo Trace at Frankfort, Wild Turkey and Four Roses near Lawrenceburg, Heaven Hill and Tom Moore at Bardstown, Jim Beam at Clermont and Woodford Reserve near Versailles.

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Kentucky Bourbon Trail: www.kybourbontrail.com

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