Napa is to wine as Kentucky is to bourbon. If you are a bourbon fan like I am, there is no place better than making a pilgrimage for bourbon tasting on the Kentucky bourbon trail.
Bourbon tasting on the Kentucky bourbon trail is excellent for many occasions, including a milestone birthday such as a 50th birthday, a bachelor party, corporate retreat or celebration, or just because you love bourbon. This is your guide to bourbon tasting on the Kentucky bourbon trail.
Getting there: Getting to the Kentucky bourbon trail
To get to the Kentucky bourbon trail, you must fly into Louisville, Kentucky’s Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF).
How many days do I need for bourbon tasting?
You should expect a bourbon tasting tour to last a whole day approximately 9 hours. You should expect to be able to do three distilleries in a 9 hour/day time span.
It’s up to you on your tolerance to determine how many distilleries you want to hit.
What days should I schedule my bourbon tasting?
Typically, I recommend a Thursday to Sunday trip. Of course, weekends will be more popular. You may encounter smaller crowds for weekdays and some tour operators even offer discounts for Sunday through Thursday. If you can make it happen, it may be wise to try a Sunday to Wednesday or Thursday. This way you can do distillery tours, every other day.
What areas should I go to for bourbon tasting on the Kentucky bourbon trail?
The trail is divided into four areas:
Area #1 - Louisville/Downtown – Distilleries include:
Angles Envy
Old Forester
Peerless
Prohibition
Bulleit
Rabbit Hole
Michter’s
Kentucky Artisan (Jefferson’s)
Jeptha Creed
Buzzard’s Roost (Tasting Room)
BBC (Tasting Room)
Stitzel Weller
Evan Williams Experience
Area #2 - Frankfort Area Distilleries:
Buffalo Trace
Wild Turkey (Check if it is still under construction)
Castle & Key
Whiskey Thief
J Mattingly (Tasting Room)
Glenn’s Creek
Four Roses
Woodford Reserve
Bulleit
Jetha Creed
Area #3 – Lexington Area
James E Pepper
RD1 (Tasting Room)
Barrel House (Tasting Room)
Lexington Brewing/Town Branch
Woodford Reserve
Four Roses
Area #4 – Bardstown Area:
Jim Beam
Fourt Roses (Bottling)
Bardstown Bourbon Co
Heaven Hill
Lux Row
Preservation Distillery
Maker’s Mark
Log Still
Limestone Branch
Can’t decide which regions or you want to visit different distilleries in different regions, not problem, you can mix and match them where possible. For instance:
Louisville + Bardstown
Louisville + Frankfort
Louisville + Frankfort + Lexington
Frankfort + Lexington
It’s best to select a region, then narrow it down to your favorite or top 5 distilleries, then a tour operator will help with narrowing it down to three, based on availability.
Why use a tour operator to book your bourbon tasting on the Kentucky bourbon trail?
The tour operators I work with have the inside information. You can try to do it yourself, but you’ll have to find a driver and you’ll spend all your time determining which distilleries have availability and reservations. It’s best to let the professionals handle the details. Using a trusted tour operator, will provide a car, driver, and assistance with reservations for tours and tastings.
The ideal itinerary for your bourbon tasting on the Kentucky bourbon trail?
It depends on how much bourbon you want to taste…
Day – 1 – Arrive and relax check out downtown Louisville and what I has to offer
Day – 2 – Take a 3-distillery tour and taste some bourbon
Day – 3 – Plenty of options if you don’t want to take a break from a distillery tour, there are options:
Golf and Bourbon – Play a round of golf during the day, end the day with a distillery tour and tasting
Bullets, Barbeque, and Bourbon – Shoot clays at the Jefferson Gun Club, have BBQ lunch, tour a distillery to end the day
Guided horseback tour – Take a guided horseback tour through a 400+ acre nature preserve, followed by a tasting at a distillery
If you are leaving on a late Sunday flight or wrapping up, you can start your day with brunch and then visit two distilleries and be at the airport by 4PM. A half day of activities.
Day 4 – Do another 3-distillery tour or head home
Day – Head home
Plenty of options to cross off bourbon tasting on the Kentucky bourbon trail from the bucket list. The best way is to allow me to plan the trip through my trusted Kentucky bourbon tour operators. If you are ready to book your trip to bourbon tasting on the Kentucky bourbon trail, fill out the form below and I will get back to you.
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