Breakfast is served. The biscuits were good and the sausage gravy was a lot better than I expected, a decent breakfast



The view from the hotel room, looks like it’s going to be a nice day



9am and time for some retail therapy

New Riff has some good stuff. Looking forward to hearing about your tour.

Best place for that is the bin!

I am really surprised that you actually ate this, knowing a little bit about how fussy you are with food (egg and pea purée, anyone?)

I tried this concoction when I visited Oshkosh last year; vile! Urgh! Just no….

Something I can help with for once! There is a FIRST Robotics Competition is going on in Cincinatti this weeekend. If you get bored later today, there is a livestream...

https://frc-events.firstinspires.org/2026/OHMV

Meat and starch, always a winner None of that disgusting green stuff

Currently sat in McDs for a shake and a spicy sausage and egg McMuffin. Three bites and it’s beaten me, it is SPICY!

Time to head back to the hotel to drop off my shopping haul and then off to Party Source

This by someone who comes from a country where beans on toast is a common meal? Gotcha.
🤔

First Stop was goodwill as I’d never been in one, it was enourmous



Stop 2 Kroger for drugs and candy




Stop 3 was One Stop Liquor. As soon as I walked in I was greeted with “no photography!” Charming! I guess they saw me take a picture of the store outside




They had some blantons bundled with some junk I don’t want an a couple of store picks but nothing good enough to part me from my money given their charm.

Stop 4 was the aforementioned McDonald’s and now it’s time to go see just how big this party source store really is

Sure the "gravy" is Campbells condensed mushroom soup Nice enough, although the turkey patties, pork or chicken sauage are nothing like ones from the UK.
Everything seems to be artifically flavoured and mass produced....

Stayed at 4 HIX recently in the US and all were pretty much the same room design and breakfast menu. The one at PDX Airport did have plastic plates rather then paper.
Nice that they have full sized fridges in the rooms. I normally pop to Safeway, Walmart or wherever and stock up on a few supplies.

Free coffee all day (Costa apparently), although nohing special.....

Gas prices in the photo look better than in Oregon. Most around $4.99 a gallon there (although did fill up for $4.33 by going 10 mins down the road).

Party source is ridiculous! 100,000 square feet according to one of the staff.










Ridiculously large and an enormous selection of bourbon. Nothing bought as they open at 10am tomorrow so they will be the case filler. There is a 10yo basil Hayden with my name on it

After well over an hour wandering the shop it was time to head to the distillery immediately next door.




Being half an hour early I headed up to the bar on the third floor








Dealers choice on a flight and she picked the feature single barrel bourbons, very very nice.

I would concur, that's a pretty standard U.S. HIEx room size. Generally they offer a single King or two Queens (both U.S. versions, so a UK King is a U.S. Queen, but 2" shorter, and a U.S. King is a UK Super King but 4" wider and 2" longer). The rooms are generally sized to fit a pair of Queens, and the Kings get a slightly larger seating area out of it. I have noticed the UK/EU HIEx tend more fitted to the bed option, so I don't know if they have multiple room sizes.

As you've found out, the U.S. HIEx Breakfast is basic and limited, but generally does the job, much like the UK versions. The French ones are quite a bit better. IMO.

Start as you mean to go on

Heinz baked beans on toast is delicious, no comparison. Especially with a bit of cheddar cheese grated on top of the beans.

Biscuits and gravy looks like a dog has been sick over a scone.

It was a very interesting tour, an almost brand new distillery with an I retesting start up. The mash bills are very high rye so everything is a bit more fiery that I prefer.

I liked that there were multiple little tastings as the tour proceeded, very civilised













I was looking forward to trying the silver grove but it’s not for me, turned my mouth as dry as sand, I’m not grown up enough for that one

Overall a very good tour, I’d recommend it. It doesn’t have the pizzazz of the bigger distilleries but it was interesting

Pure milk? Was the coffee too strong or what happened to you?