Jump to content

Bourbon Tour 11/2017


Tburg
This topic has been inactive for at least 365 days, and is now closed. Please feel free to start a new thread on the subject! 

Recommended Posts

Heading down to Louisville this weekend for a few days of tours and shopping.  Driving from Chicago on saturday with my wife and checking into our airbnb place.

Scheduled/planned visits:

Saturday - Jim Beam Urban Stillhouse

Sunday - Angel's Envy and Evan Williams Experience

Monday - Willett Distillery Tour, Heaven Hill Heritage Center Tasting, Maker's Mark Tour

Tuesday - 4 Roses limited tour, Wild Turkey Shop, Buffalo Trace Hard Hat Tour.

 

Still researching places to eat and liquor stores to hit.  But will post a review when I get back.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would add the Beam Tour in Clermont.  One of my favorites.

 

Stores:   Westport Whiskey & Wine, Liquor Barn.

 

Food wise there are so many good choices:  North End Cafe, Bristol Bar & Grille (do yourself a favor and have an order of Green Chili Won Tons), Gary's on Spring (two words, Lobster Bisque), Joella's Hot Chicken, Bistro 301, Marketplace, Dish on Market (they have a great Sunday breakfast buffet with custom made omelets), Porcini's, DeFabio's, Doc Crows, Against the Grain Brewery & Smokehouse, Wild Rita's, Wild Eggs (breakfast), Smashburger, Highland Morning (breakfast & my favorite), Mussel & Burger Bar, Birracibo, and the list could go on and on.

 

Down One Bourbon bar has a great bourbon list as does Jockey Silks Bourbon Bar (at the Galt House), Silver Dollar, actually a lot of restaurants have good bourbon lists.

 

Others will likely give you some more options but these are ones that I know for sure, as I frequent them.  If you need any more information let me know.

  • I like it 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I enjoyed a stop at Copper & Kings in the Butchertown part of Louisville as well as the Butchertown Grocery (a restaurant) across the street. Nice bar and good food if a bit spendy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice line-up!  You have a lot packed in, so I'll just suggest that you don't miss the Maker's Mark tour.  Total package, it's the best out there, IMO.  I'll add, if you're just into total bourbon geekdom, the BT Hardhat is hard to beat.  But, MM excels in a terrific experience for geeks and novices, alike.  The visuals are really, really, good.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

The trip was a lot of fun.  Highlights from the tours:

Saturday night- Jim Beam Urban Stillhouse.  A gift shop, tasting experience.  A quiet cold night in Louisville, not a lot of people out due to the bad weather.  Was surprised by the Jim Beam Fire.  Have always stayed away from the cinnamon flavored whiskeys, but did like this one.  Would be good on a cold rainy night like it was.

 

Sunday Afternoon:  Did the tour at Angel's Envy.  Enjoyed the time here.  The one note I have here is how clean the place was.  Ok, it has only been in operation for 4 years at this location, but they seem to keep everything clean and shiny.  Just a modern, industrial feel to the place.  Different than everyone else's I've visited.  Maybe check back in 60 years to see if it stays that way.  The finishing they do, while not for everyone and somewhat "faddish", really hit me well.  Tasted their lineup, bourbon and rye.  Enjoyed the flavors from each.  

 

Evan Williams Experience.  As had been explained to me before hand, a little hokey, but perhaps if there were 3 or 4 more experiences on the block, this would go over better.  Videos and a walk through their show, not a bad time, good information, but the worst of the tour leaders, just something off about it.  

 

Monday:  Drive to Bardstown and a visit at Willett.  Construction going on at this smaller distillery.  Creating a couple bed and breakfast spots and an outdoor pavilion.  A way for them to generate more income throughout the year.  Definitely a smaller scale than Makers, Four Roses, Wild Turkey and Buffalo Trace, but they do things well.  Enjoyed their tasting of the Pot Still and Estate Rye.  

 

A quick stop at the Heaven Hill Heritage Center to look around and see what was for sale.

 

Following Willett, the interesting drive to Maker's Mark.  Small back roads all the way, interesting drive.  The first big distillery on this trip.  Grounds were gorgeous with the Chihlyli(??) glass displayed and getting the christmas decorations put up.  Tasting as expected.  Enjoy Makers products and good to see how they go through the process. The 46 cave was a site and reminded me of wineries storage in Napa.  

 

Tuesday:  Drive to Lawrenceburg and Four Roses.  As I knew going in, this was a limited tour as the construction continues.  Will definitely have to go back to see it again and find more in their shop.  Energetic and positive guide made for a great stop even though what we got to see was pretty limited.

 

From there, we stopped at Wild Turkey just to visit the gift shop and perhaps get a bottle signed by a Russell.  They weren't there, so it made for a quick stop for a few photos and to look around.  The scale of the place really stands out and this will be one to come back and tour on the next trip.

 

The final tour was the hard hat tour at buffalo trace.  As has been said in other postings, this one is well worth it (well for free, I guess so).  Don was our tour guide, but our group was a little large - 12 or 13 - so it was a little difficult to hear at times.  It was a pretty cool way to see through the distillery and get a different view of the operations.   A simple tasting with Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare and Bourbon Creme were at the end.  

 

Dinners and food were good and we hit a few of the recommendations from others.  First night, we had Royals Hot Chicken.  We actually stayed in a condo in Louisville through Airbnb and this was within a block of where we stayed.  

Also in our block was a Please and Thank You coffee shop, so we had a couple breakfasts there.  Sunday dinner was at Against the grain Brewery.  Enjoyable flight of their brews along with some great smoked meat.  Monday, we stopped at the Old Talbott Tavern in bardstown and had a hot brown.  All I can say is wow.  That was a big surprise and just hit perfectly.  Wasn't expecting it at all, hot brown, I envisioned something with brown gravy and such.  A treat to be sure.  Monday night, dinner was at the Silver Dollar.  Interesting place, would definitely recommend to others as well.  Had my bourbon flight of Ancient Ancient age, Rock Hill Farms and Old Rip Van Winkle.  A different kind of place, but would go back in a second to have some more.  Final night, Tuesday night, we took a recommendation from our condo hosts and went to a place call Feast BBQ.  More smoked meats that were even better than at against the grain.  Wife had a pulled pork cake (think crab cake but with pulled pork) that she said was one of the best things she's ever had.  Another bourbon flight at the bar, but I don't remember what I had.

 

Was a very fun trip and will be back again.  Not a bad drive from Chicago's burbs, but need to go at a different time of year.  Thanksgiving week is just a little late.  Had we been there a few weeks earlier with the leaves changing and all that, all the grounds would have been even more spectacular.  Not a lot of LS shopping, but I will post a picture of what I came home with.

  • I like it 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/2/2017 at 3:04 PM, Tburg said:

Here's what came home with me.

image.jpg

Glad you enjoyed our neck of the woods.  Nice selection too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.