The Casual Bourbon Drinker’s Guide to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail
Are you ready to drink bourbon straight out of the barrel on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail?
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Tastings are (appropriately) delivered via whiskey thief at Whiskey Thief Distillery at Three Boys Farm.
The sliding scale of bourbon drinkers ranges from enjoying an occasional nip by the fire to waiting in line at 8 am to buy (and then indefinitely hoard) special-release bottles.
If you fall somewhere in the middle, you probably know your way around an Old Fashioned, and you might have special bourbon glasses, but you also own less than 3 types of bourbon. Welcome, this blog post is for you. (And so is this Spotify playlist we made for our road trip!)
When my husband, who borders on the hoarding-of-bourbon end of the spectrum, pitched the idea of doing the Bourbon Trail in the fall, I was absolutely in. Campfires? Cute boots? Fall foliage? And some bourbon? Sign me up.
Blade and Bow is one of the Stitzel-Weller brands.
I did, however, have some questions - and some qualms. Let’s start with my use of the word “some” above. How much bourbon exactly was this going to entail? Would I get bored? Is this just a booze fest, or is it a more refined experience?
After an amazing several days on the Bourbon Trail, I’ve got answers to all of those questions for you fellow casual bourbon sippers out there.
Castle & Key Distillery is an actual castle with botanical gardens.
What is the Kentucky Bourbon Trail?
The Kentucky Bourbon Trail, which is frequently just called the “Bourbon Trail”, is less of a trail and more of a very successful program founded in 1999 by the Kentucky Distiller’s Association to promote local tourism among the 42 distilleries in the area. Generally speaking, the majority of the distilleries are located in a wedge-shaped area between Louisville, Lexington, and Elizabethtown.
A rickhouse at Buffalo Trace Distillery.
That’s a lot of distilleries. Do you have to do them all? How many distilleries should you go to in a day on the Bourbon Trail?
You do NOT have to do them all, though some people certainly try. We met a couple who was on their 10th distillery in 48 hours, but listen, I’m 36. Hangovers are triggered by just smelling a third glass of wine and result in crying in my pajamas and eating slices of cheese until 1 pm. It’s not cute.
If you’re a casual bourbon drinker, two distilleries is plenty for one day. I personally recommend spacing them out, too, so that you don’t feel rushed or wind up more buzzed than you’d like to be.
All of our tours and experiences came with a tasting, which was obviously one of the most fun parts of being on the Bourbon Trail! Some of them started the tasting with a sample of their house-distilled vodka, and I personally vote to skip that sample. You know who loves sipping a warm shot of vodka? Exactly no one. Ever. The bourbon, however, was fun.
The Buffalo Trace tasting starts with lukewarm vodka and ends with craft root beer.
How do you pick which distilleries to try on the Bourbon Trail?
The Kentucky Bourbon Trail website has several recommended itineraries, and that’s a great place to start, though all their itineraries include a ton of distilleries.
I personally loved seeing a range of distilleries, from small mom-and-pop operations to the bourbon behemoths like Buffalo Trace. The vibe and feel is wildly different at smaller distilleries, and I joked that the larger ones, like Angel’s Envy and Buffalo Trace, are basically the Disney World of brown liquor. Because they’re pushing large quantities of people through their tastings on a very regimented schedule, the larger distilleries have less of a personal touch.
If you’ve got your heart set on doing tours at the biggest distilleries on the Bourbon Trail, book your tours as far out as you possibly can. They book up quickly, but some places also offer waitlist options.
And, if you’re not much of a bourbon drinker, I recommend a mix of distillery tours and bourbon experiences. (I honestly could care less what makes one bourbon maker’s process slightly different from the one next door.) Try a barrel tasting, cocktail class, bourbon and chocolate pairing, blind tasting, bottle your own, or even work in a distillery for a day at Hartfield & Co.
The Stitzel-Weller tour takes you through several historic buildings.
Do the tours get repetitive? Do you need to do a tour at every distillery on the Bourbon Trail?
Each distillery seems to put its own spin on its tours, but honestly, yes, they get a little repetitive after about tour number 3, especially if the term “rickhouse” doesn’t thrill you. I recommend doing a tour at a big distillery, a small, mom-and-pop distillery, and a couple of tours that are more of an experience. You can still pop into other distilleries for a drink or possibly a tasting without doing a full tour.
After you bottle your own bourbon at Whiskey Thief, they’ll label and seal it for you.
Would the Bourbon Trail be fun if you didn’t drink?
Yes. I do drink, and I do enjoy bourbon, but the gift shops, bars, and grounds are all beautiful - especially Castle & Key, which we, unfortunately, reached right as they were closing. (Yes, it’s a castle.) Castle & Key offers a rather pricy Ruins Tour of their formerly abandoned grounds and botanical gardens that culminates in a charcuterie tour, and I am dying to go back and do it. They had me at meat and cheese. Also, my friend Amy reports that their tasting room is a speakeasy, and their gin is delightful.
A look behind the scenes at Buffalo Trace Distillery.
Which distilleries did you go to on the Bourbon Trail? How were they?
The grounds at Stitzel-Weller are impressive.
Stitzel-Weller Distillery
Rave: Stitzel-Weller had, hands down, my favorite gift shop of all the places we visited. It’s a well-curated blend of branded items, interesting books, and stylish gifts. Stitzel-Weller is also home to the Garden & Gun Club, which is a hip little bar with a great bourbon Bloody Mary, light Southern bites, and beautiful decor. The grounds and exhibits are also very pretty.
Meh: The tour lacked the awe-inspiring scale of the bourbon behemoths and also the personal touch of the smaller distilleries. The tasting was yummy, but we also felt like they were rushing us along to squeeze the next group in immediately.
The barrel tasting at Jeptha Creed takes places in the rickhouse.
Jeptha Creed Distillery
Rave: The Jeptha Creed tour experience was much more laid-back than, say, Buffalo Trace, which requires checking in one of three lines and wearing a scannable wristband. We did the barrel tasting experience (they don’t offer distillery tours at this time), which was very fun. The guides drive you out to the rickhouses in the middle of their heirloom bloody butcher corn fields, and you enjoy the tour and tasting from the comfort of a leather recliner surrounded by barrels filled with bourbon. They also have pizza so that you won’t be distillery hopping on an empty stomach.
Meh: This wasn’t my favorite bourbon, but again, I’m not a connoisseur. The grounds were small and pleasant but underwhelming, though the building was cute. They also don’t offer distillery tours, if that’s what you’re looking for.
The tour at Jefferson’s Ocean Bourbon takes you behind the scenes at the distillery.
Jefferson’s Ocean Bourbon at Kentucky Artisan Distillery
Rave: Maybe it’s a bit gimmicky, but the concept of aging bourbon at sea was definitely interesting to me. Plus, it was nice to hear something different after several distilling tours. Our guide was really personable, as well, and he took his time walking us through each portion of the tasting. And, the fact that we could waltz in and hop on a tour was really refreshing after all the stress of trying to book tours and experiences the minute they opened (when you don’t care about bourbon that much in the first place).
Meh: Don’t expect sweeping grounds, thorough exhibits, or an extensive gift shop here. We had a pleasant time, but this one is a no-frills experience.
You can bottle your own bourbon at Whiskey Thief Distilling Company at Three Boys Farm.
Whiskey Thief Distilling Company at Three Boys Farm
Rave: Expect a warm, friendly welcome at this cozy, down-to-earth little distillery. We loved the bourbon, which is served right out of the barrel via whiskey thief, so much that we bought some for ourselves and friends. They let you bottle your own, which is really fun, and the staff will label and seal it right in front of you. They also have several fun areas outdoor areas to hang out in, and you’re surrounded by corn and cows at pasture on the farm. The gift shop is up the hill, but it had a nice mix of branded items and whiskey-themed gifts. Finally, we were traveling the Bourbon Trail in our camper van, and we stayed at Three Boys Farm as part of our Harvest Host membership, and it was one of our favorite Harvest Host experiences to date.
Meh: Dress for the weather at this open-air venue, use the bathroom in the gift shop as they’ve only got portapotties at the tasting room, and plan to eat lunch before or after (they do offer free pretzels). If you’re looking for a long, intensive tour that delves into every aspect of the process, try your luck at one of the larger distilleries.
The Trace Tour at Buffalo Trace Distillery takes a walk around the grounds.
Buffalo Trace Distillery
Rave: Prepare to be wowed by the size of the operation and the perfectly manicured grounds at this massive distillery. It’s truly an impressive outfit, and everything smells like warm, toasty grains. The tours are free if you can squeeze on one (book the moment they open that month’s bookings), and our guide was well-spoken and very informative. The bourbon was also very tasty, and the gift shop is extensive.
Meh: Expect to be shuttled through lines at the check-in office and gift shop (thus the Disney World reference earlier), and your tasting will be delicious, but they’re on a time crunch here. The gift shop is also almost overwhelmingly crowded, and the restaurant hours are unreliable, so grab some pizza at Locals across the street before you head over.
Copper cocktail glasses at Stitzel-Weller Distillery.
Have you done the Kentucky Bourbon Trail? What were your favorite distilleries, bourbon experiences, or memories? Drop 'em in the comments below.
