Looking to do the Bourbon Tour..
- Thread starter kevcat
- Start date
Buffalo Trace isn’t officially on the tour, but it’s a must see (do the bourbon Pompey Tour). Next best is Makers Mark...dip your own bottle and become an ambassador so you get your name on a barrel down the line. Woodford was a bit of a disappointment...nice but not on par with others as far as the tour goes. Jim Beam is good one too. I’ve done six tours and it gets a little redundant after a few sessions of hearing about the mash, etc. You only get small tastings at any of them, so it’s more about the history and the gift shops. Your tour guide matters, so I hope you get good ones! Cheers!!
I've led tours and been to nearly every major (and most smaller) distilleries. I recommend:
Buffalo Trace (call ahead to schedule the Hardhat Tour or the bourbon Pompeii Tour) - beautiful distillery, great tour
Jim Beam - probably the best overall tour since it has a sort of mini tour, then you see the big operations.
Maker's Mark - prettiest grounds, but in the middle of nowhere comparatively
Castle & Key is historically amazing, but you don't get to taste bourbon or whiskey there (yet). Amazing story and grounds.
Of the newer ones:
Lux Row & Willett are brand new, beautiful, and about 2-4 miles apart. You can do a quick tour and tasting at Heaven Hill while you're there (there's no distillery at Heaven Hill in Bardstown, just the visitor's center and warehouses, which is why I don't recommend it as a tour on its own, but you can often find limited release whiskey in their gift shop).
If you want to do the condensed stuff in downtown Louisville, Old Forester and the Evan Williams Experience are walking distance from each other each can be done in at or under an hour. They're great (especially Old Forester with its in-house warehouse and cooperage), then there are about a thousand bourbon bars around them in downtown.
Buffalo Trace (call ahead to schedule the Hardhat Tour or the bourbon Pompeii Tour) - beautiful distillery, great tour
Jim Beam - probably the best overall tour since it has a sort of mini tour, then you see the big operations.
Maker's Mark - prettiest grounds, but in the middle of nowhere comparatively
Castle & Key is historically amazing, but you don't get to taste bourbon or whiskey there (yet). Amazing story and grounds.
Of the newer ones:
Lux Row & Willett are brand new, beautiful, and about 2-4 miles apart. You can do a quick tour and tasting at Heaven Hill while you're there (there's no distillery at Heaven Hill in Bardstown, just the visitor's center and warehouses, which is why I don't recommend it as a tour on its own, but you can often find limited release whiskey in their gift shop).
If you want to do the condensed stuff in downtown Louisville, Old Forester and the Evan Williams Experience are walking distance from each other each can be done in at or under an hour. They're great (especially Old Forester with its in-house warehouse and cooperage), then there are about a thousand bourbon bars around them in downtown.
Haven't been in 5 or 6 years. The problem is they're all spaced out. Not sure you're realistically going to be able to do the Lexington ones AND the louisville ones in the same day.
We did Woodford and Buffalo Trace. Woodford is just amazing for how.. regal.. it is. Can't think of thwword, but it's some of the nicest farm houses in prestine condition. Then, Buffalo trace reminds me of the old factory layouts, but still very nice. They chrun a lot of bourbon.
I'm sure there are other distilleries that have popped up in that area, but if not, you got Lexington to bop around in.
We did Woodford and Buffalo Trace. Woodford is just amazing for how.. regal.. it is. Can't think of thwword, but it's some of the nicest farm houses in prestine condition. Then, Buffalo trace reminds me of the old factory layouts, but still very nice. They chrun a lot of bourbon.
I'm sure there are other distilleries that have popped up in that area, but if not, you got Lexington to bop around in.
Haven't been yet, but angels envy and rabbit hole look incredible.
Have been to Evan Williams and peerless. EW was good and peerless was ok.
Buffalo Trace is free but the informational part about the distilling process is through a video. It has a very nice tasting room, you can pick from two of BT, Eagle Rare, or their Wheatley Vodka. You also get a bourbon ball and a taste of their Bourbon Cream. Interesting that they use straight Kentucky River for their distillation water. No glass but free is always good.
Woodford Reserve is very scenic around the horse farms. In fact the distillery itself has a high end horse farm vibe. Gorgeous grounds and tasting room. They let you stick your hand in the “beer” and taste the mash after fermentation but before being distilled. It’s usually very crowded. Get to taste regular WR, Double Oaked, a bourbon ball, and get a glass.
Kentucky Artisan Distillery in Crestwood makes Jefferson. Their distillery has a “homemade” feel, for better or worse. I don’t really care for their product at it’s price point. The tour itself was pricey, glad it was a gift. Got a Glen Cairn glass.
Wild Turkey is nice tour. Sits on a bluff above the Kentucky River and the curved bridge. Beautiful facility, tasting area, lots of product choices to choose from to sample. Got a glass.
Went to Four Roses and got there just after a tour had left. The Host said “if you have been on more than one tour, you know the process for making bourbon is pretty much the same everywhere. If you want, you can just join that group for the tasting.” So we did. The architecture of their building is quite unique for Central Kentucky. You have to go Cox’s Creek (about an hour away) for the rick house and bottling part of the tour. Got a glass.
We haven’t been to the Louisville or Bardstown “pods” yet but it’s on the list. I have been to a couple of “craft” distilleries but can’t recommend their product. I am looking forward to the new Bulleit visitor center to open in Shelbyville.
My advice is, pick a pod; Bardstown, Louisville, Frankfort or Lawrenceburg. Start with your favorite then go to another in the same area. It’s hard to do more than two or three a day with the tour length and travel time. Even on an organized bus tour it will start to run together as there are more similarities than differences.
Have fun and Happy Drinking!
Woodford Reserve is very scenic around the horse farms. In fact the distillery itself has a high end horse farm vibe. Gorgeous grounds and tasting room. They let you stick your hand in the “beer” and taste the mash after fermentation but before being distilled. It’s usually very crowded. Get to taste regular WR, Double Oaked, a bourbon ball, and get a glass.
Kentucky Artisan Distillery in Crestwood makes Jefferson. Their distillery has a “homemade” feel, for better or worse. I don’t really care for their product at it’s price point. The tour itself was pricey, glad it was a gift. Got a Glen Cairn glass.
Wild Turkey is nice tour. Sits on a bluff above the Kentucky River and the curved bridge. Beautiful facility, tasting area, lots of product choices to choose from to sample. Got a glass.
Went to Four Roses and got there just after a tour had left. The Host said “if you have been on more than one tour, you know the process for making bourbon is pretty much the same everywhere. If you want, you can just join that group for the tasting.” So we did. The architecture of their building is quite unique for Central Kentucky. You have to go Cox’s Creek (about an hour away) for the rick house and bottling part of the tour. Got a glass.
We haven’t been to the Louisville or Bardstown “pods” yet but it’s on the list. I have been to a couple of “craft” distilleries but can’t recommend their product. I am looking forward to the new Bulleit visitor center to open in Shelbyville.
My advice is, pick a pod; Bardstown, Louisville, Frankfort or Lawrenceburg. Start with your favorite then go to another in the same area. It’s hard to do more than two or three a day with the tour length and travel time. Even on an organized bus tour it will start to run together as there are more similarities than differences.
Have fun and Happy Drinking!
Got 2 tees as a reward for my drunkenness! Tasted at most of them. Buffalo Trace, Willett and Evan Williams Experience also.