Bardstown Bourbon Company

This review covers both the bourbon company and the restaurant from the point of view of a first time visitor. However, this is the 19th distillery my husband and I have visited, so we are not new to bourbon. When you pull into the parking lot, it’s obvious this is a modern distillery. The grounds are well manicured and the glass front rickhouse draws visitors’ attention. We were greeted promptly when we entered and visited the gift shop to purchase a lapel pin as is tradition for us in every distillery we visit. The clerk never stopped talking to her coworker or looked at us while we completed the purchase. There is a tasting bar near the entrance where they sell half ounce pours. We took advantage of getting a flight of 3 collaboration pours and it was well worth the $25 as each bottle represented retails for $150 or more. Thankfully, the Core Four tour was a great experience. The tour starts with the tasting which is different from other distilleries. We sampled Bardstown 4 origin products before visiting other areas. The tour requires the use of stairs and one room we visited was 109 degrees but we were only there a few minutes. Our tour guide Amber was very knowledgeable and did a great job. The tour ended with thieving from an experimental barrel which was a nice surprise and had wonderful flavor. Our guide compared the thieved tasting to Green River full proof. After the tour, we decided to stay for lunch. Buyer Beware - if you want to sample a pour, get it from the bar near the entrance. In the restaurant, you get a much larger pour for 4x the price. My husband got a smashed burger and fries and I got a grilled chicken sandwich and fries. The food was very good and the fries were similar to fair fries and delicious, but these meals were overpriced for what they were. We ended up purchasing the Stave Finish bourbon, which is a distillery only bottle. We enjoyed the afternoon at Bardstown and overall recommend you stop here during your visit to the Bourbon Trail. Cheers!

What a great experience. We did the core tour on Sunday April 27. Josh saw I had a knee brace and asked if I needed to use the elevator and needed a golf cart to the Rick house which was a big relief. He did an awesome job presentation. This was of my favorite bourbon tours which I will always remember with my wife. Great tastings. I purchased some bourbon from the nice gift shop.

Great visit in Bardstown! The core 4 tour was fun, tasty bourbons, and our tour guide was great - very personable and knowledgeable about the distillery. While new compared to some other places, it's very well done. Well worth the small fee for the tour.

We did the Rickhouse tour and it was one of the best on the trail. Nothing like being able to drink straight from the barrel. Decent size gift shop and the grounds were modern and beautiful. But our lunch wasn’t very appealing; overcooked and the service was very slow.

Beautiful property and great tour experience. First time we were here (spring 2024), we had a more production tour, while this time (spring 2025), more focused on nuances of the Bardstown projects and growth. Make reservations at the restaurant!

We had a great time here! We did the Barrel Thieving experience and had a lot of fun. Getting to pull bourbon straight from the barrel and taste it right there—doesn’t get much better than that. Our guide, Michael, was awesome—super friendly, knew his stuff, and made the whole thing a blast. He had us laughing while also teaching us a ton about the process. You could tell he really loves what he does, and it made the experience even better. And as if that wasn’t enough, the master distiller was out signing bottles and chatting with everyone! Such a cool surprise and just another reason this place stands out. The campus is huge and gorgeous. I wish we had had more time to stay for a drink or a meal but definitely next time! The whole vibe was relaxed, welcoming, and just an all-around great time.

If you’re on the bourbon trail, save this place for last. It’s unlike any other distillery and will spoil you. We had lunch and some drinks. The service and food were both over the top. Will made some great recommendations. We had the brussel sprout appetizer, my wife had the chicken sandwich, and I had the hot brown. Everything was cooked to perfection and tasted fresh and amazing. Their bourbon is also amazing, but you probably already knew that. 😁

Our tour at Bardstown Bourbon Company was absolutely fantastic—one of the best distillery experiences we’ve had so far! This is a very modern distillery, with cutting-edge manufacturing processes that set it apart from the more traditional spots on the Bourbon Trail. Our tour guide, Samantha, was incredible—engaging, knowledgeable, and hands-down the best guide we’ve had so far. She made the tour fun, informative, and truly memorable. One of the coolest things about this tour is that it starts with a tasting instead of ending with one, which was a refreshing change of pace. Every bourbon we sampled was great, but the Bottled-in-Bond and Wheated were the standouts—I loved them so much that I had to take a bottle of each home! And just when we thought it couldn’t get better, the tour ended with a barrel pick tasting, which was an incredible way to wrap up the experience. If you’re visiting the Bourbon Trail, Bardstown Bourbon Company is a must-visit. The combination of modern innovation, excellent bourbon, and an amazing tour experience makes this distillery truly special. Highly recommend!

We went on a tour of the Distillery. Got to taste the core 4. Our guide was amazing answering every question we had. Even with the rain it was amazing

First visit to Bardstown and came away very impressed. Did the Rick house Barrel Thieving experience and loved it. Took place in one of the modern rick houses. Our guide Samantha was very knowledgeable and super nice. Got to experience some pours right out of the barrel. Only down side...very chilly in the rick house. Grounds were beautiful and physical gift shop bar area was beautiful.

I recently had the pleasure of taking the Behind the Scenes tour at Bardstown Bourbon Company, and it was an unforgettable experience! From start to finish, this tour is a bourbon lover's dream, offering an up-close look at every phase of their innovative distillation process under the expert guidance of Head Distiller Nick Smith. The hands-on elements made this tour truly special. Tasting the fermenting mash straight from the tank was a unique and sensory-rich experience. Sampling white dog as it comes off the still gave me a newfound appreciation for the journey bourbon takes before it reaches maturity. The trip to the lab, where we tasted distillate from multiple mashbills, was fascinating and showcased the craftsmanship behind their work. And the highlight of highlights? Thieving bourbon directly from the barrel in the rickhouse tasting room--a moment I'll never forget! Nick's knowledge and passion for his craft are evident, and the entire Bardstown team has created a tour that's both informative and engaging. Whether you're a bourbon novice or a seasoned connoisseur, this tour is a must. Highly recommend!

My wife & I recently did a tasting & tour @ Bardstown Bourbon Company and came away impressed + pleased that we made the stop. The tour incorporated things we didn't experience during other distillery experiences: overview video highlighting history & goals of company, headsets to amplify tour guides voice during tour of production facility, their high wine was featured on their tasting flight, and a chance to taste from a barrel during rickhouse tour. All of those features may not be part of every tour so I don't want to mislead anyone but we were super impressed by what we experienced as it differentiated Bardstown Bourbon Company from the 10-12 other distilleries we visited during our week+ on the bourbon trail. Our guide was super friendly/informative and everything about the facilities, gift shop, bar & restaurant were top notch. They claim that they want to create an experience similar to what wine lovers experience in the Napa Valley...and since we live within 1:30 of that area and have spent plenty of time exploring it through the years, I would say that they've achieved their goal and then some.

If you're going to do one tour, do this one. A great tasting "Core Four Tour", our guide was excellent. Incredible technology mixed with an obvious passion for putting out a first class, consistent product. Nothing like it... and don't sleep on the restaurant.

From a tour quality, hospitality, and accessibility perspective, this is a five star tour experience. The whole establishment is less than 10 years old, and its a super clean affair, with a modern metal and glass building with lots of white, a 2 sided fireplace, and a double or triple height ceiling in the dining room. The dining room is worth a stop after your tour, if you arrive around lunchtime. The lamb ravioli is superb, the meatballs, disappointingly dry. I knock off one star only because the bourbons themselves are crazy expensive, with the most affordable bottle going at around $50. There are several options over $100. That's just ridiculous; the Venture Capitalists funding this enterprise are leveraging you to pay off their debt obligations. Worth a stop, though, for the tour, food and the Old Fashioned. Oh, and there is a furry wall, too. Well, mossy, but still. Tragically, they frown on stroking it, even if the world slipped you a jeffrey.

From start to finish this place is amazing. In their words, the company is one that's more innovative, transparent and collaborative. You feel this from the kitchen which serves amazing food to the end product which they deliver to many brand names. The tour is excellent, and I was surprised how open it was. You could ask anything and touch nearly anything that was safe to touch. Why is that one pink in color as opposed to all the others? The customer wanted us to use popcorn in making it, that's why. The gift shop is great too. But if you are eyeing something, get it while it is in front of you. Their inventory isn't that deep with some items so you might be disappointed if you wait until later.

Bardstown is one of the most beautiful distilleries on the bourbon trail! The food is incredible and the cocktails were delicious. Samantha was very knowledgeable and made the bottle your own experience one of a kind. The Rick house was impressive and the sample room inside was stunning. I highly recommend a visit.

My husband and I visited Bardstown on our last day of the bourbon trail. As far as experiences go, we saved the best for last! I really enjoyed the cocktail class. The entire Bardstown facility is immaculate! Be sure to put this one on your list if you're in the area!

This was a hard one. We ran late to this tour, so I missed the opening video and some of the history. First tour where we did the tasting in the beginning. I'm just gonna give me a few and have me walk it off. Lol. No, but that was interesting. I did not care for any of the samples. However, it was a learning experience. This was the 1st tour where we were told we could touch the yeast on tip where the bourbon was in the fermentation stage. I was shocked. That's 2 Bardstown. Lol. Yes, I did touch it but did not taste it. Lol. The tour guide was very knowledgeable. This is a fast growing distillery. We did get a sample from the barrel while on tour. It was over 120 proof. Not to my liking. We did talk a lot to others on the tour. Great conversation. I was shocked to learn Kentucky Owl and Green River are bottled there. That's 3! You should learn something every day, my grandma said. I had 2 firsts and a new bit of information on this tour. Check out Bardstown and other distilleries in this area.

Grabbed lunch to start our day on the Bourbon Trail. The ambiance and decor is absolutely perfect. Everything feels so bright and modern. Service was impeccable and recommendations were on point. Started our meal with cocktails and fried green tomatoes. Both dipping sauces were fabulous but I loved the green goddess dip the most. I had the chefs special of the day which was Korean fried chicken over garlic mac and cheese. It was absolutely delicious! We also tried the fried chicken sandwich which was crispy and moist. I cannot recommend this place enough. Make sure you make your reservation in advance!

My friends and I arrived as part of a day long bourbon tour. We had lunch at the Bardstown kitchen. Yes! 5 Stars all the way! The food was fresh and flavorful. I had the fried green tomatoes and Poke Bowl- added Ahi Tuna. It was excellent. The friend green tomatoes were SO good too! I was with a large group of 8, and no one complained about anything they had ordered. We passed food around and shared too. I tasted the Brussel sprouts and a few drinks. They were all good. Will was our server. I told him he was seriously the best server I have had in years!! In fact, I will be back and request Will to serve my husband and I so my husband can brag about the experience too. Patrick was our tour guide for the bourbon tour. Top notch! It was a great tour and we were able to ask any questions we had as well as learn a little about the industry and how Bardstown came to be. I still gave our experience 5 stars, but one of the bottles that I was looking forward to purchasing sold out while we were ON our tour. It was disappointing. I will say though, the shop staff went above and beyond helping me with my purchases.

We went to the Bardstown location for a cocktail making class. That was super cool and very informative! We learned 2 different drinks and received a souvenir glass and the recipes of the drinks we made after we were done. We decided to eat after our class, but there wasn't any tables but we were allowed to sit at the lounge sofas for a limited "sofa menu." It was weird that they had a limited menu for the sofa when the bar (which was right next to us) and the dining room had full menus. It took quite a while to get our food when we ordered salads so we thought that was strange. Overall the class was awesome, but the dining service was subpar. It's a great place to visit and tour, and the food is great, but the dining service wasn't great.

Everything about the distillery is fantastic. It has a very modern welcome center, restaurant, and gift shop. We didn't eat there, but all the food we saw people enjoying looked delicious. The tour guide we had was really great and the tour of the distillery and rick houses was amazing.

If you're in the area, don't miss out on this tour! Even if you're not, come to the area for the tour! You can even stop in and see the beautiful campus, with their beautiful building structures, landscaping, and just overall vibe. Our tour guide, Macy, was awesome... She was knowledgeable, funny, and entertaining. She was patient with us with our questions and Kind to us as a group. She took into account our endeavors that some of the group had after the tour... And made sure that our tour was as individualized as it possibly could be. We have been on a lot of distillery tours and this one is probably one of our top five favorites. The tour itself is laid out very uniquely. We did not try the restaurant, but it looks delicious. We did, however, tried the bourbon slushy. It was absolutely incredible. Definitely do not Miss visiting Bardstown bourbon company. We will definitely be back!

Great tour. Samantha was an excellent tour guide. Very knowledgeable and personable. Tastings were fun.

There are a few reasons I rated this experience a 5. The tour guide Joshua was fantastic! His knowledge of the industry and passion for whiskey made this experience GREAT. We toured 11 distilleries and Joshua was one of the main reasons... It was cool to see a new state of the art whiskey distillery and sample really good whiskey. Joshua was a really good instructor on how to handle and taste whiskey, which set the foundation for our next 10 distillery visits/tastings.

If you can schedule the master distiller tour, do it! Steve Nally is absolutely an amazing gentleman, been in the business over 50 years. He will spend as much time with you as you want. Our tour was scheduled for two hours, he spent over three with us.

Unfortunately the tours were sold out for the day, so we stopped in for a tasting and a gift shop visit instead. The staff was super knowledgeable about not just their own bourbons, but whiskeys from all over the country. Pre-book your tour and stop in for a drink at the outdoor bar.

Great facility and tours! We enjoyed our time at the distillery and touring the Rick house while thieving from the barrels. Macy was an awesome tour guide. She was very informative and made the tour a lot of fun! We did not eat at the restaurant but we did try a few drinks at the bar afterward. We enjoyed everything we tried! Highly recommend checking out this distillery and taking a tour!

A different experience on the bourbon trail. A young company more like a micro-beer tour. Very modern and industrial. Tasting rooms 1st stop on the tour with a tv presentation. Excellent tour guide.

Very cool distillery. Great food on site, and several bars to get drinks from. The tours are great and the staff was super friendly and helpful. Not your traditional distillery. Very modern and sterile. Old wood rick houses have been replaced with much more 21st century glass and metal structures.

Good food, service, and atmosphere! We had the fried chicken sandwich, the chicken & French toast, Brussel sprouts, and meatballs. The Brussels were the best! Wish we had gotten the poutine! The tour was good, but far from the best. As far as cocktails, It's Corn was our favorite.

Warm welcome by the greeting team, followed by a equally impressive tour lead. Found out more about Bardstown from this visit then known previously. Bought a couple of bottles to further enjoy when i return home. Will include in the plans for next visit to the area.

Incredible experience. Macy, our guide was fantastic and the whole tour was put together incredibly well. Definitely a don't miss tour on the Bourbon Trail.

Great experience at Bardstown with our tour guide Michael. The distillery itself is not historical but it is a showcase of technology. Great place to grab lunch as well.

Had the absolute best experience with Derek. He went above and beyond to make this a memorable trip for us. We celebrated our 3rd anniversary here and had an amazing time with him and our group.

We did the Rickhouse Thieving experience and couldn't have been happier with our choice! The location was great, the grounds are amazing and the lunch was a great bonus. "Heavy Hand Sam" was an amazing guide as well!!! Would definitely go back!!

The rickhouse tour was great. Our guide Patrick did a great explaining everything. Grab lunch before you leave! Food was amazing.

Our tour guide was Michael. He did a fantastic job at providing the his about Bardstown Bourbon during the "Distillation to Barrel" tour. Great sense of humor and education on the Bardstown Bourbon Distillery! Must Go!

We were blown away by how strikingly beautiful the campus was. The inside of the main building was gorgeous & we really enjoyed our time in there. The towering display of Bardstown Bourbon behind the bar was such a nice backdrop for our tasting experience - although when I looked closely I could tell it needed a good dusting. We did a whiskey flight & then our own respective cocktails. I highly recommend the flight - it gave so much context to the experience. We are whiskey lovers but not whiskey experts, & all of the information was still very accessible to us. Sweet little gift shop, but I wish there was more variety in there. I was also a little bit flabbergasted that I was asked to tip on my gift store purchase (a bottle of bourbon). I think I still did out of habit, but felt weird about it. We had a great time chit chatting with our bartender - I wish I remembered her name. I do remember that she had some really killer eyeliner on. We will definitely return to do a tour if we are ever in the area again.

We visited their gorgeous new tasting room in downtown Louisville while in town and had such a great time trying their selections and shopping their retail! On top of that, it's such a gorgeous space with a super helpful and knowledgeable staff. Can't wait to visit the Bardstown location next time we're in Kentucky!

I was not overly impressed. It is an upscale modern tasting room. The bottle prices were really high, and I didn't think the tastings justified the prices. They hearld from Bardstwn, the birth town of Kentucky bourbon. I was hoping for more.

Went to lunch 2:30 on weekday. Service was a bit slow as our server had several large tables. We went to bar first and got first rate service and drink was very cold Lunch- fried chicken and salmon croquettes both seemed a bit dark- fried too long. Fries that came with sandwich were all soggy. Should have sent them back Difficult to get attention of server for bill as she was getting drink refills. Another server on floor in our area would have been helpful. Ours seemed overworked. Bldg, atmosphere was nice

Amazing place everytime i go, the service is outstanding, the food is amazing! The ambiance is beautiful. You wont regret visiting here!

Impressive distillery -- large scale operation that is very modern. Tastings were very good, worth a couple of purchases. Josh was knowledgeable and helpful as our guide, a real pleasure. It was cold, so we unfortunately could not take advantage of the outdoor seating. Next time!

We did the barrel thieving tour and I would recommend it, especially for the price. BBC has an excellent facility and are doing new, creative and cool things with whiskey. After spending time at Heaven Hill earlier in the day, BBC, as a much newer player in the game, was the perfect contrast to having visited one of the oldest and traditional distillers. Ian was a great tour guide for us. Timing did not work for us to eat at the restaurant, but it looked and smelled excellent. The gift shop was pretty cool as well.

The place looks great. Super new looking and inviting, you'll want to spend time here. I only stopped by for the bar and store. The store had plenty of good stuff. The bar was well priced and the bartender was extremely knowledgeable. He talked to my group for a long time explaining everything he had. The conversation on the tasting notes and smell was excellent. The black label bardstown was amazing, one of the best pickups while I was there. I went to 6 different distilleries this was probably the best bottle I got.

Great, informative tour and tasting (Michael was the best!) and a wonderful lunch after!

Hands down the coolest experience in Bardstown. From our tour, tasting and lunch, it was a first class experience! Highly recommend this for anyone serious bourbon lover looking for a "Napa style" experience! My husband and I were fortunate enough to meet the Master Distiller, Mr. Stephen! World class guy, humble and down to earth! Maybe you will have Patrick as your guide. He was a great teacher and had a passion for making sure you have the very best experience possible.

We absolutely loved our rickhouse bourbon tasting. The grounds are beautiful, our tour was great. The outside bar was shaded and cooled with a fan. Our appetizers tasted as good as the looked

I will start by saying there isn't anything wrong with their product. I have tasted as they have been at the Keystone Bacon and Bourbon Festival. Although I'm not a huge fan we came here for the restaurant for lunch. Their property is new and fresh and amazing. There is one Rick house where they give tours, that has glass on one side and you can see from the restaurant. Everything looks amazing. Our lunch meal took way longer than we had planned for everything, for apps for the meal and for the check. I'm tons this area is where the famous Bourbon Festival is held. It's really a incredible place but today and for what we came for it was a bit off.

We did the rickhouse thieving tour and it was really a unique experience. We were able to taste the bourbon directly out of the barrels from a few varieties, learned about new and exciting bourbon coming out and learned about the history of the bourbon company. Our tour guide was a blast and we also ended up sitting at the bar in the restaurant to do an old fashioned, a flight and had some food. We had salads and a well-done charcuterie board. It was enough food, prices weren't too bad and the service was great. Would highly recommend this experience.

Fun and informative experience. Great cocktails and great campus! Tour guide was welcoming and informative!

Had a wonderful lunch! The food and service are both incredible! We had Will for our server and he was both knowledgeable and kind. We started with the Kentucky poutine. It was flavorful but not too big to ruin your appetite! I had the BBCo burger and seriously the best burger I've ever had! It was so tender! We ended with the bread pudding and the caramel bourbon sauce is to die for! I only got a picture of the appetizer because I was so excited about the food! Now on to the tour!

Service was excellent. Great tasting experience! Definitely worth the trip and time.

Bardstown Bourbon Company has a beautiful space! A great outside seating section & bright inside dinning room. I really enjoyed the Bourbon & Bites experience. Three small dishes paired with bourbon. The chef leads the experience in the upstairs event space. I tried new things & loved hearing about the chef's inspiration. The food offered isn't enough to be considered a meal. We made reservations for dinner at the restaurant afterwards. Most recently my husband & I stopped in for lunch. We were able to walk in & get a table on a Thursday afternoon. I recommend searching for reservations via OpenTable if you plan to visit. We both agreed we would stop every time for an old fashioned & the Kentucky poutine. The in house made French fries were crispy and topped with white cheese curds & sausage gravy. The cheese curds were everything & made my Wisconsin heart happy. We split the steak frites & it left something to be desired. My husband & I both agreed the steak lacked flavor. Service was good.

Our fav brunch spot! Fantastic food and great service always! The theiving tour is our favorite.

BBC comes across not just as a unique distillery, but as curators and stewards of the distilling history and tradition in Kentucky. Take the opportunity to do the thieving, and try to get with Michael. He is simple top-notch. These were some of the best hours I have ever spent on the bourbon trail.