I’ve seen lots of posts on various social media where people are asking where to go for the best bourbon tour on the Kentucky bourbon trails?
Before you listen to Tom, Dick, and Billy Bob online for their input, are you really asking the right question to begin with?!
Someone else’s best bourbon tour is based on their experience (or what they remember of it!)
Maybe the question you should be asking is what are you looking for in a distillery tour experience? For some it’s the location and time available – what’s best in that area. For others it may be to learn more about their favorite tasting bourbon or whiskey. History buffs may want to explore the older distilleries or ones that hold interesting stories of how they came to be known.
If you do a little homework and explore the distilleries you want to travel to, go online first where you will find who offers tours and what they cover. Going right to the source of the distilleries may give you better insight to start with. Group tours, seasonal tours, special events for limited releases, non-drinking tours, historical tours, VIP tours, you name it they will have it listed on their website. This is your experience to create a memorable tour! What would you love to see, taste and do?
I was reading American Whiskey issue 24, 2023, (great magazine!) and I found an article about an interesting tour offered at Buffalo Trace. “Digging Bourbon” article by Susan Reigler is an interview with Nick Laracuente who is an archologist and did a dig at Buffalo Trace, uncovering numerus distillery artifacts, some dating back to the late 1700’s. One of his discoveries was a 19th century OFC distillery which they were able to restore and are now producing a whiskey from a 150 year old sour mash recipe! Now if you are as geeky as I am, you may want to check this historical tour out!
Another way to find a tour is through companies like Travelocity. On their website they have a tab for ‘things to do’, click on that and just enter in for example Kentucky bourbon trail, and it will give you a whole list of tours available! One bourbon tour caught my eye for Buffalo Trace, Woodford, Four Roses, Wild Turkey, and you may be able to add one more distillery of your choice in the area! It lists what you see, do, taste, and offers a shuttle to a downtown hotel. Book your tour and hotel at Travelocity! (Link may change with updates. I’m not a affilate.)
Camping in the area.
This is a highly in demand camping area, so planning is and reserving your site is a must for both tours and campsites.
For the Buffalo Trace, Four Roses, Woodford, and Wild Turkey distilleries, check out Elkhorn Creek RV in Frankfort, they also have guided tours with transportation. There are several other campgrounds in the area too.
Bradstown area is close to Heaven Hill, Lux Row, Makers Mark, Yellowstone and other distilleries. There are a few campgrounds available in the area, one is My Own KY Home State Park. It has great reviews and a lot to offer, however is limited to smaller campers.
Research, plan ahead, discover the wonderful world of bourbon! What a great journey!
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