What Has Been Your Favorite Distillery Tour?

[callmeox]

I saw a posting on Twitter this morning about Buffalo Trace and the tweet included a link to a picture of our favorite tour guide.

http://tweetphoto.com/36630122

Hey Fred!

[mobourbon]

Thanks, Scott! Thanks for posting that.:grin:

[OscarV]

I saw the pic, lookin' good Fred.

[Bourbon Boiler]

For those that have been through T. Moore, is it worthwhile for a group that is primarily unfamiliar with bourbon? I'm planning a trip with a group of six, and four in the group have never been through a distillery and don't regularly drink bourbon.

As a reservstion is required, I don't want to waste the time of either the Moore crew or the group unless it distinguishes itself somehow or is likely to generate further interest.

[Josh]

For those that have been through T. Moore, is it worthwhile for a group that is primarily unfamiliar with bourbon? I'm planning a trip with a group of six, and four in the group have never been through a distillery and don't regularly drink bourbon.

As a reservstion is required, I don't want to waste the time of either the Moore crew or the group unless it distinguishes itself somehow or is likely to generate further interest.

It's a very good tour, I think. It's not a tourist attraction like Maker's or Woodford, but I enjoyed it immensely. The bottling operation is like something out of Blade Runner. Pam is a great tour guide with years of experience in the industry. Let her know that you have some bourbon newbies along and she'll cater the tour to them.

[Bourbon Boiler]

It's a very good tour, I think. It's not a tourist attraction like Maker's or Woodford, but I enjoyed it immensely. The bottling operation is like something out of Blade Runner. Pam is a great tour guide with years of experience in the industry. Let her know that you have some bourbon newbies along and she'll cater the tour to them.

Thanks Josh. I guess if everything is by reservation it would be easy for them to customize.

[RickF]

I am old enough to have taken two tours that are no longer possible - Seagrams (7th Street at Central Avenue in Louisville) and HH before the fire. We got to see everything - mashing, fermentation, distillation, barrel filling, the warehouses, barrel dumping, and botteling. These were great tours, but unfortunately, ones that can never be experienced again.

Of the modern tours, WR cannot be beat, especially during the summer. WR is one of the few, if not the only, distillery in Kentucky that ferments year round.

I was not impressed with the WT tour. The guide was knowledgable, but we did not get to see anything except the place where the grain is dumped, the place where barrels are filled, and the warehouse. It was during the summer shutdown, but I expected that at least we would get to see the empty fermentation vats. The view of High Bridge behind the distillery was impressive, though.

[docbible]

To date the BT hardhat tour has been my favorite. We also visited the tasting lab and had lunch with Harlan. This was our first distillery tour so it may skew my rankings. A close second is FR and a barrel tasting of 5 barrels at the warehouse. This weekend we will be at HH for their behind the scenes tour (hard hat) and will have a private tour of WT. All of the tours have been educational and and worth the time spent at the distillery. The most disapointing was jim beam. It was a film, tasting of 2 bourbons, and a gift shop. To their defense they were under construction of a new visitors center. Distillery and warehouse would have been nice. I'll go back in the future. tim

[bourbonNOOG]

To date the BT hardhat tour has been my favorite. We also visited the tasting lab and had lunch with Harlan. This was our first distillery tour so it may skew my rankings. A close second is FR and a barrel tasting of 5 barrels at the warehouse. This weekend we will be at HH for their behind the scenes tour (hard hat) and will have a private tour of WT. All of the tours have been educational and and worth the time spent at the distillery. The most disapointing was jim beam. It was a film, tasting of 2 bourbons, and a gift shop. To their defense they were under construction of a new visitors center. Distillery and warehouse would have been nice. I'll go back in the future. tim

Unfortunately, even when Beam isn't under construction, all you get is the movie, 2 bourbon tasting and gift shop. Pretty disappointing for a company that makes a couple of bourbons I enjoy on a daily basis (Knob and Bookers).

[Josh]

Unfortunately, even when Beam isn't under construction, all you get is the movie, 2 bourbon tasting and gift shop. Pretty disappointing for a company that makes a couple of bourbons I enjoy on a daily basis (Knob and Bookers).

[Bourbon Boiler]

I am old enough to have taken two tours that are no longer possible - Seagrams (7th Street at Central Avenue in Louisville) and HH before the fire. We got to see everything - mashing, fermentation, distillation, barrel filling, the warehouses, barrel dumping, and botteling. These were great tours, but unfortunately, ones that can never be experienced again.

Of the modern tours, WR cannot be beat, especially during the summer. WR is one of the few, if not the only, distillery in Kentucky that ferments year round.

I was not impressed with the WT tour. The guide was knowledgable, but we did not get to see anything except the place where the grain is dumped, the place where barrels are filled, and the warehouse. It was during the summer shutdown, but I expected that at least we would get to see the empty fermentation vats. The view of High Bridge behind the distillery was impressive, though.

That view overlooking the river made me want to buy property in the area. WR still has the most scenic landscape in total, but WT may have the single best still picture opportunity. Re-reading this thread has me itching for my trip next June already!!

[Rajesh]

Having been on 4 tours back in October - 2 of which were in-depth - BT's

"Hard Hat" tour and Woodford Reserve's "From Corn to Cork", the other 2 being Makers Mark and Wild Turkey, both in-depth tours were great - unfortunately MM was hurried as I was trying to finish up and get back to SDF to catch my flight.

The tour guide at WR (Dave) was outstanding and it's my plan to try and make it to one of WR's "Bourbon Academy" offerings - it sounds like it should be fun.

The Buffalo Trace tour was certainly indepth -- the only downside was that the still was not running the day I was there...

I've got to make another trip to Kentucky and make it to the other tours - and repeat some tours perhaps. Next on the list is Tuthilltown Spirits...

Has anyone been to the Bourbon Academy ? If you have, what are your thoughts ?

[paris1129]

Buffalo Trace was the best, IMO. I learned so much more there than any of the others as the history was more in depth, and our guide was outstanding (his name escapes me at the moment.)

[warehouseman]

Look for Beams to be a lot better in the future,They are working on it

Been to JD and had very good tour guide new what he was talkin about and funny but ive seen some videos on the net of other guides their and they dont know nothing about whisky and lie out their teeth

[mosugoji64]

We just visited the 7 major KY distilleries (The official Trail distilleries plus BT) back in March, and BT was our favorite. I'm pretty sure Fred was our guide, and he was great! Tasting white dog right out of the safe was definitely a high point. We only got to do the Hard Hat tour, so I'd like to go back and check out the rest.

WR was a very good tour as well since we got to see pretty much every part of the operation.

The smell at BT, WR, and MM was heavenly! Love the fermentation and rickhouse smells!

JB was a disappointment, but I'd like to check out the new tour when they get it up and running.

I'm itching to go back and check out some of the tours we missed. Any recommendations for other distilleries to check out?

Brian

[cowdery]

It sounds like you've done all of them except Barton in Bardstown. There's also the two cooperages.

[mosugoji64]

Thanks for the tip! I'll put Barton on the list.

Brian

[Bourbon Boiler]

I went about a month ago, and would rank them this way:

1. Buffalo Trace (regular, not hard hat) - we showed up late and the staff hustled to put us in with the last group. Very good description of product and process without it being an hour long commercial.

2. Maker's Mark - Almost as good as BT. Would probably have been better viewing had we not been there in the middle of a thunderstorm.

(gap)

3. Wild Turkey - I see others rate this poorly, but I had a very good guide who answered a lot of technical questions. Nice area as well.

4. Woodford Reserve - Excellent tour in a nice setting, but loses points since they charge an admission fee. I understand the rationale, but if Makers and BT don't charge, I don't see the differentiation.

5. Heaven Hill - not much of a tour, but the best tasting and a good video that isn't a commercial.

(gap)

6. Four Roses - They weren't operating when I was there, and the guide didn't seem to know what to do. She was trying to explain what would be happeneing, but didn't define it really well. It was still worthwhile, but probably a lot better when they are running.

7. Beam - If you're hitting multiple stops, and your schedule is flexible, hit this first. It isn't really a tour, just a ten minute commercial and an unorganized tasting. Since we hit this first, we didn't know we should be disappointed.

I'm trying to hit Tom Moore if I can get back to Bardstown.

[JFenwick]

Hmmmmm, do they have to be in the USA? This thread is under Boubon discussion, I see.... but is is a 'Distillery Trips' thread.

I have been to Jameson in both Dublin and Midleton and loved both. Also Bushmills in Northern Ireland, , , but Jameson is better.

And, Ireland is a cheap vacation Roundtrip airfare from Boston, rental car and b&b for a week at $800 each...

Everyone should get together and go.

[Roadsaw]

Me and the wife went in May and i would have to say

1. Woodford

2. BT

3. Makers

4. FR

5. WT

6. HH

7. Beam

8. Barton

WT goes to 5 because its new( wish i could have seen it when the old place was running), Barton is last but thats more my fault than anything we got there late and they were pretty much shut down. A few of the guides where sitting around and were kind enough to take us and show us what they could. Next time ill make sure to get there earlier. We did all the regular tours so i cant wait to get back and do some of the more in depth ones.

[cowdery]

Lest people start to get too nostalgic about 'old' Turkey, I was through it many times over the last 20 years and it was nothing special, in some ways the least interesting of any of the Kentucky distilleries.

[Roadsaw]

It is a nice modern facility and the tour was good at WT. I just like the look and feel of the older buildings when you tour them.

[craigthom]

Lest people start to get too nostalgic about 'old' Turkey, I was through it many times over the last 20 years and it was nothing special, in some ways the least interesting of any of the Kentucky distilleries.

I'm sure it's in part due to the fact that it was my first distillery tour, but I loved my first visit to Wild Turkey, and it's still my favorite.

It was very industrial, which I liked, and wasn't a "show" the way that Jack Daniels, Woodford Reserve, and Maker's Mark are. We walked over spilled grains and stepped over hoses. Our guide took us on detours if someone asked a question. When we visited the lab, it was a tight fit, and we had to move around so the people in there could keep working.

For souvenirs we got bungs from the floor of the dump room and miniature bottles, labels, and neck tags from the bottling line.

I saw the whole thing the way it really runs, not just prettied-up parts of it, and it didn't take two tours.

My second favorite bourbon tour was probably Dickel. I don't remember going in a warehouse there, but it did seem like a place where people worked. If we just do whiskey in general then it was probably Talisker, but that's influenced by being on the Isle of Skye.

[smokinjoe]

A group of us did the Barton tour during KBF. IMO, we had, by far, the best Tour Guide of any distillery in Kentucky.

[callmeox]

A group of us did the Barton tour during KBF. IMO, we had, by far, the best Tour Guide of any distillery in Kentucky.

Fred rocks, but he's no Joy.