What Has Been Your Favorite Distillery Tour?

[cowdery]

Probably just a prop. I think that place was already operable when he bought it, and used whatever setup that was already in place.

The old Burkes place had been a distillery before Samuels bought it, but 'operable' is probably a stretch. The stills were all new, I know that.

[p_elliott]

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.[ATTACH=CONFIG]13712[/ATTACH]

Must have been before that eureka moment he had making bread:slappin:.

[jdcollens]

I recently visited BT, WT, and Woodford. I was really blown away by BT's and Woodford's grounds. Sadly, I didn't get to check out the BT Hard Hat Tour, but I thoroughly enjoyed the Woodford tour. I loved the copper pot stills and the thorough treatment of each step in the process. At BT, you can try their white dog, which I really enjoyed. I'd love to go back and check out the BT Hard Hat tour, though.

[Bourbon Boiler]

I've always liked the surroundings at Turkey as well. The Eastern half of the trail (BT, WT, WR, 4R) is much more interesting in its surroundings than the Western half (JB, Barton, HH, MM) IMO.

[GaryT]

I've always liked the surroundings at Turkey as well. The Eastern half of the trail (BT, WT, WR, 4R) is much more interesting in its surroundings than the Western half (JB, Barton, HH, MM) IMO.

Definitely much more scenic. The grounds around MM are nice, but Barton was very industrial while HH was very plain (although I enjoyed the tasting room/process there better than the rest!)

Has anyone been to KBD? I hear they recently opened a gift shop/tasting room, and now that they're making their own juice as well - curious if they have a tour. Planning to visit them in September while we're in Bardstown.

[Bourbon Boiler]

Definitely much more scenic. The grounds around MM are nice, but Barton was very industrial while HH was very plain (although I enjoyed the tasting room/process there better than the rest!)

Has anyone been to KBD? I hear they recently opened a gift shop/tasting room, and now that they're making their own juice as well - curious if they have a tour. Planning to visit them in September while we're in Bardstown.

I asked them back in April if a tour could be arranged and was declined. They might well have changed since then.

[WAINWRIGHT]

My family and I recently went through HH and BT ,I would agree HH was quite plain and the tour was a little on sided,but the sheer mass of the grounds and the rickhouse were quite impressive and the Bourbon Heritage Center was very nice.BT I can't say enough and was one of the highlights of our trip my son and wife are still talking about it.The grounds are beautiful and very well kept and Fred was a great guide and my son was included in many activities there.A great family stop and very informative.Special thanks to <Mobourbon>and Becky in the gift shop for being so accommodating, will definately return time and time again!

[bllygthrd]

Fred was a great guide ...

Have to agree, Fred is very entertaining, and keeps all his "peeps" engaged during his tours and tastings. He sticks to the company script ... but does so with quite a bit of flair and personality. He was a HUGH hit with my wife.

On a side note ... the best thing in the BT gift shop ... the 50ml Blanton's bottles, complete with cork/horse stopper [sans label and contents ]. At $2.50 each, I usually pick up 10 at a time, and use them as sample containers when I want to share something in my collection with a friend and/or business associate. The presentation value is worth much more than the $2.50 invested.

[dsorrent]

My wife and I just got back from doing the trail... We hit Jim Beam, Heaven Hill, Barton's, Maker's Mark, Wild Turkey, Four Roses, Buffalo Trace and Woodford. Out of all of them, I liked Woodford the best. I felt the tour there was very well done and the usage of the audio ear pieces so everyone on the tour could hear the guide was great. We didn't feel rushed and our guide was more than happy to answer an questions. Also, it was quite shocking to me that Woodford only had one rickhouse as compared to the other distilleries.

Like others on here, we had the same "Disney feeling" on The Maker's tour. Having two kids and visiting Disney World often made it easy for the correlation. If you have ever been back in the toon town area where you can tour Mickey and Minnie's house, you would have seen the similarities to that first house section you walk through on the tour. Walking through the kitchen area was like Minnie's kitchen and then you also had the whole moving pictures which has many similarities to Harry Potter (yes, I know that is Universal Studios ).

Being a big fan of EC18, I was quite disappointed with the Heaven Hill tour. Basically it was a movie and you got to see one rickouse. Don't get me wrong,mother tasting room was pretty cool being inside that barrel, but for the $5, I just didn't feel it was worth it. We did "reclaim" our $5 in the gift shop with souvenier purchasing though.

One of the other tours I did like was the Barton's one for the simple fact I had never been in a "factory" setting and it was really cool to see the automation of the bottles being filled, pallets stacked and shrink wrapped, etc.

I did get the opportunity to see them bottling and packing another of my favorties, Blanton's at Buffalo Trace. I thought it was curious they were being boxed into maroon colored boxes and learned those were destined for Japan. I also learned for the first time about the 8 jockey position's on the tops. I am going to plan to collect them, as opposed to my wife's cheaper alternative, just buy them at the gift shop since its more fun to consume the bottles you are collecting them from!

Wild Turkey was interesting to see the Sensory Lab where they have all of their samples that they use for smell, color and taste. Our guide said that apparently by law, they are only allowed to spend something like 15 minutes in that room at a time or something.

On the Four Roses tour they talked about 5 products. The yellow label, the small batch, their single barrel and 2 bourbons which are exported to Japan but that was all they said about those 2. They really didn't have any other information other than to say those 2 are not available in the United States, which we thought was odd.

I think my wife's favorite was Buffalo Trace, only for the reason that she is not a bourbon drinker and one of the samples offered was "Buffalo Cream" which is apparently only available in Kentucky. Needless to say, we picked up 4 bottles of it before departing the state.

The last thing we did before we left was toured the Kentucky Ale brewery in Lexington to check out their Bourbon Barrel Ale. Apparently they are no longer able to offer tastings at the brewery because they have grown from a craft brewery to a regional one which changes the regulations they fall under four offering samples. We did get to try some of the Bourbon Barrel Ale at a restaurant and both really liked it.n we brought a case of that home too. they did say they are working on a new creation, bourbon coffee stout. But they didn't have an ETA on the availability of that.

Anyway, that's my $0.02 on the tours I went on with my wife.

[Yeti]

In 2009 I went to Louisville for a weekend and toured MM and Beam. Well, visited Beam, not toured. I thought MM was a great experience, but in retrospect it was a little "fake", and my opinion of the bourbon itself has waned in the passing years. Not that those two thoughts are connected. Beam was a terrible experience, because there really wasn't an experience to speak of. Just the movie and a brief tasting. And lots of shilling from the gift shop.

I was supposed to visit Frankfurt on November 9th and tour BT and 4R, but that got cancelled when there was a death in the family. We're hoping to move the trip to the 30th. I'm calling ahead for the BT hard hat tour. Reading through this I got a few ideas (like grabbing a bunch of Blanton's minis, and the Buffalo Cream). Is there anything else to know about BT going in? I've also read a little about the 4R Mellow Moments VIP tour and signed up online for their club. The BT Hard Hat tour starts at 10:30, and (if I'm reading it right) the last 4R tour starts at 3pm. Does anyone know if I'd be able to set up a special 4R VIP tour for the same day, or does the timing not work out? Or should I just call the distillery and ask instead of wondering? Probably the latter :-)

Does anyone have any suggestions for a good bourbon bar in Frankfurt, or for a store with a good top-shelf selection in Lexington?

[spinningrecords]

Jim Beam has a new tour as of about September. They did a good job with setting it up and I recommend checking it out if you are in the area.

My first tour of Maker's gave me the same impression as you. It didn't help that the tour had a very large number people. However, I toured again with Dave Pudlo and I got a very different impression. I came away being far more impressed with their process and you're really seeing both stills going in the distillery. They have a nice tasting area too. Their marketing is very good and I understand why it might come across as fake. They have some of the better quality shirts on the trail if souvenirs appeal to you.

The hard hat tour at Buffalo Trace is the right tour. Although I haven't experience all the tour guides, you'll hopefully draw Freddie Johnson who runs an excellent and knowledgeable tour. I've only noticed signed bottles in the gift shop. The Buffalo Cream was pretty good. I'd drink it over Bailey's any day.

You can get a VIP tour and tasting Four Roses by joining the Mellow Moments club. Personally, I love their operation and their approach to making whiskey. Look for exclusive bottles in the gift shop. I got a hold of two 17-year single barrels for $57 each. Best gift shop specials on the trail bar none. If you call ahead, I'm sure they will be very helpful.

Touring Buffalo Trace and Four Roses the same day pairs well. You should be able to get through Wild Turkey too if you're inclined. It's provide great contrast to BT and 4R.

Serafini's in Frankfort is an upscale joint with a terrific bourbon bar and great food. You could also see Rachel at the Capital Cellars if you looking for bar with lighter fare. They very close to each other.

Edited November 17, 2012 by spinningrecords

[Jono]

Jim Beam has a new tour as of about September. They did a good job with setting it up and I recommend checking it out if you are in the area.

My first tour of Maker's gave me the same impression as you. It didn't help that the tour had a very large number people. However, I toured again with Dave Pudlo and I got a very different impression. I came away being far more impressed with their process and you're really seeing both stills going in the distillery. They have a nice tasting area too. Their marketing is very good and I understand why it might come across as fake. They have some of the better quality shirts on the trail if souvenirs appeal to you.

The hard hat tour at Buffalo Trace is the right tour. Although I haven't experience all the tour guides, you'll hopefully draw Freddie Johnson who runs an excellent and knowledgeable tour. I've only noticed signed bottles in the gift shop. The Buffalo Cream was pretty good. I'd drink it over Bailey's any day.

You can get a VIP tour and tasting Four Roses by joining the Mellow Moments club. Personally, I love their operation and their approach to making whiskey. Look for exclusive bottles in the gift shop. I got a hold of two 17-year single barrels for $57 each. Best gift shop specials on the trail bar none. If you call ahead, I'm sure they will be very helpful.

Touring Buffalo Trace and Four Roses the same day pairs well. You should be able to get through Wild Turkey too if you're inclined. It's provide great contrast to BT and 4R.

Serafini's in Frankfort is an upscale joint with a terrific bourbon bar and great food. You could also see Rachel at the Capital Cellars if you looking for bar with lighter fare. They very close to each other.

Agree on all points, especially Serafini's which turned out to be an excellent find with a terrific whiskey bar selection.

[tarheel]

Heading up to Kentucky over Thanksgiving. Planning on BT normal (hard hat already filled up!), WT, MM, and FR (mellow moments VIP club) tour. Wanted to do Kentucky Cooperage but can't make the times fit in. Bourbon's Bistro, Oscar Getz museum, and of course, the Liquor Barn on tap. The previous 13 pages of posts were very helpful, thanks guys. I'll try to provide my $0.02 upon return. Any additional advice?

[spinningrecords]

You might consider checking out the Willett Distillery while in Bardstown. Personally, I'd do that over Oscar Getz unless you have a keen interest in something at the museum.

[CaptainQ]

Having just read the Wine Enthusiast Magazine's Distiller of the year I'm really looking forward to meeting Willie Pratt at the Michter's Distillery. Where is it located? :skep::hot:

[Yeti]

Jim Beam has a new tour as of about September...

Thanks so much for the detailed response and information! I'll definitely plan for dinner at Serafini's.

[p_elliott]

You might consider checking out the Willett Distillery while in Bardstown. Personally, I'd do that over Oscar Getz unless you have a keen interest in something at the museum.

I have never done the Oscar Getz museum every year I say I'm going to do it and then don't. Everyone says it's just old bottles and pictures but I think I would like old bottles and pictures. Even if I just stayed 15 or 20 min I would like to do this museum.

[smokinjoe]

I have never done the Oscar Getz museum every year I say I'm going to do it and then don't. Everyone says it's just old bottles and pictures but I think I would like old bottles and pictures. Even if I just stayed 15 or 20 min I would like to do this museum.

Paul it's worth the visit, and I would recommend it to y'all who are heading that way this weekend. Yep, it's old bottles and pictures, along with some artifacts and great info. You can stay 15 minutes, or spend a couple of hours. The cool thing is that you control your time. Please don't discount it while making your plans.

[smokinjoe]

In 2009 I went to Louisville for a weekend and toured MM and Beam. Well, visited Beam, not toured. I thought MM was a great experience, but in retrospect it was a little "fake", and my opinion of the bourbon itself has waned in the passing years. Not that those two thoughts are connected. Beam was a terrible experience, because there really wasn't an experience to speak of. Just the movie and a brief tasting. And lots of shilling from the gift shop.

I was supposed to visit Frankfurt on November 9th and tour BT and 4R, but that got cancelled when there was a death in the family. We're hoping to move the trip to the 30th. I'm calling ahead for the BT hard hat tour. Reading through this I got a few ideas (like grabbing a bunch of Blanton's minis, and the Buffalo Cream). Is there anything else to know about BT going in? I've also read a little about the 4R Mellow Moments VIP tour and signed up online for their club. The BT Hard Hat tour starts at 10:30, and (if I'm reading it right) the last 4R tour starts at 3pm. Does anyone know if I'd be able to set up a special 4R VIP tour for the same day, or does the timing not work out? Or should I just call the distillery and ask instead of wondering? Probably the latter :-)

Does anyone have any suggestions for a good bourbon bar in Frankfurt, or for a store with a good top-shelf selection in Lexington?

Wondering what you found "fake" in the MM tour? Besides the obvious beauty of the place, I found the tour to be similar to the others, and hit on most of the areas that need to be hit. OK, you can take the legend and lore stories with a grain of salt, but all the distilleries have their own home-spun tales. Is there anything else?

[callmeox]

I found the "rickhouse" with the modern gift shop and tasting room attached to be on the faux side.

[smokinjoe]

I found the "rickhouse" with the modern gift shop and tasting room attached to be on the faux side.

Anything wrong with "gussying up" the finale to make for a pleasant experience? It is suppose to be a tourist destination.

[callmeox]

Anything wrong with "gussying up" the finale to make for a pleasant experience? It is suppose to be a tourist destination.

I will not apologize for my feelings, Joe. Go pick a fight somewhere else.

[p_elliott]

I found the "rickhouse" with the modern gift shop and tasting room attached to be on the faux side.

Really I alway thought that was kind of a cool little move on their part.

[smokinjoe]

I will not apologize for my feelings, Joe. Go pick a fight somewhere else.

No need to make this personal, Scott. Or, you might have to lock yourself...

[Yeti]

Wondering what you found "fake" in the MM tour? Besides the obvious beauty of the place, I found the tour to be similar to the others, and hit on most of the areas that need to be hit. OK, you can take the legend and lore stories with a grain of salt, but all the distilleries have their own home-spun tales. Is there anything else?