Stitzel-Weller Distillery

Great bourbon tour and an amazing guide. The property was beautiful even on a rainy day. Rico (our tour guide) was very knowledgeable and gave an amazing tour. We loved the wide array of tastings from various Diageo bourbon/scotch. Worth checking out next time you’re looking for a bourbon experience close to Louisville.

We absolutely loved this tour from Carly. It was super informative, funny, and exciting. I would recommend to anyone who cares about bourbon or American heritage. Thank you, Carly. You are very talented! Also shout out to blade and Bow brand. Big fan of the bourbon and story.

Great tour, lots of history and tasty bourbon tasting. Special bonus was the Garden Party that happened on day I visited. Only disappointment was that there was no I.W. Harper for sale. Too bad. Plenty of parking.

A distillery steeped in Kentucky bourbon history. Its location is unique , and it's story is an enduring one of over 140 years. It's premier salesman in the very beginning was as a 19 year old Pappy VanWinckle. The visitor center is also a Garden and Gun cocktail lounge in the second floor. Go early for a cocktail before your tour or stay after for one. Our guide Jean was amazing and each whiskey and bourbon we tasted was amazing .

The OG Louisville distillery. Highly recommend the Bourbon and Chocolate Sensory Experience. Our guide, Hannah, was knowledgeable and took time time for all our questions. Definitely seeking out Blade and Bow bourbon now!

Super neat place, but skip getting drinks. We paid $16 for an Old Fashioned and this is what they gave us. I questioned them about it saying if you remove the ice cube and orange peel, that it's half a shot of total liquid. They said that's how they make an Old Fashioned. Great establishment with some neat history, but with a very disappointing bar experience. You would expect better from a Bourbon distillery.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Stitzel-Weller! From our tour guide, Hannah, who was warm and welcoming and extremely knowledgeable to our time in the bar area where the drinks were delicious and our bartender very friendly and efficient, our time spent was well worth it! We will most definitely return!

We did the progressive tour and I truly couldn’t recommend it enough. Being in a space that has so much history was so special and the tour guide made it so interesting and fun!

What a cool tour -- my group loved all of the history and we learned a lot about the industry and some of the key folks in the bourbon world from back in the day. Super pretty property, even if it's not a full-on producing distillery anymore. Loved the whiskey tasting -- everything was good and we had a really great tour guide. The Garden and Gun Club is a whole mood. What a fun and unique bar with really great bartenders. Our guy was super funny with a dry sense of humor and we enjoyed hanging out and learning from him while we had our delicious drinks. We ordered the charcuterie board as well as the fish dip -- both were awesome.

My husband and I ventured to Louisville for the day and this was our first stop. We both got to have a "tasting" of their products while be given information on their products and history of the distillery. After our tasting, we're able to go upstairs and enjoy a cocktail or two if we wanted which we did. My husband enjoyed a tasting of their 22 year old limited release. I enjoyed a Moscow Mule. Everything tasted delicious and had such great service!

We loved the history of how Stitzel-Weller became to what they are today! The grounds are gorgeous and Kristina was wonderful as our guide and very knowledgeable! Highly recommend checking them out and going to the Garden & Gun Club afterwards for a cocktail!

We visited Stitzel-Weller while in Louisville for the weekend. We opted to do the tour and had a great time. The tour was full of history and we got to try some bourbons at the end. The grounds are beautiful, it was cool to be able to walk around and look at everything. After the tour we went to the bar upstairs and ordered some drinks and an app. The drinks were lovely and the trout dip that we ordered was exceptional. It was presented beautifully and tasted just as good as it looked. If you are in the area, it's worth the 15 minute drive out to Stitzel-Weller to spend some time there.

We went on a tour here and learned so much about the history of the facility and the changes that occurred through the prohibition. At the tasting we were able to taste a few of the labels that are under their bourbon umbrella. We had a few that we loved. The people in charge of the tasting were nice and very knowledgeable about their brand and bourbons they feature. After the tasting we went to the garden and gun bar upstairs and it was really cute. The cocktails were also very good and it was a nice area to hangout. We loved our experience and would suggest visiting to anyone that loves history lesson with a side a good bourbon

Stitzel-Weller Distillery is located in Shively, Kentucky. I did not realize it was there all the years living in Ky. I have been in the area before. It is easy to locate using GPS. There are signs directions telling you where to park and go for check-in. There is ample free parking. The checkin is located in the Gift Shop area. You just walk up and show your ID. The tour cost is $25 for adults 21+ and $10 for minors. They place a wristband on minors. You can order a drink at the bar downstairs or grab water before beginning the tour. Chandler was our tour guide. She did an amazing job telling us the history of Stitzel-Weller. I was not previously aware of the history. She was a wealth of knowledge. I would 100% suggest anyone interested in learning more about whiskey and bourbon attend this tour. It was definitely worth the money. The Garden and Gun club was nice. They offer various cocktails and food items. I tried the pineapple Mule and my sister the margarita. The pineapple Mule was pretty good. The margarita was good, but the syrup used has salt in it. If you're not a fan of salt in your margarita, I would not suggest it.

Our tour guide was a great storyteller and full of interesting historic facts. The grounds, museum, and gift shop were beautiful. Garden & Gun did an amazing job with the interior design. We loved the bourbons included in the tasting!

The tour was very informative and had great history. Not an active producing distillery. They are a storage facility for barrels. The garden and gun club is worth a visit.

Beautiful facility and fantastic tour. We enjoyed how extensive the walking tour was, looking through a variety of the buildings, each with their own story. The history of this facility and Louisville's impact on the bourbon industry is fascinating, and the guide was happy to tell the tale. If there is time, ask him to tell you the story about how Pappy got into the business and he will regale you with the story. Lots of opportunities for photos, and the tasting selection was varied and interesting. This was a great way to spend two hours and I totally recommend the visit in addition to other distillery tours you might take.

This is a not-to-miss distillery tour if you are a bourbon buff. This is the birthplace of the legendary Pappy Van Winkle, which is now produced at Buffalo Trace. While still an operating distillery, they maintained their history in some of their old buildings used by Pappy during his day. I love that they keep them in the same state so you can look back in time at this bourbon mecca. As with all distilleries, especially the popular ones, you must book tour 1-3 months in advance. We booked 1 mo in advance and not many times were available during our three day trip on the bourbon trail.

This is a beautiful facility with an interesting history. On our 90-minute tour, we learned about the ups and downs of the bourbon business, prohibition, and the bourbon market crash of the '80s and '90s. We saw some old depression-era equipment, toured a rick house, and tasted the difference between scotch and bourbon. Their retail area and tasting facility project an air of understated elegance.

Ok. So i love Bulleit. Its delicious. I got a personalized bottle for my poppa on fathers day. We returned on valentines day for the bourbon and jerkey pairing. It was fun and delicious. I purchased some of the local jerkey when i got home and between my poppa and i we bought everything we tasted that day. The tour is awesome although this time we didnt take it, i highly recommend it. The cute bar just up the stairs has an incredible selection. And i always adore the bartenders. Somehow when its crowded in the shop crew members pop out of nowhere to be of assistance. You wont be disappointed when you visit i promise.

Amazing cocktails at the Garden and Gun Club- such a gorgeous area with amazing drinks and history.

We visited this place with out any reservations and luckily we got on the tour and had the tour guide! The tour itself was very informative and we learned a lot about the history of the company, the process of turning the ingredients into bourbon, what all of the different regulations were as to what could be called bourbon vs whiskey and so much more. The only thing is they don't have an active production lone so it was more of a history tour. The tasting for this tour was very good and we learned more about how to properly taste bourbon, what to look for, how to prepare for the tasting, etc.. We went through several of the different types including Bulleit Bourbon, Bulleit Rye, I.W.Harper and Blade&Bow Bourbon.

Got to go on the last tour of 2024. It was great. The tour guide, I think name was Rick, was knowledgeable and friendly. The place is packed with history which from my perspective was the hidden gem. Didn't realize how much until we started the tour. The bourbon was great for the tasting. The grounds were clean and beautiful. I think hitting this one first on any trip here would be nice cause it's one of the originals.

Totally recommend it was a great experience full of history and yummy cocktails. Everyone was super friendly and knowledgeable. Must do if you are in Kentucky.

I had a fantastic time here. Started out grabbing a bite and a beverage at the Garden And Gun Club lounge upstairs. The food and service were terrific, the atmosphere was incredible, and the staff were very friendly and attentive. I then went on the progressive walking tasting and tour. Our guide Rico was the best, learning the history of the distillery are area was fascinating, and the whiskey was great. Would highly recommend to anyone that enjoys whiskey and history.

Our tour guide was great, spending just the right amount of time in each area of the tour, answering questions and keeping a nice sized group engaged. The tasting was paced nicely and very informative as well. The grounds themselves are really cool and industrial juxtaposed with a handsomely decorated gift shop, tasting rooms, etc. We had a cocktail at Gun & Garden - funny I got something different than I ordered. The bartender was so sweet and apologetic but I LOVED what he made me so it really wasn't a problem I almost wish they had an area like a winery to sit, chill or picnic. I'd hang out all day!

First and foremost, I must acknowledge Shannon and Julie - extraordinary sales and tour guide respectively. I travel often and have been on dozens of tours. This was my favorite, mostly because of those two women. The other staff and bartenders are also fantastic. This is the distillery tour for bourbon lovers. If you're looking for a flashy experience meant for Instagram posting, this isn't your spot. However, if you love bourbon and want to learn about the history and distillery process...Stitzel-Weller is the best place to visit.

The SW Distillery is a good option to explore a lesser known distillery without driving 40-60 minutes outside of Louisville. The grounds are attractive with lots of vintage buildings, and the tour is an easy walk or roll (it is accessible) around the Visitor Center. At the end of the tour you can taste some Bulleit bourbon & rye, IW Harper, and Blade & Bow. I'm a big fan of Bulleit, but I found IW Harper and B&B to be underwhelming. Blade & Bow has a Blanton's - style schtick going where you can collect keys instead of racehorse corks. If you do find B&B to your liking, beware of buying it at the gift shop - I found it to be overpriced compared to my local liquor store. You also must try the bar upstairs, the Garden & Gun Club. The cocktails are superb, charcuterie and other small bites are available, and there is taxidermy. Sneaky, eh, leaving the best for last?

Really enjoyed our tour and tasting. The Bloody Mary was amazing and hummus was good. Service was good and the buildings are absolutely beautiful.

1 of 9 distilleries visited. Our first stop for the Bourbon Trail on a Thursday morning. We were the only 2 on the tour so it was very intimate. It was cool because we had the whole tour to ourselves. I learned so much from the tour about bourbon and about all the important players! This was one of the better tours that we did. The tasting at the end is 4 tasters of Bulleit bourbon and rye, IW Harper and Blade and Bow. The Blade and Bow was really good! I enjoyed my tour here. A little out of the way, but we Uber from downtown.

Very cool history here. You NEED to come here to learn about the history, it's a staple on the Bourbon Trail. Such a fun tour guide. We loved seeing the old buildings and equipment. The bourbon wasn't bad either!

This is a beautiful distillery with a bar upstairs in the gun club. Lots of amazing history on display to include the fact that they are one of the few chosen distilleries that used to prescribe whiskey for a variety of issues and illnesses. However this is also one of the preppier establishments. Definitely an upper class type place, and the drink prices reflect it. I felt under dressed for the first time at any distillery. Worth checking out but pay attention to the signs as the GPS location is wrong. If you cross over railroad tracks and things don't look right, it's because you're going the wrong way.

These are old historic grounds that are a must see. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and friendly. The tour took us outside and it was quite cold. Make sure you come bundled up if you go in winter. We didn't stay outside that long and it was fabulous. There is an upstairs bar that has great drinks. We had the charcuterie board and it was great too. We will visit again.

Amazing hospitality from the minute we walked in. The tasting experience & history of the facility was cool! The upstairs bar had great cocktails & tasty light bites. The pimento cheese dip & smoked fish dip were excellent!!

The first stop on our distillery tour with Mint Julep Experiences was Stitzel-Weller. Jill, our guide, did an excellent job of telling us about the history of the distillery and bourbon making, and I found the tour very interesting and informative. Some interesting-to-me facts: *Bourbon is the most regulated spirit. *Black fungus, which feeds on ethanol, grows on buildings and trees around distilleries. *The rickhouse, where the barrels of bourbon are stored, was invented by Frederick Stitzel. *One reason bourbon is so expensive is because every year the bourbon is aged, some alcohol is lost through evaporation (the amount lost is called the "angel's share"), but the distillery is taxed on the full amount of alcohol each year. *After the barrels are used to make bourbon, they are sent to Scotland (Scotch whisky), then Mexico (tequila), then the Caribbean (rum). After the tour, it was on to the bourbon tasting portion. We were given four samples: Bulleit (orange label), Bulleit 95 Rye, IW Harper, and Blade and Bow. Now, I am not a whisky drinker, and even after my trip to Kentucky, I am still not a whisky drinker, but I found the Blade and Bow to be not disgusting, and actually quite smooth. I purchased a bottle as a gift for my husband and my friend to share (I would have purchased a second bottle, but at $63US it was quite pricey, and due to space and customs limits, I could not purchase too much), and we all enjoyed it. A shame I couldn't purchase another bottle, as you can't buy it here in Canada. I'll definitely be on the lookout for Blade and Bow the next time I am in the US. The tour was a great experience, and I learned a lot about bourbon and whisky, and found a bourbon I can drink, in small amounts. [Yelp collections: Louisville, KY 2021; Wine Time!]

Timing was perfect to step back from the KY Bourbon Festival and take in a distillery tour. And, what history the Stitzel-Weller Distillery has to offer. If you are the "slightest bit" interested in bourbon history you cannot get much more detail than here. From A.Ph.Stitzel (distiller) to hiring Julian "Pappy" Van Winkle and Alex Farnsley, to merging wit W.L. Weller and Son (wholesaler / rectifier) you capture some amazing story! Jean was a wonderful tour guide! If this history doesn't grab you, as it does this "geek" then go for the tour and stick around for a beverage and snack at the Garden & Gun Club upstairs. Hopefully you will meet Trevor behind the bar who provide a "less sweet" Old Fashioned lesson. I'm just saddened that Pappy, Sr. or others aren't alive to thank in person.

After hearing so much about this distillery, I finally visited with a group of friends for a birthday. We all agreed that this was one of the best distillery tours we've ever been on. It has a great mix of history and good whiskey, but the best part was our tour guide. She was knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and funny. So many tours are the same, but she was able to make this a more unique experience by leveraging the historic property, people, and processes. I would absolutely recommend this to any bourbon enthusiast!

We arrived to find an older distillery and were invited to go upstairs to their bar, Garden and Gun Club. After many Old Fashions, we were shocked at how good this one was. And the bartender was extremely enjoyable to talk to. She gave us a brief overview of the property and then told us how the Old Fashions were made. Arrive early or stay late, but visit this bar. This is a walking tour around the property that tells you all of the history and takes you into some historical rooms. By far this was one of the best tours we have experienced. For this trip, we placed it at a tie with Buffalo Trace.

Informative tour just the right amount of time & info. Nice generous pours for tasting - good food (although hummus a tad salty) - hopefully will be back!

We went on a road trip and made our way to the Stitzel-Weller Distillery for a tour and tastings! They had a couple of drink specials so we grabbed a drink before the tour. The was our first Bourbon tour/tasting. The tour was more of a historical tour rather than the process of how it is made. The tastings were awesome. We really enjoyed ourselves here and bought a bottle of the Bullit Bourbon Barrel Strength to take home, they said that bottle wasn't available for purchase outside of Kentucky.

Of the many distilleries that Louisville has to offer, this one is off the beaten path and has a great history. This distillery is "as you see it" meaning no frills and no extra exhibits to keep you from enjoying the product. Upstairs is a little bar called the "Garden and Gun Club" that has all of the products which you can sample without taking a tour or tasting. My wife and I got the G&G Meat Board to share which paired well with our cocktails. I got my usual old-fashioned made-with Blade & Bow bourbon. My wife got the Cool Hand Luke which was a little spicy for her because of the cayenne pepper rimmed glass. I will say this is a must if you are doing the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Not only because it is on the trail, but because it is rich in history and remains untouched by the modern world.

Omg 10/10 and I'm not sure if it was our tour guide, or if it's always like this, but it was SO COOL. This is more of a historic tour, if you want something new and more bulleit-related, you can find a tour for that at one of their other locations, but the history at this one is so freaking captivating and cool. We've done 10+ distillery tours and honestly, this one is probably my favorite. It doesn't have much production to see (just a small pilot plant), but if you are an avid bourbon drinker/collector, and have interest in its history, this is where you'll find it. They have so much information, and it's so awesome to hear. You know Pappy Van Winkle? Of course you do, take a walk in his office! They have a cool bar upstairs, so you can definitely hang and grab a drink after. We were on our way to lunch so didn't indulge, but they do have some good options on the menu. Just expect to pay a little more for them! The gift shop is small, but has every bourbon/rye you taste in there to buy, which is awesome. They had a great tasting with tons of options, something for everyone, so I was glad to be able to pick our favorite and grab a bottle on the way out. They also have a ton of cool bourbon related items to look at. Overall, amazing experience. I would recommend to anyone, it was very very cool. Definitely worth the trip!

This place is great! Loved the walking and tasting aspect and the Garden and Gun Club had a full bar with Hot Toddy's ready to go on the 20 degree morning. Highly recommend!

Enjoyed this distillery tour at Stitzel-Weller Distillery - very informative & I felt safe with all the COVID precautions instated. We did the 1.5hour "uncovered" tour, which was 30 minutes longer and costs $25 more than the regular experience. The biggest difference is te pours: *Experience Pours: Bulleit Bourbon, Bulleit 10 year, I.W. Harper and Blade and Bow. *Uncovered Pours: Bulleit Bourbon 10 year old, Bulleit Barrel Strength, I.W. Harper, I.W. Harper 15 year old and Blade & Bow. Our guide also informed us that this is the only spot on the bourbon trail where you can see a cooperage! They were transparent that their gift shop costs were higher than regular retail due to non-compete reasons. So, my favorite was the I.W. Harper 15 year old, which is $79.99 at Total Wine. I bought it at $100+ at the gift shop because the Total Wine in town was out of stock! So, just keep that in mind!

The Garden and Gun bar was a small fun place to enjoy perfect cocktails. The chocolate tasting is superb.

Our guide, Rick, was great at explaining the finer notes of the bourbon we were tasting. I did the chocolate and bourbon tasting, which was a new experience for me. The chocolates offered a new taste to the bourbons which I wasn't expecting - so delicious! The ambiance was so tastefully done and reminded me of "old Kentucky" mansions. The gift shop service was exceptional. I picked up a few shirts

This was such a fun tasting and tour. Our tasting guide, Jon was quite knowledgeable and fun! Not sure what is happening now that there are restrictions but make sure you ask for Jon!

Simply AWESOME! Tour and tasting was SUPERB! Tucker was FANTASTIC, and he did an excellent job answering but not answering out questions so he could reveal answers throughout the tour. This is not a production facility, so you won't get an in depth look at distilling and the distilling process. You get much more of the history of bourbon and the bourbon industry. You will get to see a distilling room and the Rick Houses loaded with barrels. But this tour is much more about the beautiful campus and the history. If you want to buy the one bottle of Blade and Bow 22 that they sell per day, you need to be there first thing in the morning. The gift shop and tasting room are gorgeous, and there are PLENTY of GREAT photo spots all over campus. This gets a MUST DO! And be sure to ask about the 5 Keys club! Don't miss this bourbon experience!

Lots of interesting history shared by the tour guide as well as in the main house which is set up with a gift shop, a couple of bars and lots of rooms filled with memorabilia. This tour has a very corporate feel compared to other tours we've been on. That being said, we were glad we went, but we don't feel the need to go more than once. The bourbons we tasted were ok, but we didn't think there was anything special about the tasting if you were already a bourbon fan.

Wow, what a great tour! When we arrived, it was very cloudy and raining. Not the best environment to be out for a tour. But entering the gift shop, we were immediately impressed with the smiling faces and friendly nature of the sales staff that welcomed us as we walked through the door. The gift shop was very clean and well organized and full of products. We spent a long time checking everything out and of course buying bourbon for our collection. The tour itself was different from other tours we had taken as this was Bourbon and Chocolate themed. Touring a facility is always nice but having a different twist makes it that much more enjoyable. Jonny, our guide, was very friendly and knowledgeable of the topics. We went up stairs to the Garden and Gun Club and the staff up there was also very friendly and knowledgeable. Our bartender was excellent, too. She recommended the Rasberry drink and my g/f enjoyed it though I took a sip and it didn't appeal to me. My drink was one of your products which I did enjoy.

Our first distillery stop in Louisville. This place is great and has so much history! Absolutely loved the tour and the tasting!

Enjoyed the hearing the storied history of the Stitzel-Weller Distillery from the beginning founders until where it is today. The grounds are beautiful and facilities we toured are classic era buildings. Tour and tasting nicely done and Jill was very informative and knowledgeable. I was also excited to be able to find Key number 5 Blade and Bow bourbon, at the gift shop after looking through all of the bottles on display. Found some other items that we can not find in Pennsylvania. Rick, Lori and friends

Beautiful facility. Annie was our tasting guide. We tasted Bulleit Bourbon, Bulleit Rye, I.W.Harper Bourbon, I.W.Harper 15 year, and Bow and Blade. All were fantastic. The building is full of history and you're allowed to walk around at your leisure, even with a cocktail from the gift shop! Compared to other distilleries in the area, this one definitely had a more refined/high end vibe in terms of decor. Gorgeous gift shop!

This was our first distillery tour in Louisville. Our friends warned us that there's not much else around the place. In fact, we weren't quite sure we had the directions right as we approached. I'm not a whiskey fan, so I naively thought Stitzel-Weller distilled Weller, my husband knew that wasn't the case going in. The building they run tours out of is cool. The gift shop is extensive, there's a bunch of historical items to browse and there's a bar and restaurant above. We booked a tasting experience. We were classroom style in a room with our guide. She had a lot of info about the history of the brand and the whiskeys they offer. Pro Tip: in hindsight it made sense, but if you see the option to add a Glencairn glass to your tour, it's the glass not a special pour as I originally thought. If you want a souvenir, go for it the tasting doesn't give you one.

Beautiful location! Gorgeous gift shop and venue. Chocolate tasting experience was so good, especially with the different bourbons! Very informative and interesting and tasty worth the little

Great tour guides. Big gift shop. Bar on site for before or after tour cocktails. Complimentary coffee and water. These features all added up to a well run experience. Everyone was friendly. The cocktails were GREAT. The bartender was a perfect combo of conversational and skilled and efficient at cocktail craft! Great experience all around. This is more of Historic distillery site, and only minutes from downtown when most of the downtown experiences are more like museums of bourbon. A great authentic bourbon trail stop when you're not interested in venturing too far from the city. Lots of history, and a great tasting. They discuss the production but there's not an active distilling process to witness at this location. Even though it's a tour and they'd likely be similar, I'd go again. The tasting at the end was great and I ended up liking most of what i tasted... And bought a bottle! There were a few choices under $50 even!

Located just outside of Louisville, this was our first stop in a day of tours. Jack, the tour guide, was knowledgeable and funny. He kept us moving without ever making the group feel rushed. We loved our visit.