The 10 Best Distilleries to Visit on Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail

Bourbon — whiskey distilled from corn (mostly) and sometimes other grains — can be produced anywhere in the United States, but it was born in Kentucky and is most strongly associated with that state. In fact, it’s probably its greatest claim to fame, along with thoroughbred horses and the Kentucky Derby.

There are almost 100 distilleries producing bourbon across the state today, and many of them are open to visitors for tours and tastings. In 1999, the Kentucky Distillers Association established the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, which offers information about and a map to some 18 major distilleries and 28 smaller craft producers. These are located across a broad stretch of Kentucky, from the Ohio border near Cincinnati to the far southwestern corner of the state, but most are clustered in and around Louisville.

Based on reviews published by Yelp and Trip Advisor as well as regional publications, and on the information provided by each distillery website, 24/7 Tempo has identified 10 of the most interesting properties to visit — for their architecture and/or historic status, the variety of experiences they offer, and of course the quality of the whiskeys they produce.

One distillery that’s very much worth visiting but isn’t included here is Wild Turkey, whose visitors center is currently “closed for refreshment.”

Those that aren’t in Louisville itself are all within easy driving distance of the city. Green River is the farthest, and that’s less than two hours away by car. Note that, while the tastings that accompany most tours are served in small portions, it might be best to travel with a designated driver if you plan on visiting more than one distillery. Note, too, that while all of these properties have on-site bars, they limit visitors to two drinks per person. (Here is a list of the iconic drinks from every state everyone should try.)

Scrolldown to read about the 10 best distilleries to visit on Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail:

Angel’s Envy

• Location: Louisville
• Tours and tastings: Daily, $25 and up
• On-premise bar?: Yes
• Food available?: No

In spirits production, the small percentage that evaporates during barrel aging is known as “the angel’s share.” After master distiller Lincoln Henderson founded this full-scale distillery in downtown Louisville in 2010, he reportedly said that if what was lost was the angel’s share, then what remained was their envy. Specialties here include bourbon finished in port and Japanese whisky barrels, and a rye aged in cider casks. There are three tours offered, as well as a tasting experience without a tour and a chance to fill, cork, and label your own bottle.

Michter’s (Fort Nelson Distillery)

• Location: Louisville
• Tours and tastings: Tues.-Sun., $25 and up
• On-premise bar?: Yes
• Food available?: No

The original Michter’s came from a now-defunct 18th-century distillery in Pennsylvania, but the modern brand, which dates from 2004, is made at two facilities in or around Louisville (there is also a 205-acre farm, growing non-GMO corn, rye, and barley for Michter’s acclaimed bourbon and rye). Tours are held at the Fort Nelson distillery in Louisville itself. The basic tour experience includes not only a visit through the distillery but also a tutored tasting of five of its offerings. A $100 Legacy Tour, available once a month, includes a more hands-on visit (guests help fill a barrel) and a tasting of seven whiskeys, plus a commemorative gift.

Green River

• Location: Owensboro
• Tours and tastings: Mon.-Sat., $20  (tasting only, $12)
• On-premise bar?: Yes
• Food available?: No

Founded in 1885, Green River was a major whiskey brand through the early years of the 20th century — advertising itself, right on the label, in pre-Prohibition days, as “The Whiskey Without a Headache” (later changed to “The Whiskey Without Regrets”). The original facility burned to the ground in 1918, and wasn’t rebuilt until 1933, after Prohibition was repealed. In 1955, Green River went out of business and several other whiskey-makers took over the premises — but it was revived under the original name in 2014, with a rebuilt distillery. There’s only one tour, including tastes of three whiskeys, as well as the opportunity to just taste three. Also offered: “barrel thieving” (tasting examples directly from the barrel) and a cocktail class.

Woodford Reserve

• Location: Versailles
• Tours and tastings: Daily, $25 and up
• On-premise bar?: Yes
• Food available?: Yes (snacks only)

The main building at this producer of esteemed bourbon, rye, and specialty whiskeys (like a wheat-based one based on a historic recipe) is one of the oldest distilling sites in the states, and is listed on both the National Register of Historic Places and the roster of National Historic Landmarks. There are four straightforward tours, with tastings, culminating in a two-hour VIP Master Distiller Tour Experience, led by one of Woodford’s master distillers and including a limited edition bottle, priced at $500 per person. There are also several tasting and class options.

Maker’s Mark

• Location: Loretto
• Tours and tastings: Daily, $24 and up
• On-premise bar?: Yes
• Food available?: Yes

Maker’s Mark, known for its array of bourbons, all in bottles hand-dipped in a distinctive red sealing wax, welcomes visitors to its restored Star Hill Farm facility, a National Historic Landmark, for tours and tastings. There are several guided walks through the distillery (always with a tasting at the end), as well as a tour of the actual farm, an experience described as “an immersive deep dive into the American oak tree — from seed to sip,” and other possibilities including periodic four-course dinners with paired cocktails and seasonal events like the Holiday Sip N’ Stroll.

Bulleit

• Location: Shelbyville
• Tours and tastings: Weds.-Sun., $25 and up (tasting only, $20)
• On-premise bar?: Yes
• Food available?: No

The contemporary-rustic Bulleit visitors center and distillery, opened to the public in 2019, offers one tour, one tasting experience (enhanced with “the use of lights, sound, and scent bulbs), a bourbon trivia challenge (only $10), and a class in how to make a smoked Old Fashioned.

James B. Beam (Jim Beam)

• Location: Clermont
• Tours and tastings: Weds.-Sun., $28 and up (tasting only, $20; cocktail demo, $18)
• On-premise bar?: Yes
• Food available?: Yes

This legendary distillery, traces its origins back to German immigrant Johannes “Jacob” Böhm, who anglicized his name to “Beam,” and sold his first corn whisky in about 1795 — the year the company claims as its founding date. Though the operation is now owned by Japan’s Beam Suntory, Inc., descendants of the founder have occupied the post of master distiller ever since. (Besides Jim Beam, the distillery produces brands including Old Grand-Dad, Old Overholt, Knob Creek, Basil Hayden, and Booker’s.) A personal tour by distillers Fred and Freddie Noe, representing the seventh generation of the family, goes for $350 per person, including a guided tasting (including some limited editions) and a meal with family-recipe cocktails.

Bardstown Bourbon Company

• Location: Bardstown and Louisville
• Tours and tastings: Weds.-Sun, $22 and up (Bardstown); tastings only, Tues.-Sat., $25 and up (Louisville)
• On-premise bar?: Yes
• Food available?: Yes

Bardstown’s main facility, opened in 2016, is a soaring contemporary landmark clad in glass, limestone, and natural wood, located on 100 acres of farmland. The company bills itself as “a new blend of bourbon makers, creating the modern bourbon experience.” Besides a tour of the distillery (“the most technically advanced distillery in the country”), with a tasting straight from the barrel, offerings include a cocktail class, a blending seminar, and a “Fill your own bottle VIP experience,” which involves a tasting of all current products and a bottle to take home, priced at $295 per person.

Heaven Hill

• Location: Bardstown and Louisville
• Tours and tastings: Daily, $35 and up (tasting only, $18 and up)
• On-premise bar?: Yes
• Food available?: Yes

Heaven Hill’s original master distiller, when it opened in 1935, was James L. Beam, a cousin of the famed Beam family. Today it is America’s largest independent, family-owned distillery of any kind, and the second-largest holder of bourbon inventory. Besides its eponymous whiskey, Heaven Hill produces such brands as Elijah Craig, Evan Williams, Old Fitzgerald, and Rittenhouse Rye. Instead of guided tours, the distillery offers a film screening about the operation and access to self-guided exhibits. The top of the line experience, “You Do Bourbon,” at $40, lets you taste various whiskeys and explore a hands-on lab as well as the exhibits, then purchase a bottle of your favorite if you wish (at extra cost) and have it personalized.

Castle & Key

• Location: Frankfort
• Tours and tastings: Weds.-Sun., $30
• On-premise bar?: Yes
• Food available?: Yes (snacks only; food trucks seasonally)

The original distillery on the site now occupied by this craft whiskey-maker was built in 1887, and included a mock-European castle, a spring house (a structure over a flowing spring, meant to safeguard the quality of the water), and a sunken garden. The operation closed down in 1920 with the advent of Prohibition, and the facility languished in disrepair until 2014, when new owners bought and restored it. Castle & Key released its first product, a rye, in 2020, and its first bourbon last year — both to acclaim. There are three tours available, with tastings, all priced at $30. There is no charge for exploring the 113-acre grounds, including the gardens.