Will be visiting the Bourbon Trail in March, and I’m planning on stocking up while I’m there. Any recommendations on stores with really good bourbon selections?
I’ll be driving from New Orleans, all the way through Alabama-Georgia-Tennessee-Kentucky then back to NYC. Hoping to fill the car with as much cool bourbon as possible!
Pete, can’t help in terms of stores but if you do bring something back would you mind being a mile and bringing at least one good bottle back for me?
There’s a chain called Liquor Barn thats supposed to be pretty solid. I think there are a few around Kentucky. This page has some good recommendations too Where To Buy Bourbon When You Visit Kentucky & the Distilleries - Bourbon Whiskey Our Native Spirit
Liquor barns in Lexington have been good but nothing exceptional.
I can offer a tip regarding a good Bourbon Bar though. My brother-in-law was a reporter/editor in Bardstown, which is where Heaven Hill is located. He really like a place that is called, IIRC “The Bourbon Bar” I think its actually the bourbon bar at something or other. If you are passing through you may want to check it out.
In Louisville, on Old Bardstown Road (just a few minutes from downtown), there is a great liquor store, Old Town Liquors. Liquor Barn in Lexington had a vast selection and I just missed the Pappy allotment which was sold on a first come basis.
In Frankfort, very close to Bardstown, there is a liquor store just near the RR tracks in the downtown area. I think it’s called Capitol Liquors, and they had some special stuff.
At the Bourbon Heritage Center in Bardstown (Heaven Hill’s), there were some special bottlings, including 22 year-old Elijah Craig and 23 year-old Evan Williams. Expensive, though.
Correction re: Frankfort KY liquor store - it’s Capital Cellars, 227 West Broadway. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff.
Been here, very nice people. Also, the folks at Buffalo Trace will give you a list of retail shops that carry/receive their product. What I’ve found is that my best luck of finding something special / allocated is just popping into tiny, more unknown stores, and not the most popular ones. I have found some killer stuff. And I wouldn’t just limit this to KY…do it throughout your entire trip! Kind of like a Scavenger hunt, and sometimes you find an awesome prize.
Thanks for the great suggestions guys! Will certainly hit up Liquor Barn, Old Town Liquors and Capital Cellars.
Jorge - no worries! Is a couple of bottles of Pappy 23 OK?
I’m a simple man Mr. Limon…no need for trinkets like that. Plus, I really would prefer to keep my two kidneys or eyes or testes or anything else that’s of value in the human organs black market.