Adventures of Clay and Pam

We have just returned from a wonderful visit with Scott and Sandy as they near their one year anniversary. They are such terrific hosts! We golfed, went to Maker's Mark distillery, ate at wonderful restaurants, visited and visited. Scott cooked out for us one night and we had game night at their house another night. Really a great time. I wish I could see them more often, but luckily there is email and the telephone to keep up. Here are some pictures. One of our afternoons was spent at the Louisville Home-arama where we oogled over nearly 6,000 sq ft houses that were decorated beautifully. Who would want to clean and air condition 6,000 sq ft? Who could afford that much furniture?

The photo below that looks like a big vat of goo is just that. It is an open vat in some stage of becoming bourbon. Yeasty and bubbling. This is where the sour mash ferments, producing the alcohol that will eventually become bourbon. These 12 foot deep cypress vats hold about 9,300 gallons of sour mash. We were able to stick our fingers in it to taste it. There were two vats and the tour guide could tell which one was closer to being "done" but they tasted very close to the same to me. So, imagine that. Clay, Scott, Sandy and I (along with 30 other people in various stages of hygeine) have all repeatedly stuck our fingers in this stuff and you will eventually be drinking it. I suppose any fly that tries a taste test could possibly be there for good as well.