The famous Buffalo Trace water tower, standing watch over barrel warehouse C.

BuffaloTraceDistillerywhiskeyBourbonFrankfortwatertowerbarrelwarehouserickhouse

A flowering Paulownia tree between warehouses C and H.

BuffaloTraceDistillerywhiskeyBourbonFrankfortPaulowniatreeflowers

Barrel warehouse C. This is a masonry warehouse, incorporating both local limestone and brick.

BuffaloTraceDistillerywhiskeyBourbonFrankfortbarrelwarehouserickhouse

Magnolia in bloom outside a first floor window of Warehouse C.

BuffaloTraceDistillerywhiskeyBourbonFrankfortbarrelwarehouserickhousewindowflowers

Barrel Warehouse H, where Blanton's Single Barrel Bourbon is aged. One of the few iron clad warehouses at this distillery.

BuffaloTraceDistillerywhiskeyBourbonFrankfortbarrelwarehouserickhouse

Mash Cooker #1, capacity 10,100 gallons.

BuffaloTraceDistillerywhiskeyBourbonFrankfortmashcooker

Mash Fermenter, capacity about 92,000 gallons. These are huge. When full they look innocent enough, but when empty it is like gazing into a canyon.

The duct just above the surface draws off the CO2 generated by the fermentation. Without this ventilation anyone in the room would suffocate.

BuffaloTraceDistillerywhiskeyBourbonFrankfortmashfermenter

Our tour guide shows us the column still and spirit safes. Distilled spirit passes through one of these vessels after each of the two distillations.

BuffaloTraceDistillerystillspiritsafetailboxbourbonwhiskey

Each spirit safe at the distillery has a buffalo on top. Also notice the buffalo head 'tap' on the side.

BuffaloTraceDistillerystillspiritsafetailboxbourbonwhiskey

Buffalo Trace's 'micro still'. Used for small experimental batch runs. They also hope to use this equipment to offer a 'custom distillation' program for anyone who wishes to craft a barrel of whiskey to their own specifications.

BuffaloTraceDistillerywhiskeyBourbonFrankfortstillcopper

Grain silo

BuffaloTraceDistillerywhiskeyBourbonFrankfortgrainsilo

Dried distiller's grain. After the fermented mash (or distiller's beer) is distilled, the remaining solid grains and liquid are sold to farmers as high quality cattle feed.

Some distilleries sell to local farmers who fill up tanker trucks with the liquid product. It can also be dried as shown here for easier transport.

This grain is highly nutritious aromatic and often shows up in local baking recipes.

BuffaloTraceDistillerywhiskeyBourbonFrankfortdistillersgrainspentcattlefeed

A well known mural on the distillery grounds. The perspective appears to shift and follow you as you walk past!

BuffaloTraceDistillerywhiskeyBourbonFrankfortmuralbarrelwarehouserickhouse

BuffaloTraceDistillerywhiskeyBourbonFrankfortmashfermenter

BuffaloTraceDistillerywhiskeyBourbonFrankfortmashfermenter