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Kentucky Bourbon Trail
Purple_Pills
Member, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 2,007 
What are some of the better distilleries to visit when in Kentucky? I’ll be passing through on my way to Bloomington from Nashville for the Indiana game. It looks like reservations are advantageous for many of them.
Comments
I’ve only been to one, Heaven Hill in Bardstown and it was a tasting and history lesson vs a tour. Still enjoyable.
Maker’s Mark lets you dip the bottle in the wax and I think there’s a way to get your own bottle that you dip. You just have to wait for the bourbon to age. I might be mixing up my facts on that process.
I’ve heard people say Woodford is a great tour along with Castle & Key and Buffalo Trace.
Been to Woodford Reserve. Nice layout. Bought some nice rye that is unavailable to gen pop.
I believe Frankfurt is supposed to be a shit hole but given that Buffalo Trace makes the best bourbon in the world I would think it’s must see.
Can confirm. Frankfurt is an absolute shithole.
Louisville is a shithole with more people.
Lexington is cool.
So far I have reservations at Woodford Reserve, Castle & Key, and Wild Turkey. The window to reserve at Buffalo Trace hasn’t opened yet. I am hoping to also do two in the Bardstown area. Maker’s Mark being one of them. I am waiting for Mammoth Cave to open their October reservations first.
I am also scheduled to tour Jack Daniels, which is neither Kentucky or bourbon. That tour works well since I am coming down from Nashville to Huntsville, Decatur, and Muscle Shoals for the day. The big reason is try Alabama BBQ at Big Bob Gibson’s. Later in the trip I’ll be staying in Owensboro, KY and will get to try that town’s famous BBQ.
Indiana sucks at football, but there are quite a few fun vacations you can plan around when visiting. Rutgers and Maryland present great vacation opportunities as well.
Please to be posting pics from of the Muscle Shoals studio
There’s not enough in Frankfort for it to be a shithole.
There is a good brewery, Sig Luscher, that’s supposedly the 8th oldest brewery in the country minus their 130 year absence from existing. That’s about the only reason I go out there.
If you’re going to Woodford and unless you have another tour back to back, you’ll only be 30 minutes from Lexington.
For food, people rave about Goodfella’s pizza - Portnoy did his pizza review there. If you’re on a BBQ tour, Blue Door smokehouse. If you go there, slide into my DMs, I’ll charge up the rascal and waddle in down as it’s less than a mile from my house.
Speaking of my house, I’m across the street from the Henry Clay estate if you like boring history stuff. The estate was also the sight of civil war engagement between Ohio soldiers and John Hunt Morgan’s confederate raiders. And Jefferson Davis’ law office is downtown.
@RaceBannon door belled for Clay back in 1844.
I’ll be staying in Lexington. This is my second rodeo there. Went to a game at Rupp in 2019. The BBQ isn’t looking likely between Keeneland and the distilleries I have scheduled.
What are the best breweries in the area (+1 points for branded glass growlers or cool tin trackers)?
No idea who has the branded stuff or the tin trackers off top of my head but here are my favorites:
Blue Stallion - great German style beers; probably my favorite beer in Lex.
Mirror Twin - I go here the most as it closest, also near the BBQ place, good range of beers; heavy on Hazy’s, IPAs & sours. Depending on the weather, can usually see some nicely dressed, nicely shaped women. It’s family & dog friendly and there are always kids in there and oftentimes annoying fucking parents of said kids.
Country Boy - kinda the OG brewery in the area & the biggest. Tap room in Lex and full on brewery 30 minutes away in Georgetown. The tap room is small so if the weather sucks and there’s a UK game on, I’d avoid it.
The next tier:
Ethereal - there’s the brewery in the Distillery District and then 2 tasting rooms, 1 downtown and the other on campus. Never been to the campus 1 but from what I’ve seen, parking sucks around there. Ethereal is known for sours and dark beers (hi @1to392831weretaken) including a heavy season called Babayaga. Nextdoor to Goodfellas pizza, you can bring the pizza in.
The Burl Brew - also in the Distillery and part of a music venue called the Burl. Also an arcade there; it’s newer, the beer is fine but not great. The venue is cool.
The last tier:
Rock House - cool spot, decent beers but you have to see a fat dude cosplaying as a fat girl as a bartender.
West 6th - good beers, probably the 2nd biggest brand in Lex behind Country Boy. Not my favorite place, hence it is last on my list. Something about the vibe there I don’t like.
Devilish Current - it’s a bar and the owner brews beer and has 1-2 on top at the bar. Not really a brewery but a nice little dive bar.