Bourbon. My Old Friend

I love bourbon. It is pure perfection. Just all that goes into its existence is Harry Potter-level magic.

Whiskey has been a part of my life in some form or fashion for the last 20 years. It is an amazing industry filled with even greater people. It has given me the opportunity to travel the world and build lasting friendships—some with men who wear kilts. Yum.

I worked at Buffalo Trace Distillery for nearly eight years. There, I had the honor of serving on the tasting panel. Yes. I tasted bourbon every damn day and got paid for it. Did I spit or swallow, you ask? Depends on the kind of day I was having.

Bourbon is more than a drink for me. Bourbon is a time machine. From the moment I remove the cork, I’m filled with emotion and flooded with memories. I’ve even been known to shed a tear or two with my first sip.

The memories range from my giving a tour to a particularly enthusiastic group, to a walk through a centuries-old warehouse and smelling the angel’s share (the glorious scent produced from evaporating whiskey). It could be a trip to the still house to sample white dog (whiskey right off the still. A.K.A moonshine) and then sticking my finger in a fermenter to sample the corny goodness. There are also the memories of WhiskyFests spent with friends throughout the industry and around the world (Yay! Sexy, foreign accents!). There is just so much running through my head with every sip. It is sometimes overwhelming.

I mostly think about the people. I have had amazing encounters with industry legends that whiskey geeks (Yes. They are totally a thing.) would kill for. The first person I met in the industry was the man who created the single barrel bourbon, Elmer T. Lee.

It happened after my first distillery tour, which happened to be at Buffalo Trace. On completion of the tour, my husband and I made our way back to the gift shop and there was a kindly, old gentleman in his 80s who engaged us in conversation. He proceeded to educate us on bourbon for the next hour. As we prepared to leave, he gave me his card and said to reach out any time. I was mesmerized. And hooked. I told my husband right then and there, “This is what I want to do. I need to be a part of this.”

A couple of weeks later, I was in the liquor store and perusing the bourbon aisle. I almost shit my pants. I see this bottle that says Elmer T. Lee with a picture of the man we had recently spoken with after our tour. I immediately went rummaging through my wallet for his card. Sure enough! We had been speaking with a man who had a damn bourbon named after him! After much internet research, I kind of lost my mind. This dude was a freaking rock star! He was so modest and unassuming. To be honest, I was drawn to him because he bore a strong resemblance to my grandfather. Yes. I bought that bottle of bourbon. It is fucking delicious.

After nearly three years of stalking and hounding, Buffalo Trace created a public relations position and I was hired for the job. I got to see Elmer every week when he came in to taste for his bourbon. I traveled all over the country with him to whiskey events. He was such a class act. He never let me down on a media interview—even though he was known to be a bit off-color at times. This just made me love him more. Elmer lived to be 93 years-old and we shared some amazing times. I think of him and miss him often.

The whiskey industry is a very special one. I’m fortunate enough to still be involved and work with some great craft distilleries that are putting out some fantastic whiskey. I work with other spirits as well that are tasty AF. However, bourbon is my happy (and sometimes sad) place that I will always come back to when I need an old friend. Like an old friend, a good bourbon will never let you down.

You can follow me on social @kyspiritsgal and check out my pervious blog posts at www.kyspiritsgal.com. Cheers!

Angela Traver

What is this blog about? Well, it's a general blog, but it is also a very specific blog. If you get that reference, you get a gold star! I have been a public relations professional and writer of press releases for more than 20 years—primarily in the booze biz. I decided to do some writing for fun and embrace the humor that gets me through most days. Hopefully it will make you chuckle—or at least smile. I’m a certified crazy magnet, and more than a little nutty myself, so buckle up. Also, I have two vices—profanity and red wine/whiskey. You’ve been warned. It should also be noted, that I’m a HUGE Bob & Sheri fan. I’ve been a listener for more than 20 years. This opportunity is a dream come true and it may have made me cry. That being said, I cry at everything. If you are into booze, dogs, food and/or knitting, hit me up on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter (although I’m terrible at Twitter and it scares me) @kyspiritsgal. You can also find all my previous blog posts at www.kyspiritsgal.com.