Wilderness Trail Distillery

This has been my favorite distillery yet! The grounds are gorgeous and Cooper, their kitty assistant, walks with the tours and has his own merchandise. They are masters of their craft and have a strong scientific background. We loved their deeper shares of the process compared to other distilleries. Since they're the smallest of the big names, they all wear many hats and are extremely knowledgeable. The staff was warm and funny. Our guide was Chris and he was great! It was not the corporate scripted vibe a lot of other distilleries have but organized very well like the larger distilleries. They offer a lot if classes and private tours. We were very impressed with their whiskey and bourbons and bought a couple bottles. Their merchandise was extensive, creative, and a great price as well. I highly recommend checking them out! I'll be coming back for classes next time I'm in Kentucky!

A modern touch while still paying homage to the deep rooted history of Bourbon distilling! Really enjoyed our tour through this beautiful property and learning the history...albeit a short history of how wilderness trail came to be. Shout out to our tour guide Chris who was very personable, passionate and knowledgeable about the property, the process and the product. Would highly recommend planning a stop if you're in the area.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Modern Craftsmanship with Historic Heart – Wilderness Trail Distillery I’ve visited Wilderness Trail Distillery twice now, and each time I’ve come away even more impressed. During my second visit, I joined the guided tour – our guide was not only knowledgeable but also an absolute ray of sunshine, whose enthusiasm for the distillery was truly infectious. The tour was informative, entertaining, and left me eager to dive even deeper into the world of bourbon. Although the distillery is relatively young compared to some of the long-established bourbon legends, that’s exactly what makes it so exciting. It radiates a modern yet incredibly charming spirit that instantly pulls you in. What fascinates me most are the founders, Shane Baker and Pat Heist – known in the industry as the “yeast professors.” Their scientific approach, especially to fermentation, truly sets their whiskeys apart. You can feel the passion and expertise in every detail. A standout feature of Wilderness Trail is their exclusive use of sweet mash – a more meticulous and cleaner process than the traditional sour mash, resulting in whiskey with remarkable depth and clarity. Currently, they offer three different whiskeys: a high-rye Kentucky Straight Bourbon, a wheated bourbon, and a rye whiskey. Each one is a testament to true craftsmanship and proof that less can indeed be more when the quality is top-notch. Another highlight is the historic house on the property, where the world-famous song “Happy Birthday to You” was created by sisters Patty and Mildred Hill. This unique blend of history and innovation makes Wilderness Trail Distillery a truly special place in Kentucky. If you’re a bourbon lover or simply curious about authentic craftsmanship and great stories, don’t miss the chance to visit Wilderness Trail. It’s where science meets soul – and the result is pure joy in a glass. A place that captivates – just as much on the first visit as on the second!

Great tour, our guide did a great job showing us the manicured campus. Cooper the cat showed up at various places for some attention. The 8 year Wheated was outstanding. Love their branding on everything.

I've been to maybe 10 distilleries, this one, not large but a great tour and tasting, ranks near the top! Guide Frank Covered it all, I could probably make my own now. And their products are good, especially liked the Rye bourbon.

Wilderness Trail Distillery has such a cool vibe inside the tasting room. It was very tasteful, and there was a bunch of merchandise to choose from for any bourbon enthusiast, or those just learning. I appreciate the craft behind their selection, and really enjoyed the tasting. The staff that was there were all extremely friendly and helpful.

My husband and I booked the What’s Your Recipe? Experience and had the best time drinking and chatting with Frank! Great distillery—very chill and quiet, and overall a pleasant experience. Cooper (the cat!) was an added bonus!

Had a one on one tour, our guide was top notch and informative. I’d recommend this distillery tour all day. The products available there are top shelf too!

The four of us scheduled a tasting with our guide, Noah and he was phenomenal! Chris was a very knowledgeable guide as well. The experience was top notch and we will definitely be visiting again! Also, one of the best bourbons we have tasted! The ambiance in the tasting room was definitely giving bourbon feels! Very impressive!!

Another great distillery tour, the old Rick house and grounds are expansive and beautiful. They have a great gift shop with unique items, and a really nice tasting area outside as part of the tour. And lastly, they offer free tours to military and veterans!! Cheers ! Check em out y'all!

We were in town for a wedding and we didn't have time to go very far from our hotel and this place was 5 minutes from our hotel. We had such a fantastic experience and the whiskey was excellent. We will most definitely be back when we go back to town. 10/10 recommend!

Chris did an excellent job with our tour. I am not a bourbon drinker, but of course been on MANY tours with hubby. I recommend this tour to anyone. My husband enjoyed it as well. Staff was very knowledge and friendly in the visitor center.

Fantastic! Tour and Tasting on beautiful grounds. When you visit ask for Emily, she is Awesome! courteous and a wealth of knowledge.

What a hidden gem if you're interested in distillery tours. Danville is off the beaten path and only opens 9am-5pm Tuesday - Saturday. I am a big Blue heron fan and they had an actual blue hair vodka here which blew me away. My husband's more of the whiskey drinker so it was a win win for both. Very clean facility, friendly staff, and reasonable prices for a tour and gift shop trinkets. https://www.wildernesstraildistillery.com/

Awesome experience with Noah as our tasting guide. I got the wheated flight and my husband got the rye one, both were good. The whole experience visiting from start to finish was wonderful. Bonus... they have a distillery cat

6 of our family members took the winter cocktail class with Graceson (sp?) and we enjoyed it so much. Graceson was very knowledgeable about Wilderness Trail, bourbon, and cocktail making, also very personable and entertaining! We had already done the Distillery Tour last year so we were excited they had a different event for us to try. Everyone in our group enjoyed both cocktails and it was a nice balance of learning, asking questions, and visiting with one another. We would definitely come back for another class in the future! The gift shop is also worth a visit and don't forget to say hi to Cooper!

This was our stop for a tour and a tasting. Really nice place but way out in the boonies! Checked in and wondered around a bit. Really nice. Tour was amazing. Lots of good info and photo ops.

Kind of out of the way to get here, but such a fun experience on our tour! This was stop #14 for us on the Bourbon Trail and it was such a treat :) Fun fact, they had the smallest rickhouse in the state! They also have regular-sized rickhouses so don't be alarmed. We found out why rickhouses and older barns were painted black. At the end of the tour we had a bourbon & rye tasting outside and it was so beautiful. I think Wilderness is the perfect name for this place and can't wait to see them grow! They also have the only moving tails box (where distillate comes out at the end of the distilling process) and that was something so unique to see.

We went and did the complete tour of the facility it was very informative and you see every aspect of the distilling process along with little tricks of the trade. At the end you get samples of the 4 bourbons they make with history of the entire process

Smaller distillery that I've never heard of but a super great experience! This was our first tour stop from Mint Julep. I wish we got more time here because it turned out to the the best one of the 3! The distillery is definitely on the smaller scale. We were able to go into the mash room and even looked and take pictures and smell the mash. They also took us to the bottling area/distilling area and got to taste the clear liquid before it turning into bourbon too. And got to walk thru their Rick house. At the end, we tasted in their outside room with 4 tasters. It was very good! We bought a bottle home. The tour guide was also very friendly and non scripted.

We went here to finish out the heritage bourbon trail. Not impressed but not disappointed. Customer service was okay and somewhat personable. Limited parking on site.

So happy we added a visit to Wilderness Trail while in Louisville. Our tour guide Frank was awesome - very personable and informative. I loved hearing about the history of the distillery and touring the grounds. After touring the distillery process and Rick house, we had a tasting of bourbon, rye whiskey, rye and then single barrel bourbon followed up with the most amazing bourbon ball I have ever tasted. I also really liked the addition of the WT shot glass. Since I am a Rye drinker, Frank suggested that I try the 7 year Rye. Wow! So smooth, I couldn't leave without taking a bottle with me. Tour was 15 a person and complimentary for military. I would highly recommend venturing to Danville to visit Wilderness Trail. You won't be sorry!

Very kind customer service. A great flight in bourbon. With a wonderful rustic atmosphere. With a wonderful cat mascot named Copper.

This was our first visit to Wilderness Trail and it was a beautiful fall day. Heard good reviews about it and glad we were able to check it out. The team was friendly and they have a lot of variety in their tasty product offerings. Enjoyed hearing about the background of the owners. Say hello to their distillery kitty, Cooper when you go.

Tried a flight and it was awesome. Really nice gear to purchase. The store attendants were very pleasant.

Awesome tour and super product. Doing the tour is well worth the time. Their Distillery has a great history for the relatively short time they have been in business. Their bourbons are truly great and unique.

Wilderness Trail distillery, the only distillery on the tour to use a sweet mash (Google it or go on a tour to understand what the mash is, lol) to make their bourbon and you can taste the difference. I normally do not like Rye bourbon or whiskey, but this I LOVED it. I ended up purchasing a bottle of the Rye whiskey. I loved every sample I tasted it. I have a new love, sorry Maker's. This was also the first tour we had a female tour guide, LOVED IT. She was great, super friendly, she's the cutest. very knowledgeable. The cat thinks he is a dog, lol, but very friendly, he followed us around the entire time.

This distillery was probably in my top 2 favorite tours. Really fun, relaxed vibe. The white lightning tasting was so cool, I loved it and wish they bottle it. I didn't realize how quickly this place grew. It's very new but has a ton of production already. Our guide was very fun and knowledgeable. I enjoyed nearly all of the tastings at the end (skip the chocolate unless you enjoy super sweet things!) Since this is actually sold all over the country we plan to purchase at home since we are traveling, but there was some really fun non-bourbon items for sale as well in the gift shop. We visited only 7 distilleries on our trip (carefully curated from lots of yelping) and I'm glad this was one of them.

Best tour on the Bourbon Trail! Very informative on every aspect of their operations. Beautiful property and the spirits are amazing. Be sure and pet Cooper in the visitors center!

Cool facility, great tour guide, interesting (albeit short) history of the distillery and the founders. This is a relatively new place, but really an interesting tour. The tour guide was really friendly, personable, and genuinely interested in touring us. It really helps when your guide is engaging and the tour becomes more of a conversation than a lecture. He was great at answering questions, and even went out of his way to find out something he didn't know. The tour also included a sample of the white lightning, which was unique and really cool. It's interesting how the flavor profile from the stuff fresh off the still grows into the finished product 4+ years later. Anyway, really great tour. Great facility, great tour guide, and fun time. Plus, they even have a distillery cat, who accompanied us on the tour. It's out of the way, but I would recommend you stop here on your bourbon trail. 10/10

Wonderful tour - stopped here because I needed the stamp for the bourbon trail and left a huge fan!

Super cute distillery! Everyone was so nice here including the distillery cat! We did a tour and tasting which was about 45 mins or so. It was very educational. Thanks X for the fabulous tour! They focused more on the science behind bourbon making which was a unique way to learn about the whole process. The tour concluded with a tasting. You even get a tasting glass and they gave away stickers, and bourbon bottle tops (not sure what they are called). We were able to try some homemade bourbon balls that one of the locals makes with wilderness trail bourbon and sells there! We met her and absolutely loved them! We even bought some. They have a good selection of souvenirs in their gift shop too. Overall fun and worth the stop along the bourbon trail.

One of the rising stars of the whiskey gold rush, this is a stop not to be missed, for here you may not see antique rickhouses, or here the tall tales of long-dead distillers who would be doing backflips in their graves as mega corporations sully their brands. This is 21st century authenticity, whiskey crafted by people shaping its future, not its past. As you drive up, you see the Rickhouses, where the whiskey is stored in barrels on racks for the 4+ year aging process, occupying spaces on small hilltops, positioned to take advantage of the sunshine, wind, and cold that temper the whiskey in the barrel. You will get a great tour of a very modern distillery that incorporates science into the mysticism of bourbons, ryes and more. Green, and clean, it's a place that must be seen.

I braved the ice and cold this morning for a 10am tour at Wilderness Trail and am so glad I did. This under the radar (not for long) distillery has great Wheat and Rye Bourbon and an excellent tour. Melissa guided a small tour of three people including myself which allowed us to ask questions and get great insight into the rapid growth of this brand. A little "White Lightning" to start the day was a special surprise and the tasting consisted of three Bourbon and one Rye. It is a bit off the beaten path but well worth the trip!

So we went to an event (taste of danville). It was fantastic and had great food. While there, we also did a tasting and tour. My husband was admitted for free as he is a veteran. This was different than past tours as it was more science based. This company started looking at alcohol with the fuel industry and has moved over to drinking alcohol. It was cool to see how this could morph into new business and how they are continueing a science forward approach. The whiskey itself is very good. They have 3 types (they are growing). We tried their bourban, rye bourban, and a more aged rye. I am not a rye fan, but theirs had a tolerable pepper flavor that is usually why I am not a fan.

Very friendly excellent tasting. No pressure. I definitely recommend this distillery. I went here on a fluke and was presently surprised. I like the yellow label. Very smooth.

What a way to start a weekend! The fella and I were venturing towards Eastern Kentucky to visit his family and go hiking, and we figured why not stop at a winery or distillery on the way?! It didn't take much convincing! I found out about this place when I got my passport for the Craft Distillery Trail. I knew nothing about it, but I love visiting distilleries, so this place made it on the list. And it ABSOLUTELY should be on your list as well! Tours cost $7 and begin on the hour. We drove up just before 10am, when they open, and snapped a few pictures waiting for the clock to strike. There were a few people already there and, when our little photo-taking-hearts took a bit longer to snap a few shots, they and the tour guide patiently waited for us to come in to begin the tour. Our tour guide Jared was fantastic! Full of information, full of energy, and ready to act as on-the-spot photographer! A Jared-of-All-Trades, if you will. The most interesting part of this distillery is that they are also home to FermSolutions, the science-y part of bourbon and distilling and even dairy and fuel research and testing! They embrace the newness and emphasize the use of science and technology in making a quality product. No attempt at creating an elaborate backstory to prove a long history. They are unashamed at being a new-ish guy on the block! They barreled their first bourbon in December 2013 and intend to age their bourbon for 4 years. So...no bourbon to taste or buy YET. And they are a very small, "boutique" operation. They have the space to expand, so it will be interesting to see how they grow in the future! What you can get now and sample at the end of the tour is their vodka and rum. And they are really interesting products. The vodka is unfiltered, and smells and drinks more like a mild, sippable moonshine. A little sweeter on the tongue that an über-filtered and tasteless vodka. The rum is their stand out! It is actually made from sorghum and aged in bourbon barrels. It has a great flavor! Sweet with that touch of bourbon. I actually have a bottle of the rum that I got at an event with a liquor pull. I hadn't opened it yet, as I am not much of a rum drinker. But now that I have had a chance to taste it...that baby is getting cracked open soon! They also have a sample of the sorghum that they use to make the rum that you can taste on it's own. The view of the Knobs from the grounds is gorgeous, the small building that houses the tasting room and visitor's center is lovely and rustic. Overall, I was really impressed with our visit and pleasantly surprised by the spirits we got to sample. They are a worthy addition to the Craft Distillery Trail and absolutely worth a visit!

Wonderful place to tour. We had a very informative and wonderful experience with Melissa. Beautiful gift shop. Tasty cocktails.

Stopped in here on our way to Lexington. The tours were all booked up for the day, but we were still able to try their products...and did I mention it was complimentary!? Because of this we ended up hanging out for a while and enjoyed a drink from their bar! I have to say for a newer distillery this place is quickly putting themselves on the map! We got a bottle of their Bourbon to go, but I'm honestly kicking myself for not grabbing a bottle of their rum as well.

Wilderness Trail Distillery is far off the KY Bourbon Trail path in Danville, KY a few miles from the Perryville Civil War battlefield where neat civil war monuments and museums are too. This recent KY Bourbon Craft Tour Distillery has great Bourbon made with a heavy dose of scientific know how using the "Sweet Mash" method unlike the rest of the industry. We could have done two webcasts on their recent "Wheat" and new "Rye" amazing 4 year Bourbons. We covered their distillery tour and "Wheat" Bourbon with pictures and movies on You Tube's, Kentucky Bourbon Traveler https://youtu.be/_bRwM0aqcx0

Very educational. My past tours at other distilleries I loved for their history, but since this one is so new their bourbon isn't even ready yet it was more focused on the chemistry and the process and about the local sources they get their items from. We got to taste their vodka and rum which they only really make to get their name known until their bourbon is ready in 2018. I could've stayed there all day small talking about the industry. They just bought a larger facility four miles away so when that opens I look forward to another visit.

One of the most important craft distilleries in Kentucky. Really friendly staff, great distillery, and just some of the most knowledgeable people in the industry. While you're there ask them about yeast, they know more about it than almost anyone in the industry.

Their bourbon was just barreled yesterday and will have to age 4-7 years but the rye will be ready in 2-4 years and their rum will be ready within the next couple of months but the Vodka is ready now. They produce a corn & wheat vodka. They said that they hope they sell a lot of vodka over the next few years. I'm not a vodka man but it was really smooth. They had a small batch of the rum aged in bourbon barrels that we sampled. The rum is nothing short then bourbon in a my opinion Caverndale farm is 1 of many local farmers that they use for their grains in the distillery process. It's kind of cool to think that 1.5 miles away from field to bottle on their grains. The only reason I'm giving them 4 stars instead of 5 is that they are getting on the bourbon trail so therefore I must judge them against other places. The place was small and in a new facility versus all of the history that comes with the other distilleries. If I came out to this place and was charged $7 for a tasting which is the cost I would be disappointed but if you're in the area I would recommend you to stop by.

We stopped in while we were in the area even though we knew they did not have bourbon for sale yet. We were so happy we did. They went out of their way to get us a tour and tell us their story. And it was a good story. Based on a chemical engineer background dealing with yeast. The whiskey Wort based vodka is very tasty,As is the sourguhm rum of which we bought a bottle. Well worth the stop to see one of the small guys.

Another up and coming distillery that is sure to please. Staff at this place was absolutely fantastic. Very nice and personable. They have carved out a nitch in the crowded Bourbon lane by distilling Rum. Should be a great venture for them. They are currently only barreling 220 bourbon barrels a day. Current aged Bourbon will be right at 5 years in September. They also have a fermentation lab on site which is providing a valued service for other distillers in the area. Wonderful stop on the Bourbon Trail.

Wonderful distillery in Danville, KY. Love the bourbons & the rye whiskey also. Great place to visit & learn the science behind the bourbon making process!

everyone is Super nice my sweet hubby booked a 1:00pm tour and our tour guide was awesome thank you Teresa . I got overheated and went to the gift shop to cool off until the tasting and they were very attentive and super awesome friendly will definitely go back again!

I went to the Grand Opening and was very impressed with this distillery. Their whole approach is making a quality product, instead of just pushing out something sub-par to make a buck. The tour was a lot of fun. I gained a greater understanding of their bourbon making process (they use sweet mash instead of sour) in addition to their vodka and rum products. The vodka is very tasty IMO! It has a surprisingly aromatic bouquet, reminding you of the unfiltered process used to make it, with an incredibly smooth finish. The rum is on the same level; full of flavor from the barrels it comes from, with a finish just as smooth. I look forward to their bourbon hitting the shelf in a few. If you get on their email list, I think you can secure a bottle. I recommend checking this distillery out; it is well worth your time! These guys know the science behind a quality product and you will not be disappointed!

Went 7/1 for first tour. Xavier was our guide and he was excellent. Bourbon was good, maybe a little overpriced. Vodka was nice as well, so make sure you get a sample.

One of the best tours we took along the Craft Bourbon Trail. Wilderness Trail distillery is a small operation that started along side the chemistry lab that tests the mash for other distilleries. We learned a lot about the process of how bourbon is made at the molecular level rather than the generic tour information. Very interesting for the geeks...which is me. Their bourbon won't be ready until 2018 but that's okay, you can see their set up and sample their amazing vodka.

Our distillery tour was one of the best tours we've experienced along the Bourbon Trail. The tour was personable, informative and truly captures the essence of the brand. You can tell from the moment you drive onto the grounds, Wilderness Trail is a brand that captures your attention and appreciation for its product. Xavier, thank you for the top tier tour, best of luck to you!

My boyfriend and I have gone to all of the bourbon trail tours (and several of the craft trail tours) in the last year and a half. This tour has probably been my favorite to date. Our tour guide, Jared, was knowledgeable about the product and process and obviously cared about what he was doing. This tour is also different from the other tours due the distillery being essentially a pet project of the parent company (which offers lab support and technical training to the ethanol industry). It is slightly more technical and detailed - which I enjoyed and appreciated. I'm a chemical engineer and it kept me interested, but it was also at a level that was completely accessable to someone who has no background in science whatsoever. The samples were enjoyable. I'm not a vodka enthusiast but it was easy to drink and had a nice flavor. The rum was very nice. I can't wait to try the bourbon when it comes out.

Wilderness Trail Distillery in Danville is a must see must do experience. It is here, you will learn the science behind the bourbon. This craft distillery is the face of amazing scientific research that happens behind the scene for companies around the globe. Their bourbon is new and won't be ready until 2018, but their rum aged in used bourbon bottles and their unfiltered vodka are real and delicious. Definitely worth tasting and taking home a bottle or two. Spend an hour with Jared hosting your tour and you'll develop a deeper understanding of how a few simple ingredients can make such wonderful products.

These guys are great. After years of consulting they are putting their expertise to making their own brand. While the bourbon isn't ready yet the vodka and rum are both outstanding. Visitors center is in a beautiful old house but the distillery is new. Science reigns here starting a new tradition. We were shown around by one of the owners and he was fantastic and very into his product. A definite must.

As I pulled up to the place, I was surprised. It appears to be more of a factory setting than the average distillery operation. The tours are usually $7.00 but were free when we attended the grand opening. The tour guide was extremely knowledgable and thoroughly explained their rum, vodka and bourbon making process. Unlike most vodkas, their's are made with wheat and corn, both grown a mile and a half away. At the end of the tour, we sampled the bourbon barrel aged rum, vodka and chocolate rum balls. I recommend it if you're in the area but not if you're in Lexington, an hour away.

We did 11 distilleries in 4 days and this was one of our favorites. Jared, our guide (also the product manager I believe) was by far the most informative guide we encountered. If you have any questions, ask him. Most other guides either did not know, just gave a blank look or gave an incorrect answer to technical questions. Jared was able to answer and clarify questions I had regarding the underlying chemistry and reasoning behind certain areas. When we went they were moving everything to their new location. There wasn't a lot to see but that didn't detract from the overall experience. Would highly recommend but would advise going no earlier than late April 2016 to get the full experience.

Vodka was amazing and it has a unique aroma smooth as silk and no strong smell. I wish they were on the West coast.