Kentucky Bourbon

Bourbon has a legal definition: made in the United States from a mash of at least fifty-one percent corn, aged in new charred oak barrels, and nothing added but water. The new-barrel rule is what makes it taste as it does, pulling vanilla and caramel out of the toasted wood, and it is why the world's scotch industry buys its second-hand barrels. Although it can legally be made anywhere in the country, the overwhelming majority comes from Kentucky, where limestone water and a climate that swings between hot summers and cold winters pushes the spirit in and out of the wood. Distilleries from the old names to small newcomers open for tours, and the Bourbon Trail links them, with the warehouses, rickhouses full of barrels and the smell of the angels' share the real attraction.

What you actually see

• The rickhouses - barrel warehouses stacked to the roof, and the smell inside.
• A working distillery - mash, fermenters, column stills and the barrel line.
• Barrel charring - the new oak set alight before filling.
• A tasting flight - comparing mash bills, ages and barrel proof.

When to go

Spring and autumn are the most pleasant; distilleries run year-round but the big names book out at weekends and in October, so reserve tours ahead. Some distilleries do not run production in the hottest weeks of summer, so ask if seeing the stills working matters.

Honest expectations

Tastings mean drinking, and Kentucky's distilleries are spread across country roads, so a driver, a tour bus or a designated non-drinker is essential rather than optional. Tours at the famous names sell out weeks ahead and are pricier than the small distilleries, which are often more interesting. Some sites are visitor centres rather than working plants.

Nearby

Louisville and Lexington bracket the region; the horse farms of the Bluegrass are around Lexington.