Thought I’d share some notes as I’m sure there are quite a few bourbon lovers on the board. We did a three night trip (2 nights in L’ville, 1 in Bardstown) and had a great time all around - fall is a lovely time to be in bourbon country with the leaves changing and the cool air a nice complement to the tastings.
For distillery visits, we really tried to mix things up so we weren’t doing a “here’s how bourbon is made” type visit more than once really. Many of the distilleries do a good job offering multiple options for tours/tastings. As a former whiskey-centric drinks blogger, I’m just knowledgeable enough to be dangerous, so also tried to avoid much that might be suited for newbies. Even with a three night trip, it was hard to hit even a fraction of the many places we would have loved to visit. Heads up - you need to book these well in advance, some of the more special tours/tastings are only offered one or twice a week. Also, we hired a driver, which is really the only way to go unless you have a non-drinker/bourbon enthusiast along to do the driving.
Here’s the rundown of what we hit in the Bardstown area:
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Four Roses Cox Creek - just the gift store at this location, but we were passing by on a Friday morning so stopped to see if any special bottles might be available - we hit what should be a great release with an 11yo single barrel barrel strength
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Lux Row - also just a gift store visit for us, just down the road, but they offer tastings of various things for like $5 a pour and we tried two new releases that were very good and ended up buying bottles of those. These are mostly sourced offers, but they do a good job with it, and being able to taste before buying really helps. They offer other tour/tasting options in a very modern facility.
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Bardstown Bourbon Co - these guys are impressive as hell, bringing a very aggressive and progressive approach to growing quickly and doing things with care. We did the “thieving experience” which centers on going into one of the rickhouses and tasting from several single barrels - great guide, decent juice, fun experience. We came back the next morning for the vintage library private tasting which I can not recommend highly enough - fantastic (though pricey). Trey had selected three vintage pours for us - one old Black Maple Hill and two old special releases from Heaven Hill - plus one of their recent Discovery Series bottles just so they had something of their own represented. The setting in this private room filled with rare old whiskey is wonderful, and Trey was super knowledgeable and enthusiastic. You can also order ANY of their vintage whiskeys by the pour when you finish, and the selection is ridiculous - not cheap, but not insane either.
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Willett - after Bardstown Bourbon Co, this feels like a mom and pop operation. We did their normal tour (our only real “how its made” tour of the trip), which was quick and nice and included quite a few tastes, and I had forgotten how many different brands they actually make. The highlight here is lunch and drinking at the Bar at Willett upstairs - an absolute must in Bardstown. The kitchen is on par with Staplehouse in Atlanta, with a similarly impressive display of technique and nuance in a package that remains accessible and simply delicious - the chef’s background is working with Sean Brock at McCrady’s in Charleston. Great single bottles to get pours from as well.
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Heaven Hill - we went with the You Do Bourbon tour where you get the opportunity to fill and label your own bottle. It’s a fun and different experience, though we did not luck out with the choices available. I would still recommend doing this nonetheless to see and hear some of the amazing history of this family-owned distillery that goes back to the mid 1930s and has grown into a massive business.
We stayed at the Fairfield Inn (fine, a bit further from town center than I would have liked, but we actually walked into town for dinner and again for coffee and donuts in the AM. Can recommend Toogie’s Table for dinner (brand new, next to a boutique inn that is not quite ready to open yet), and Hadorn’s for donuts/pastry. You certainly don’t need to stay in Bardstown since it’s just an hour from Louisville, but the timing of our tours made it a better option, and we really enjoyed the friendly small town atmosphere.
Back in Louisville, we stayed downtown (meh), but really enjoyed exploring the neighborhoods for bars/restaurants. We hit 610 Magnolia one night (the fanciest meal of the trip - 5 courses, wine pairings, pricey but nor formal). Not impressed with the wine pairings/list, but the food was excellent. Next night we did a combo of Neat Bourbon Bar for vintage/dusty/rare pours, a beer at the Grales (Belgian-centric beer bar), then dinner at Jack Fry’s. It was a great combo, all walkable from one to the other. On the way into town from Bardstown, we also hit a liquor store called Westport Whiskey and Wine with a little tasting room/bar in the back that had phenomenal prices and a great selection of rare stuff. I would say this place (or similar other shops) is a must. Which brings me back to the best thing about Kentucky - the (legal) ability to go to a bar or restaurant or even liquor store and order pours of old/rare/impossible to find whiskeys. Really insane for anyone who wants to experience the stuff you never actually see, and usually at pretty decent (relative to secondary market rates) prices.
We did not have time to hit any of the small distillery/tasting rooms in Louisville, but had wanted to visit Old Forester and Michter’s in particular.
If you are chasing rare releases to buy by the bottle at retail price, you will likely be disappointed or need to have good intel and line up at the desired distillery very early. There were some rare things on the back shelf at a few of the liquor stores we visited, but they were marked up in line with very high secondary pricing.
Happy to answer any questions for those planning a trip - we had a great time.