spinningrecords Posted April 22, 2012 Share Posted April 22, 2012 Does anyone have a beat on what facility tours are available in Louisville?The Bourbon Trail doesn't have any stops there yet there are a lot of distilling operations as I understand it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted April 22, 2012 Share Posted April 22, 2012 Does anyone have a beat on what facility tours are available in Louisville?The Bourbon Trail doesn't have any stops there yet there are a lot of distilling operations as I understand it.To my knowledge, none of the distilleries in Louisville are open to public tours. The Brown-Forman cooperage gives tours, but only through Mint Julep Tours, and The Bulleit Experience at Stitzel-Weller is still in the "Coming Soon" category. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spinningrecords Posted April 22, 2012 Share Posted April 22, 2012 To my knowledge, none of the distilleries in Louisville are open to public tours. The Brown-Forman cooperage gives tours, but only through Mint Julep Tours, and The Bulleit Experience at Stitzel-Weller is still in the "Coming Soon" category.I'm concerned you are correct.Maybe someone else has a line on something we haven't noticed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted April 22, 2012 Share Posted April 22, 2012 I'm concerned you are correct.Maybe someone else has a line on something we haven't noticed.Honestly though, Bardstown is not that far from Louisville, maybe an hour. An outing to Nelson Co. is very doable if you are staying in Louisville. Beam, Heaven Hill, Barton-1792, Maker's Mark and the old T.W. Samuels plant (if you're into that sort of thing) are all in the neighborhood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spinningrecords Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 The old T.W. Samuels plant (if you're into that sort of thing) are all in the neighborhood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tucker Posted April 28, 2012 Share Posted April 28, 2012 I took the BT hard hat tour on Thursday. Fred is great! The tour is very hands-on and informative.On Friday I had the pleasure of touring Heaven Hill's operation in Bardstown. It wasn't a typical tour (I have no idea what the normal tours are allowed to see) so I can't actually recommend any HH tour, although the folks getting off the trolley seemed to have enjoyed it.Anyway, it was a truly awesome experience for our group of bourbon geeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weave Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 My wife and I toured 4 Roses, Heaven Hill, and Woodford about 2 years ago. I can't label any one of the 3 as favorite because each one had it's own charm. It would be hard to beat the scenery and atmosphere at Woodford, and our tour guide was very knowledgeable and open to answering rather detailed questions (I am a home brewer of beer and pestered him with technical questions about the mash process and fermentation).We had a great look at the entire operation at 4 Roses and the tasting after the tour was full of great information.I suppose those two would be my favorites of the three. Next time we go Buffalo Trace will be on our itinerary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowdery Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 Although they don't offer tours at either place, the Heaven Hill Bernheim Distillery and adjacent headquarters campus of Brown-Forman Corporation are worth a visit. You can park on the street (legally) and see a lot from the public sidewalks. Although the distillery was built in 1992, the rest of the Heaven Hill property is from the 1930s and the architecture is interesting.Similarly, you can see a lot of Stitzel-Weller from the street and it's very close to HH/BF in the nearby suburb of Shively. The Brown-Forman Distillery is there too. It doesn't offer tours and is located where it's hard to see anything, so that's not even worth a drive-by. Shively's Dixie Highway and Seventh Street Road are worth a drive-by for the remnants of old distilleries, incuding the imposing Seagram's plant.There will, apparently, soon be a couple of micro-distilleries along Whiskey Row downtown, but none are open yet. Best thing on Whiskey Row today is the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bllygthrd Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 My wife's company has a district office in KY, so I get to visit Bourbon Country twice a year on her company's dime [sweet]!As far as "glad you are here" - Four RosesMost beautiful grounds - Maker's MarkBest chance to interact with the workers - Marker's MarkBest chance to taste "white dog" - Four RosesBest tasting - Tie: Four Roses and Heaven HillLeast "hype" - Four RosesRecommendation: visit them all, over and over ... If in Bardstown ... visit Toddy's LiquorIf in Lexington ... visit Liquor Barn [i spend hours in these stores]The above is my humble opinion, and I am a neophyte bourbon lover ... bllygthrd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryT Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 I've never had the BT Hard Hat tour (on my wish list!), but of the others I probably enjoyed Makers the best in terms of being the most thorough. Although I thought Heaven Hill had the best tasting setup!Has anyone been to Jim Beam lately? When I toured there in May 2011 they were bragging about how they would have a really great tour . . . soon (they didn't give us a date, but were doing a ton of construction). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theglobalguy Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 I've never had the BT Hard Hat tour (on my wish list!), but of the others I probably enjoyed Makers the best in terms of being the most thorough. Although I thought Heaven Hill had the best tasting setup!Has anyone been to Jim Beam lately? When I toured there in May 2011 they were bragging about how they would have a really great tour . . . soon (they didn't give us a date, but were doing a ton of construction). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryT Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 According to local news and progress when i've driven past, new center opening sometime in the fall. Wonder if they're not trying to get open in time for Bourbon Festival.I hope you're right! My dad and I are meeting in Bardstown for the Bourbon Festival (already bought tickets for some of the events, and barely got room reservations). Neither of us have been to the festival before, and we're getting there a day early so we can tour KBD (Willett, Noah's Mill, etc) but would love to see the new/improved Jim Beam tour! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
p_elliott Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 I hope you're right! My dad and I are meeting in Bardstown for the Bourbon Festival (already bought tickets for some of the events, and barely got room reservations). Neither of us have been to the festival before, and we're getting there a day early so we can tour KBD (Willett, Noah's Mill, etc) but would love to see the new/improved Jim Beam tour!Make sure you come to the General Nelson Motel at night and come out back to the Gazebo bring a bottle and a glass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowdery Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Officially no date has been announced but, unofficially, they hope to be open by mid-September. One person down there has described what they're doing as "Bourbon Disneyland." Sounds like fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HP12 Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Information (including Hard Hat) wise, BT. For quaint (once you get out of the visitor center) and unique, WR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bourbon Boiler Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Anyone have an opinion on whether the Cox's Creek 4R facility is worth a visit if I'm a little pressed for time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steeltownbbq Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Anyone have an opinion on whether the Cox's Creek 4R facility is worth a visit if I'm a little pressed for time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bourbon Boiler Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Visited Cox Creek a couple of months ago. One of the most interesting and laid back tours in Bourbon Country. Contrasted to the DisneyLand vibe at Makers and the shopping mall at Beam, Cox Creek was refreshing. No movie, no gift shop, no tasting room. Just nice people, proud of what they do showing how they barrel, age and bottle their product. The tour guide was the office girl who stepped away from her duties to drive us around the complex and show my wife and I around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowdery Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 I was told recently that demand has forced them to formalize it a little more. That might be good, might not, but it's the price of success. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinjoe Posted June 20, 2012 Author Share Posted June 20, 2012 Visited Cox Creek a couple of months ago. One of the most interesting and laid back tours in Bourbon Country. Contrasted to the DisneyLand vibe at Makers and the shopping mall at Beam, Cox Creek was refreshing. No movie, no gift shop, no tasting room. Just nice people, proud of what they do showing how they barrel, age and bottle their product. The tour guide was the office girl who stepped away from her duties to drive us around the complex and show my wife and I around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcg9779 Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Interested to know, what did you find as "DisneyLand" from the Maker's tour?I'm sure it was the log ride (or was it a barrel ride?) that splashes down into the Maker's Mark river and showers the spectators standing there with their mouths open... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steeltownbbq Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Interested to know, what did you find as "DisneyLand" from the Maker's tour?Probably started with the talking family pictures in the Samuels house and the red wax in the kitchen. Too many people, and too pretty. I like the grittiness at Barton and the "back-lot" stuff at BT much better Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steeltownbbq Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 I did find this interesting at Makers. On the desk in the house were what was purported to be Bill Samuel's plans for the distillery. I'm not sure you can see it in the picture, but that grain bin says "corn, rye & malt". Must have preceded the decision to make a wheated whiskey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmckenzie Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Probably just a prop. I think that place was already operable when he bought it, and used whatever setup that was already in place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bourbon Boiler Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 I agree. I see a lot of "production" at the begining and end of the Maker's Mark tour, but it pretty informative and worthwhile in between. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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