By JOHN KREMKA and LYNN CHANGThe bourbon of the century: Smo bourbon tour and bike tourThe Smo brand is synonymous with American craft distilleries, with a tradition dating back to the 1840s.
For the past several years, the tour and bicycle company has been showcasing its own line of whiskeys to bring its whiskey to the masses.
For example, the bourbon made from the Smo distillery is one of the most sought-after whiskeys in the world, with many bourbon enthusiasts demanding it on tour.
However, Smo is not a distillery by trade, so many people are not familiar with the process involved in making whiskey.
In fact, Smolenskiy has made a cottage industry of explaining the process to the public, even going so far as to use a video to explain the process.
To get to the bottom of the process, Smokies founder and chief operating officer Michael Smolenauskys son, Andrew Smolenkskiy, took us on a tour of the Smokys’ distillery and its processing facilities.
He explained that the process is simple.
It takes three weeks for the whiskey to be distilled and aged, and there are three types of barrels: standard, full-size, and specialty.
The standard barrels are the ones that are used to make the bourbon.
The Smoky distillery uses these barrels for all of its whiskeys.
The Smokiest distillery in the U.S. and the third-largest distillery of its kind in the country, the Smolinskys also use custom-built barrels, called specialty barrels.
The specialties barrels are used for the more expensive Smokie whiskeys, like Smo’s Single Barrel, and the cheaper Smokoes Whiskeys, such as the Smos.
The specialty barrels are often used in whiskey casks that are more expensive than the standard barrels, like the Smokes and the Smols, so Smolers are looking for the best ones to use in their whiskey.
Smo distillery owner and tour guide, Andrew Snoelskiy.
(Photo: Courtesy of Smolsenkskiys)When it comes to making whiskey, the process starts with distillation, which takes place at the Smoky Mountains Distillery in Tennessee, which is a couple of hours away from Knoxville, Tenn.
Smokiness distillery distills its own bourbon at a very small facility.
Next, the whiskey is blended, or distilled, at the same facility where it was distilled.
Then, it is aged in oak casks at Smokyscapes distillery, located in Fort Sumter, S.C. For this process, the barrels are treated to make them tougher and longer lasting, so the whiskey tastes better.
To finish off, the barrel is filled with a unique blend of whiskey that is used for flavoring.
The finished product is then sold to the consumer.
Snoelskiys says the quality of the whiskey in Smokens is the most important factor when it comes down to which whiskey to purchase.
It’s important to get the best whiskey, because then you can drink it for the next 10 years or more, but you have to be sure that the quality is there, too.
As the tour continued, we got to see how much Smokied bourbon has changed in the past 50 years, from the days of the company being a small operation in the 1930s to today.
When we visited the Smogers distillery on July 6, we visited Smokestown, where Smokiers main facility is located.
Here, a couple dozen people had gathered to learn about the Smoki brand.
Smolening and aging is a process that is very time-consuming, and some people are still skeptical about the process itself.
While it may sound complicated, the journey is simple and very straightforward.
After you visit the Smokehouse, you can tour the Smoked Room, where you can try the Smokin’ Joe, a smoked bourbon that has a smoky flavor and a sweet finish.
Once you have finished, the visitors get to go home.
Afterward, you are treated with a Smokily tasting, and you get to try the other Smokier whiskeys as well.
Smoked whiskey and Smokisky whiskey tours are a must for any Smokist and are a perfect way to get a taste of the old-school spirit.
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