You may know this: we love whisky. It’s a huge part of our town’s history. Perth's  main street is lined with old barrels and stories. We love continuing to pen Perth’s whisky history after a century long drought. 

At Top Shelf Distillers we foster an Always Be Learning culture for our team. We take frequent trips to visit other distilleries across North America to immerse ourselves in whisky (not literally but that does sound tasty). 

Madison, an excellent distillery tour guide and member of our storefront team, has a background in Biochemistry which is at the core of what we do. Madison, along with some other members of the Top Shelf team, travelled to Kentucky to visit some iconic distilleries in the south. 

Check out Madison’s highlights from the trip: 

Woodford Reserve Distillery - Versailles, Kentucky 

With over 100 years of experience there is a lot one can learn from touring Woodford’s distillery. They have taken a traditional approach to fermentation with open cypress fermenters as most companies now use metal. Woodford makes three main bourbons and whiskeys and some limited-edition small batch releases. 

Copper Pot Stills at Woodford Reserve

Rabbit Hole Distillery - Louisville, Kentucky 

Rabbit hole is a much younger distillery founded in 2012 but has already made a name for itself as a hotspot on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. They have four bourbons and whiskeys that are named after storied locations in the region. My favourite being named after Cavehill cemetery - the final resting place for some historic American figures. Top Shelf Distillers has taken inspiration from them in the way we have branded our whisky line after the famous trails in the Lanark Highlands. 

Open Fermenters at Rabbit Hole Distillery

Jeptha Creed Distillery - Shelbyville, Kentucky 

Jeptha Creed is another distillery that is newer to the game - opening in 2016 but has been one of the main innovators to the bourbon game. They have experimented with different types of corn for their mash and have created exceptional products. This has inspired us to experiment with many different kinds of grain when formulating contemporary and exciting new styles of whisky. 

A bespoke, specialty barrel at Jeptha Creed Distillery.