The Old Pogue Distillery

⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Charming Small Distillery with Heart and Heritage I recently visited The Old Pogue Distillery and took part in a guided tour. While the tour itself was fairly standard, what truly stood out was the passion and pride that runs through this historic, family-owned operation. The staff were incredibly warm and welcoming – you immediately feel like you're among friends, not just visitors. It’s clear that everyone here truly cares about what they do and the legacy they represent. The tasting was the highlight for me: we sampled four different whiskeys, each with its own unique character and story. From smooth and approachable to rich and full-bodied, the lineup showed a nice range of flavor and craftsmanship. You could tell each pour was made with care and tradition in mind. A great stop for anyone who appreciates small-batch bourbon with a story behind it. Definitely worth the visit if you’re in the area!

Stopped in to visit the gift shop and buy a bottle of bourbon. We didn't have a tour scheduled. NOTE: please make a reservation to visit this Distillery even if you just want to stop in for a taste. They are a small, family owned distillery and do not have a lot of people working. We saw the signs that you needed an appointment to visit but had never had to make an appt to visit a gift shop so we walked down to the gift shop and the lady was finishing up a tour/tasting and asked if we had an appointment. We told her we did not and that we just wanted to visit the gift shop. She asked that we please go online and make an appointment and come back. She was the only one working so she was doing the tour, tasting and managing the gift shop. We told her ok we would do that but we just wanted to buy a bottle to support their business. She asked if we could wait until her group was finished up and that we could look around. She went out of her way to accommodate our "pop-in" visit. PLEASE make an online reservation prior to going as we just got lucky that she was finishing up a tour. Once her group was done, she was very accommodating . We were able to taste all four bottles that were available for sale. We then purchased the one I liked the best along with a few small items from the gift shop and we were on our way. This distillery is along the Ohio River and has some very nice nice views. Parking was somewhat confusing, just follow the signs and you will get there, I promise. Parking lot only holds about 10 cars. This is clearly a small family owned distillery so please enjoy it for what it is and all of the hard work they put into providing their blends of bourbon and the history behind who they are and what they contribute to the bourbon world. We love supporting these small distilleries and truly enjoy all of the history.

Very small and exclusive distillery. The main house is its own mini museum with an array of artifacts and even a short video on the history of bourbon and the evolution of Old Pogue over the years. The views of the Ohio River are amazing and, if you are lucky, Roger the cat will come and greet you. The bourbon was well done and it really is a family run business as the distiller who showed us around is a Pogue himself. Worth the trip and definitely explore Maysville afterwards, beautiful town with unique architecture, restaurants and bars.

Old pogue is one of my favorite places in Northern Kentucky. The distillery is located on a hill overlooking the Ohio River. The gift shop and tours operate via appointment only so make sure to book online before arriving. The employees are very friendly and are very proud of their history. Both of Urban and rye are great and I especially love the single barrel. I had to pick up a bottle after the tasting, which was complimentary. This is a can't miss trip on the bourbon trail.

This was a unexpected pleasure 😀 A family-owned distillery on the original property for 150 years! Run by the family and bottled by hand.✋🏻 You're tour will include anything and everything you want to know presented by a sixth generation Pogue🥸 in the actual distillery! 😲 Followed by a tasting.😋It couldn't be any better.

Old Pogue is a distillery with a deep history of bourbon knowledge spanning multiple generations. Although I had never heard of Old Pogue before this tour I definitely went home with a bottle to share with friends. I highly recommend a tour with Sabrina! She was beyond wonderful and gave an amazing tour. Even got the chance to meet the Pogue family distiller and he told us about the process!

Highly recommended! The bourbon and whisky's that you get to taste are world class! There is also some interesting history on display, that is worth checking out. Reservations are required if I'm not mistaken, but can be made on their website . The 2 ladies that were working the day we visited were extremely friendly. I remember Sabrina was the name of one of them, and they both went above and beyond and were helpful to us. They recommended several things, including the very unique and wonderful museum in town that we wouldn't have gone to otherwise. Thanks so much for that!

Bourbon and the view from the front porch are both outstanding. There is some great history about the distillery and the family, and unlike other tours you actually get to spend time with the owner. Plenty of neat little things to do in the area as well.

Very nice old distillery. Friendly service, off the beaten path. Interesting products.

Tasting time & a tour at Old Pogue Bourbon Distillery. Dan was super friendly in the family home/museum & tasting room, and Distiller John Pogue led our small group of three through his family's historic craft distilling operation, which overlooks the Ohio River from the bluffs above Maysville, Kentucky. This is the birthplace of bourbon. John Pogue is a trained geologist, who turned his talents and knowledge toward the family business of distilling. The beautiful focus of the property is the 1845 home of John's ancestors, which is on the US Department of the Interior National Register of Historic Places. Old Pogue "Masters Select" has appeared on the Wine Enthusiast "Top 50 Spirits" list. One of the "secrets" of Kentucky Bourbon, John explained, is the unique limestone aquifer of the region. It contains no iron, through which the water filters. Be sure to book your tour in advance online. The product of this small batch craft distillery is to my understanding only available on-site. Another tip is to pick up a copy of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Passport and Field Guide Book. It is available online or in person. Tons of interesting information about distilleries in Kentucky, if you plan on visiting others as well. Visits, and completing the entire trail, unlock special rewards!

As we were getting closer to the distillery, it said it was on the left going down the hill. We got to the destination but there was no distillery in sight. But there was an entrance to the distillery further down the road on the left. We couldn't see the distillery because it is on a cliff side. As we approached the distillery one the very first things I noticed was an old stone curved walkway. It was very beautiful. We came for a 15 minute visit and it it was actually close to an hour. I learned a lot the the father(owner) and son(distiller). They were very pleasant and nice to talk to. They went over each of the four bourbons they made. We did make a purchase. They were very attentive and accommodating.

One of the best experiences for a tour distillery. The tours are free, that's right free. Most distilleries charge for tours and tastings. The tour guide was so friendly and knowledgeable. We walked through the old restored house and learned about the family business. The distillery is smaller than most, close by a cute town of Maysville. Love the process and they even have a friendly cat that will sometimes walk the tour with you. They will have a tasting out on their porch looking over the river. Enjoyed the wheat whiskey and their bourbons as well. A must stop for the bourbon trail and will be back with friends!

Beautiful property... great bourbon... really nice staff We had a nice time and got to meet the owner and hear the history of the family business.

We hosted a small group of old Cincinnati friends visiting Maysville last month. We did a distillery visit, tour and gift shop purchases that were all absolutely delightful. Dan and Peter were both friendly, welcoming and very informative. I highly recommend a visit to Old Pogue.

I've gotta say... Old Pogue was one of the hardest distilleries to get to on the Craft Bourbon Trail. It's pretty far away from almost everything! We didn't think we'd make it there but we happened to be in the area (as close as we'd ever be) and ventured over to check it out. We realized quickly upon arrival that they are open by appointment only. We were so sad! But minutes later the man who usually works there arrived and opened the gate. He told us he didn't have any scheduled tours that day but just thought he'd open up in case passers-by came in. Perfect timing for us! He gave us a short tour of the stillhouse and the historic home on the property too. It's a beautiful location right on the edge of a hill (almost mountain) looking down to the river. The historic home has been maintained so well and we really enjoyed looking around. My husband did a tasting and got a free glass that day, so our spur of the moment adventure to rural Kentucky turned out to be a great decision! I know it's far away from most things but if you happen to be sort of driving by, it's worth a stop! Just plan ahead enough to schedule an appointment. (Also there is visitor parking way down the hill, but it's limited so be sure to carpool!)

Old Pogue has reopened their family distillery using the modest home that was above the massive distillery on the banks of the river where Daniel Boone founded a trading post. The 3rd registered distillery in KY is now operating on the cliffs above where a fire burned the families historic distillery to the ground a half a century ago. The KY Bourbon Craft Trail has some real micro craft members who make outstanding Bourbon like Old Pogue but not many using pre-prohibition recipes. Go for a taste of great Bourbon and enjoy the history and scenery while your at it. We respected their rare Bourbon enough to cover it on You Tube's Kentucky Bourbon Traveler https://youtu.be/JnMH3gXxh0g

We had such a nice visit with one of the owners of this distillery and really enjoyed tasting all of their products. Thanks to this stop on our vacation, we now have a new favorite bourbon!

Great tour and the Bourbon is amazing! looking forward to enjoying with friends and family.

In one word, EXCELLENT! I'm a bourbon drinker and have been to most of the distilleries on the bourbon trail and some craft bourbon distilleries popping up. This one is by far my favorite! You will not taste a better bourbon than their Old Pogue, on the trail. Its $80 and its completely worth it! They are very small scale, its basically like a one man team. The main distiller basically does it all. If you set up a tour (by email, there is no phone number, but he responds very well to emails), he will walk you through the small distilling area, but the real beauty is the house if he'll let you go inside. On the main floor if you walk out to the balcony you get a spectacular view of the river. Not to mention if your a history buff, the first floor he basically left untouched so it feels like you're walking through time. Be careful when driving here. The directions I listed are the ones listed on the web but its not the right address. It takes you to downtown maysville to some random location. Keep driving through the downtown area and on the outskirts across from the river you'll see a sign on your left hand side that will say 'Old Pogue' its not a huge sign but if you know to look for it you'll see it. Turn into the property. It will look like you are driving up someone's driveway to their house. Park on the pavement to the right or you might be able to drive up the steep driveway and find very limited parking there (there's limited parking in general). The distillery is the small white building on the left. I want to warn you that this is the exact opposite of commercialization. You are basically driving to a residence that has been in the family for generations. With that in mind please be respectful to the distiller when he talks to you about the history of the place and the distillery. It was his grandfather's or great-grandfather's. The history was it opened back in the day and had to close because of the prohibition and now he's trying to get it back up and running. And he's doing a phenomenal job and we want him to stay around for a long time :-D Enjoy! You'll absolutely love your time here, the bourbon and the distiller is very nice.

This was our final stop during our Bourbon themed adventure in Kentucky and we're really glad that we made the slight detour to get to Maysville to visit this place. It can be a bit tricky to find, but only if you don't read the instructions on the website properly. Your GPS is probably going to direct you to the exit on 2nd street, and trust me, you're not going to get into the place that way without causing a ruckus. The entrance is on W. Germantown Road, it's really not hard to find if you look at a map. Anyway, the distillery. We really enjoyed chatting with the distiller John Pogue, who was forthcoming with information regarding the process, the distillery and Old Pogue's history. It's different from the other small distillers we saw (in the same way that the larger distillers are all different from each other). The boutique distillery is very pretty and in view of the Ohio river. John is very knowledgeable and friendly. Tours are free and of course there's a tasting. The product itself also gets a thumbs up. Pop by, try a bit of the good stuff and buy a bottle. I strongly recommend adding this to you Bourbon themed itinerary. Maysville itself is worth the excursion. Tip: try and use the online booking system on the website for tours, there's just one guy at the distillery so it's good to make sure he's expecting you - I'd hate for you to be disappointed. The parking is also pretty limited (this is a very small distillery), so it's probably good at the height of the season to make sure there will be room for you.

Visited the distillery today and I loved the place. The man giving the your knew a lot about the history of the facility, the family and bourbon itself. This place is a must see for any bourbon or history buff.

I used to think the Evan Williams Experience was the best tour, until today. There were only three of us and the distiller was formerly a geologist, so we not only got to learn about and sample the Bourbon but had an awesome chance to geek out on the science and physics of the distillation process. Absolutely the best tour I've done thus far.

My wife and I spent two weeks touring 18 Kentucky distilleries and Old Pogue was tied with three other distilleries for first place as our favorite spot. Old Pogue was by far the smallest distillery we visited and in many ways it was quite unique. Set on the side of a hill overlooking the Ohio River, it offered a splendid view of the area. The visitor center/gift shop was in the family home and displays throughout the rooms served as a museum to the distillery's history. Old Pogue is a family business in its 6th generation of owners. Prior to prohibition, it was a major producer of spirits. In the 1990's the family decided to reenter the bourbon business and are using the same recipe for the liquor that the first H. E. Pogue used in 1869. The tour was brief but intimate, with the distillery being housed in one small building. And it was free! The family offers a rye as well as Old Pogue Master Select Bourbon and we were able to sample each. This was the last stop on our tour and my wife and I liked Old Pogue bourbon better than any other bourbon we sampled on our vacation (and with tastings at 18 distilleries and samples at restaurants, we probably sipped close to 100 bourbons). Old Pogue is a bit costlier than many bourbons but considering its limited production, it is well worth the price. I am already trying to figure out how to get more once the four bottles I purchased run dry! The only concern is Old Pogue has limited hours and days for touring, and reservations must be made in advance because parking and maneuvering on the steep driveway is a challenge. But should I ever get back to Maysville, Kentucky, we will be sure to make arrangements for another tour.

What a fantastic experience. John Pogue is a wealth of information. From his family history to the science behind the making of bourbon, you will learn all kinds of interesting things. And the bourbon...absolutely delicious. Be sure to try their Maysville Club rye whiskey. It's unexpectedly spicy and wonderful.

Love their location and view! The Bourbon was good, but none for sale. The Rye was the best I have ever had but also the most I have ever spent on liquor. I guess I wish I had passed on it. $45 for a 325. My mistake for taking out my visa...

After my visit here are some important details to note: * Make your reservations online using their easy-to-use system * It's hard to see the house from the road, if not impossible. It's up high on a hill * That being said, since the hill is so steep and the road being so narrow, there's one narrow entry and on narrow exit-all one way * The sign you see from the main road running along the river is the exit. You'll need to drive past the sign, turn to go up a hill then a sharp right turn then a steep decline down to just a few parking places. * I noticed parking along the road's shoulder at the entrance and there are just a few parking spots on the grounds * The handicap spot is by the family house and adjacent to the distillery. Even though the road is horribly steep I think everyone can enjoy the experience. * There isn't much more to experience in the area of the house or in downtown Maysville * The distillery is exceptionally small, yet still rich with history * They only sell three types of liquor: a Pure Rye Malt Whisky, a 91 proof Bourbon and a clear Single Malt Rye Whisky. You get to sample all three at the end of your tour, but it's a very small sampling. VERY small.... * The Master Select Bourbon is some of the best I've had. Really good and worth the investment. Definitely one to sip and savor. We were the only ones on the "tour," which was lead by the main distiller John Pogue. I won't go into the details of the family history for he'll do that with great interest and enthusiasm. What I will leave you with is an affirmation that this distillery is very small and the tour is very short. Definitely worth the visit but I wish there was more in the area to experience....