OT- Bourbon Trail (Bardstown)

[joeydavid]

Any suggestions for a weekend in Bardstown? I have a reservations at Bardstown, Willett and Preservation Distilleries for tastings/tours. Looking for other suggestions to hangout while not at the distilleries. Looks like I cool little town but haven't been there before.

 

[gilligan 3]

I stayed in Bardstown and did most of the bourbon trail over several visits. It is absolutely a great vacation. I hate to say it, but if you only have time for one trip, do Jim Beam. It might seem like a cop out since it’s kind of a commercial brand but they have a great tour. It’s fairly close to bardstown and really educational. If you would like avoid this one, try Buffalo Trace. Some of the legendary bourbon whiskey come from there. Next for me is probably Makers Mark but I can’t remember how close it is to Bardstown. I think that one was close to where Seattle Slue was boarded but check me on that. For sure, seeing some of these horse farms are interesting in their own right.

But you asked for non distillery things to do. The food there is outstanding and you can get rare bourbons like Pappies for a fair but high price at many places. You might want to see them make barrels - might seem stupid but it isn’t. And check out the horse farms even if just a drive-by. Lexington and Louisville are fairly close but I wouldn’t make the trip just to see them but a friend of mine did go to the race track in Lexington and liked it.

I think you will love this trip and really, it will be surprising memorable. Before a couple of folks in my family found themselves drinking too much and ultimately be identified as alcoholic, I always wanted to plan a family vacation there. Of course, under the circumstances, I picked a different place when it was my turn to pick. Enjoy it and let us know how it goes.

 

[HopeandChangeforAntoons]

Heaven Hill’s You Do Bourbon tasting let’s you try 3-4 of their whiskeys and, if you want, you can fill a bottle, label with your name and buy. Usually have Elijah Craig, Larceny and Bernheim, but occasionally Heaven Hill Select. They are all barrel picks that are unique to that tasting, so it’s a cool souvenir and great bourbon.

Scout and Scholar has good food and decent craft beers and is right in town.

 

[Tucker99]

Thanks for posting this. My wife and I have actually looking into visiting this area. For those in the Pittsburgh area, did you fly or drive there?

 

[joeydavid]

Thanks for posting this. My wife and I have actually looking into visiting this area. For those in the Pittsburgh area, did you fly or drive there?

Driving is quicker than flying for me. Plus there's some cool spots to stop along the way.

 

[upj87]

Any suggestions for a weekend in Bardstown? I have a reservations at Bardstown, Willett and Preservation Distilleries for tastings/tours. Looking for other suggestions to hangout while not at the distilleries. Looks like I cool little town but haven't been there before.

don't stray from the bourbon...drink it exclusively all night and wake up feeling fine..

 

[thebadby2]

Any suggestions for a weekend in Bardstown? I have a reservations at Bardstown, Willett and Preservation Distilleries for tastings/tours. Looking for other suggestions to hangout while not at the distilleries. Looks like I cool little town but haven't been there before.

I've done the trail(s), but based out of Louisville. Willett was pretty bare bones but really cool and one of my favorite brands. A couple of "musts" IMO:

• Maker's Mark--just for the stunning campus and unique tasting room (in a limestone cave). Good food on property as well.
• Buffalo Trace--great tour and too many top line iconic labels to list here
• Keeneland race track--just beautiful and what you would imagine Kentucky thoroughbred horse culture to look like. No admission or anything necessary, as long as it's not a race day you can just kind of wander the grounds.
• Castle and Key is reportedly another stunner--it was under renovation/construction last time i was there but is finished now. I've heard great things about that stop.
• Woodford also has a beautiful campus--but if you're going out of your way and can only do one, Makers is more bang for your buck.

I didn't love Heaven Hill--it's a stand alone, pretty generic tasting room in an area that looks more like an industrial park than bourbon country, so unless you're a big fan of the HH labels I'd skip that. Agree that Scout & Scholar in Bardstown is a great stop for lunch or dinner.

It's a great trip and an easy one. We did several smaller distilleries and it can be fun to just kind of poke around without a plan if you have time.

Veteran tip: at some point you will get really tired of hearing the same canned info on the various distillery tours over and over and over: 51% corn, charred white oak barrels, at least 80 proof, etc. etc.

And again--I can't stress this enough--Maker's Mark. No better looking property in the entirety of Kentucky bourbon country.

 

[HopeandChangeforAntoons]

I've done the trail(s), but based out of Louisville. Willett was pretty bare bones but really cool and one of my favorite brands. A couple of "musts" IMO:

• Maker's Mark--just for the stunning campus and unique tasting room (in a limestone cave). Good food on property as well.
• Buffalo Trace--great tour and too many top line iconic labels to list here
• Keeneland race track--just beautiful and what you would imagine Kentucky thoroughbred horse culture to look like. No admission or anything necessary, as long as it's not a race day you can just kind of wander the grounds.
• Castle and Key is reportedly another stunner--it was under renovation/construction last time i was there but is finished now. I've heard great things about that stop.
• Woodford also has a beautiful campus--but if you're going out of your way and can only do one, Makers is more bang for your buck.

I didn't love Heaven Hill--it's a stand alone, pretty generic tasting room in an area that looks more like an industrial park than bourbon country, so unless you're a big fan of the HH labels I'd skip that. Agree that Scout & Scholar in Bardstown is a great stop for lunch or dinner.

It's a great trip and an easy one. We did several smaller distilleries and it can be fun to just kind of poke around without a plan if you have time.

Veteran tip: at some point you will get really tired of hearing the same canned info on the various distillery tours over and over and over: 51% corn, charred white oak barrels, at least 80 proof, etc. etc.

And again--I can't stress this enough--Maker's Mark. No better looking property in the entirety of Kentucky bourbon country.

This. You can usually do a tasting without spending 60-90 minutes hearing what makes their whiskey unique from all the others.

Also if you want to bring bottles back, always ask what allocated bottles they have that day. For Beam or Buffalo Trace it probably isn’t anything you can’t get in PA. You’re not getting Pappy or Weller Full Proof. But sometimes they have unique stuff that they don’t put out. You can get it at retail shops too, but KY isn’t state controlled so it is priced as secondary market and can be steep.

 

[Eastern Eight]

I've done the trail(s), but based out of Louisville. Willett was pretty bare bones but really cool and one of my favorite brands. A couple of "musts" IMO:

• Maker's Mark--just for the stunning campus and unique tasting room (in a limestone cave). Good food on property as well.
• Buffalo Trace--great tour and too many top line iconic labels to list here
• Keeneland race track--just beautiful and what you would imagine Kentucky thoroughbred horse culture to look like. No admission or anything necessary, as long as it's not a race day you can just kind of wander the grounds.
• Castle and Key is reportedly another stunner--it was under renovation/construction last time i was there but is finished now. I've heard great things about that stop.
• Woodford also has a beautiful campus--but if you're going out of your way and can only do one, Makers is more bang for your buck.

I didn't love Heaven Hill--it's a stand alone, pretty generic tasting room in an area that looks more like an industrial park than bourbon country, so unless you're a big fan of the HH labels I'd skip that. Agree that Scout & Scholar in Bardstown is a great stop for lunch or dinner.

It's a great trip and an easy one. We did several smaller distilleries and it can be fun to just kind of poke around without a plan if you have time.

Veteran tip: at some point you will get really tired of hearing the same canned info on the various distillery tours over and over and over: 51% corn, charred white oak barrels, at least 80 proof, etc. etc.

And again--I can't stress this enough--Maker's Mark. No better looking property in the entirety of Kentucky bourbon country.

I’ve been to both Makers and Woodford. It would be hard to look any more like you would imagine the perfect distillery to look. Just perfect.