Bardstown, KY: Bourbon Central
If you're looking to start your exploration of Kentucky's bourbon distilleries, Bardstown, KY is a great place to start. Within the city limits you can visit The Kentucky Bourbon Heritage Center at Heaven Hill, Willet and Barton's 1792. If you want to go slightly further afield, Maker's Mark and Jim Beam are within a 15-mile radius of downtown.
The Kentucky Bourbon Center serves as the starting and end points for a tour of Heaven Hill and also features a barrel shaped tasting room where you can sample some of the distilleries varied bourbons at the end of the tour. You can also find some harder to find bourbons like Parker's Select and Elijah Craig Single Barrel.
Just across the road from Heaven Hill is Willett, a small boutique distillery that makes the premium brands Rowan's Creek, Noah's Mill and Willet's Pot Still Reserve. Willett is also a member of the newly established Kentucky Bourbon Craft Tour.
Just across town is Barton's 1792 where they make the premium 1792 Ridgemont Reserve bourbon. They also make the popular Very Old Barton in 80, 86, 90, and 100 proof versions. The distillery was started by Thomas Moore in 1879 and they still draw water from the same springs used by the founder over a century ago.
Nestled in a quiet hollow just fifteen miles south in Loretto is Maker's Mark where you can dip your own bottle in the iconic red wax that runs down the neck of their namesake bourbon. Not long ago, the distillery doubled their bourbon brands when they added Maker's 46 that's produced by adding charred oak staves during the aging cycle to give it an added flavor dimension.
Go 15 miles northwest of Bardstown to Clermont and you're bound to find the sprawling grounds of the Jim Beam distillery. Just last year, they opened the three level American Stillhouse visitor center and also made the entire distillery much more visitor friendly. This is where they make the very popular Jim Beam bourbon as well as the premium Knob Creek, Baker's and Booker's brands.
They also came up with the very interesting Mash House, a micro distillery within a distillery that is designed to produce only one barrel at a time to give visitors a more interactive experience in bourbon making.
If you decide to stay in Bardstown, consider The Jailer's Inn, once the actual Nelson County jail that's been converted to a downtown bed and breakfast. For great food and bourbon try The Rickhouse where you can choose from over 130 different bourbons from their well stocked bar that you might wish to pair with one of their bourbon marinated steaks.
While you're in town you can also check out the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History and My Old Kentucky Home that inspired the Stephen Foster ballad. If you visit in September, you can take in the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, a weeklong celebration of all things bourbon.
Published by Stephen Pinder
Stephen loves travel and travel writing. He also enjoys sports and golf with old friends and new ones he meets on the road. View profile
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