Bardstown Bourbon Company
The Bardstown Bourbon Company is a completely different kind of distillery. From the start, their focus was to be a hyper-efficient producer of quality whiskey. Their plans were to distill for other companies via their "Collaborative / Custom Distilling Program", as well as to bottle under their own label. Initially, the majority of their production went to the collaborative program, however as the years have gone by, the percentage of production which is intended for their own labels has increased. The entire operation is meticulously coordinated and overseen by Chief Operating Officer John Hargrove, the former master distiller at Barton 1792. Utilizing state of the art software, all processes can be controlled, monitored, tracked and evaluated both within the distillery and remotely. This efficiency and coordination has enable rapid growth, with Bardstown Bourbon Company now having a production of 110,000 barrels per year.
The distillery in its entirety sits on 100 acres of farmland. Corn grows outside, and construction is pretty much ongoing. The distillery proper contains two 12,500 gallon cookers, 32 fermenters, two 36 inch column stills and two 500 gallon doublers. At this point production is 300 barrels a day and distilling takes place around the clock, while barreling only takes place Monday through Friday. The bourbon ages in an ever increasing number of warehouses which hold 23,000 or 58,000 barrels. Distilling is done under the direction of Master Distiller Steve Nally, formerly of Maker’s Mark. Needless to say, their fist distillate back in 2014 was a wheated bourbon. Today they distill over 40 different mash bills.
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check out the video here), prior to their visitor program getting underway, and actually before their visitor center was even fully constructed. So we have been fortunate to witness their growth and development since early on. Today, a visitor to the BBC can choose from multiple activities, which they refer to as "Experiences". It turns out that really is the best term to describe what the BBC offers visitors. While they do offer a more conventional tour, they also offer activities which are well defined by the moniker. Life is a little different during COVID, and the BBC has adapted well. A visitor can choose from the "From Distillate to Barrel Tour" (watch video here), the "Honey Spot Barrel Thieving” (which takes place in the warehouse and is similar to a barrel pick experience), "Shaken & Stirred" (a cocktail class), as well as a number of flights, vintage bourbon tastings and bourbon and food pairings.The Bardstown Bourbon Company was also the first of the Kentucky distilleries to have it's own large scale full service restaurant and bar on site. It's the perfect place to grab some food and drinks before, between or after one of the Experiences. They also have a vast vintage whiskey selection, for those interested in trying a little taste of history. Another neat feature about the bar is that in addition to BBC's own whiskeys and cocktail program, they have a wide selection of well known and not so well know whiskeys from many other distilleries.
Would you like to take a special bottle home with you? Well the Bardstown Bourbon Company is happy to oblige. Their gift shop sells a wide array of Bardstown Bourbon Company whiskeys, as well as logo items. Also on display are many of the whiskeys from the distilleries or non-distiller producers (NDPs) who are part of their collaborative distilling program. You may have heard of a few of them: Belle Meade, Kentucky Owl, Jefferson’s, Calumet, and Chicken Cock, to name a few. Transparency is king at the BBC, and that's really cool!
The Bardstown Bourbon Company is definitely like no other, and they are constantly striving to add something new. A hotel is currently under construction, and I am sure there are many more great things ahead! This is definitely a distillery I never tire of visiting!
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Please note that due to COVID Distillery Hours and Tour/Tasting Availability may vary. Please contact the distillery or check their web page or social media for details before you go.
| Days of operation | Distillery Tours & Tasting Bar Wed-Sun: 10am-5pm Retail Store Wed, Thur, Sun: 10am-5pm Fri-Sat: 10am-8pm |
Paved Drive / Lot | Paved lot |
Motorcycle Parking | No separate parking, just the paved lot |
Motorcycle unfriendly features | No |
Number of tours per day | From Distillate to Barrel Tour Wed-Sun 5-6 times per day 14 people / tour Multiple additional “Experiences” available |
Length of Tour(s) | 45 minutes to an hour |
Advanced topic tours? | Multiple “Experiences” Available including: “Honey Spot Barrel Thieving” “Shaken & Stirred" |
Advanced topic tour names | “Honey Spot Barrel Thieving” “Shaken & Stirred” |
Tours by owners /distillers available? | Occasionally |
Number of different types of tours | One is an actual tour; Multiple other “Experiences” are available |
On-Line Tour Reservations Available | Yes |
Advanced Reservations Recommended/Required | Yes; space is limited, especially during COVID |
| Cost for tour(s) in $ | $10 |
Tasting Included? | Yes |
| Number of samples included in tasting | 4 |
| Tasting Only Option? | Yes |
| Tasting Only Option Cost | Multiple different options available, including flights, vintage tasting, food and bourbon pairings or individual pours available at the bar |
High-end tasting option? | Yes |
High-end tasting option cost? | Variable |
Designated Driver Option | No |
Handicapped Accessible? | Yes, For the most part. Some parts of the distillery/warehouses may be limited |
| Souvenirs included with tour? | Not with Distillate to Barrel Tour |
Gift shop | Yes |
On-Site bottle sales? | Yes |
| On-site food: Restaurant/Cafe/Snacks | Yes. Full Service Restaurant. |
| On-site Cocktail bar | Yes. Full bar with excellent cocktail program |
| On-site event space | Yes |
| Should I visit? (Yes, Perhaps, No) | Yes |
| Unique Features | Large scale distillery with a Napa Valley style destination experience. |
Website | |
Date Visited | August 2020 |
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