Over the past ten years or so, Brian and I have cultivated a love for and interest in Bourbon. It’s a fun thing for us to share, especially since our lack of experience with high-quality spirits had us at an equal level to begin our education. We talked about visiting Kentucky and the Bourbon Trail for some years when we lived in Michigan. It should come as no surprise that we managed to work this into our schedule now that we live on the road.
Of course, visiting Bourbon country during the pandemic has its challenges. Distilleries either weren’t open to the public or were open at minimal capacity and required reservations. I began booking tours and tasting in mid-September, about three and a half weeks before our arrival in Kentucky. I wish I had started a month or more sooner! Many tours were already sold out, especially for the weekend.
Despite the challenges, we managed to check out seven different distilleries in some way. Here’s where we went:
Heaven Hill Distillery (Bardstown, KY): Closed on Mondays. The gift shop was open at limited capacity and without reservations, but there was a line out the door on the day we visited. We had reservations for the “Mashbill Tasting” ($10 / person), which included a tasting of Larceny, Elijah Craig, Rittenhouse Rye, and a Chocolate Bourbon Ball. The distillery has two other tastings currently being offered. The woman who conducted our sit-down tasting did a great job providing some history of the area and the distillery. She also provided a thorough and relatively unrushed explanation of how to taste Bourbon and the flavor differences between wheat, rye, and corn in the finished products.
Preservation Distillery (Bardstown, KY): Closed on Mondays. Preservation Distillery (Bardstown, KY): Closed on Mondays. The gift shop and grounds were open to the public, and it appeared that you could arrange a tasting of products upon arrival. There are several tasting from which to choose. We reserved “Level 2 Elevated Tasting” ($28 / person), which included five different Bourbon tastes. The owner’s connection to Napa Valley, California, seemed evident in the rather rushed, belly-up-to-the-bar tasting of spirits. They have not released any of their own distillations yet, but are selling Bourbons, which they have blended. It’s a beautiful, dog-friendly property.
Barton 1792 (Bardstown, KY): Closed Sundays. The gift shop is open to the public, but the space is tiny! The distillery provides tastings at no charge, but reservations are required. The tasting included Very Old Barton, Barton 1792, and a chocolate Bourbon ball. It was a quick tasting providing some history of the property.
Angel’s Envy (Louisville, KY): Open Daily. We have long been fans of Angel’s Envy and were relieved to find that it was open as most of the Louisville distilleries on Bourbon Row remain closed. The gift shop is open to the public. Tours and tastings are available by reservation only and are booked in advance. Currently offering only the “Finishing Roundtable” tour and tasting ($20 / person), this includes a thoughtful sit-down tasting of the port-finished Bourbon, the rye, and chocolate to pair with each of them along with a virtual tour of the growing distillery.
Stitzel-Weller (Louisville, KY): Currently open Friday – Sunday. The gift shop is open to the public, and entry allows the opportunity to walk through displays that are quite educational about Bourbon. They are currently offering four different tour/tasting experiences. Based on availability, we opted for the Stitzel-Weller Experience ($20 / person). The history of the property alone makes this stop well worthwhile. Our tour guide offered great details on both the history of Bourbon and the history of the brands that they represent. The tasting was also the most professional, including a lesson on how to taste Bourbon and a printed tasting format sheet to help us, newbies, to distinguish the differences between each of the four Bourbons tasted: Bulleit, Bulleit 10 Year, Bulleit Rye, and Blade & Bow. We opted for one additional tasting ($12 / person) of I.W. Harper 15 Year.
Buffalo Trace (Frankfort, KY): Closed Sundays. The gift shop is open to the public, as are the grounds. They are currently offering five different tours, but reservations are required, and tours book quickly. Due to availability, we participated in the complimentary “The Trace Tour.” The tour guide was very professional but also quite entertaining. She spent an hour walking us around the very active property and helping us to understand Bourbon better. The tour ended with a quick tasting of Wheatly Vodka, Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Eagle Rare Bourbon (not available to buy, but you can taste it), a chocolate Bourbon ball, Root Beer, and Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream.
Woodford Reserve (Versailles, KY): Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. According to its website, Woodford is not currently offering tours or tastings, but the welcome center is open for “bar visits.” We stopped by while we were in the area and were able to enjoy a self-guided tasting of two of the Distillery Series finished Bourbons at a table indoors and an Old Fashioned made with the Double-Oaked Bourbon out on the patio.
Other producers were open for business, but we, unfortunately, didn’t have time to visit them all. Most local bars and restaurants offer an extensive selection of Bourbons, providing us additional opportunities to taste while we were in the area. And, we had the good fortune to be parked next to another full-time couple who we spent some time with and whose love for Bourbon had amassed quite a collection!
We will love to go back to this beautiful area someday. And we hope that when we return, the pandemic is over.
