Ron A.
Yelp
As a self-proclaimed bourbon snob, Whiskey Thief has been on my radar for quite some time -- and I finally had the chance to visit their distillery. What makes Whiskey Thief truly special is their approach: no blending, no guaranteed flavor profile, and no two barrels alike. Every offering is a single-barrel bourbon -- one of a kind. For me, that's part of the fun. One of the best things about bourbon is discovering something new, and Whiskey Thief guarantees that with every pour.
Now, while the bourbon and overall experience were excellent, I do have a few thoughts on the traffic flow and guest logistics that could make visits even better.
When you drive onto the property, you'll pass the gift shop and look down to your left to see the main facilities. From there, you can already spot the crowd and the cars surrounding the area. We drove down the hill and were lucky enough to find a good parking spot. Once parked, we made our way through the crowd at the front of the barn and found the check-in station. After checking in, we waited for our tasting time. The current setup keeps everyone gathered near the barn entrance, which makes it tricky to navigate between the tasting area, the outdoor seating, and the food truck -- especially when it's busy.
When our tasting time arrived, our excellent guide David gathered the group and led us to the rickhouse. He was informative, entertaining, and clearly passionate about bourbon. The tasting itself was fantastic -- we sampled a variety of barrels, each one distinct and full of character. It really showcased the uniqueness of their single-barrel philosophy.
After returning to the main barn, the crowds had grown significantly. We enjoyed trying a few more samples, but it became increasingly difficult to move around. As we headed to our car, we noticed a full-size bus arriving -- and that's when the fun really began. By that point, there were already three buses in the parking area, two of which were trying to leave as the new one was coming in. What followed was a bit of a traffic circus: buses jockeying for position, cars attempting multi-point turns, and others pulling off into the grass just to get out of the way. We decided to wait it out until the congestion cleared.
Before leaving, we stopped at the gift shop -- which had plenty of "must-have" bourbon treasures -- and wrapped up our visit on a high note.
A few suggestions that could help improve the guest experience:
Station an employee near the gift shop to monitor and manage traffic flow. From that vantage point, they can see when the lower area gets congested and pause additional vehicles from driving down until space clears.
Create a looped exit route so that cars and buses can enter and exit in one direction. This would prevent the gridlock that happens when vehicles meet head-on.
Relocate the tour meeting area away from the front of the barn. The crowd bottlenecks there, making it hard for guests to move between the tasting area, food truck, and seating.
Overall, I truly enjoyed visiting Whiskey Thief. The concept is brilliant, the staff is passionate, and the bourbon is excellent -- bold, unique, and full of surprises. Once the logistical flow of cars and people is refined, it'll be an even smoother and more enjoyable experience.
Highly recommend for any bourbon lover looking for something different
