Boone County Distilling Company
Boone County Distilling Company
Boone County Distilling Company
History -Boone County Distilling Company
Mash Bill
Grain Mill
Cooker
Fermenters
Still
Cooperage Information
Rickhouse
Barrel Trough
Bottling Line
Tasting Area
Tasting
10601 Toebben Drive
Boone County, KY 41051
(859) 282-6545
info@boonedistilling.comAddress
Boone County Distilling Co has a unique niche in the continuously expanding Kentucky bourbon market; its products are “Made By Ghosts.” This ominous sounding tag line in reality is the company’s homage to those now little known nineteenth century characters in Boone County, Kentucky, who forged an enormous distilling pathway. So much so, that by the later part of the century, the distillery was the largest producer of whiskey in the entire state. The 21st century Boone County Distilling Co was resurrected in 2015 and although its location is not the same as the original, Boone County remains home to Boone County Distilling. The distillery’s current location can be found in northern Kentucky, just inside of the Boone County line in the small town of Independence about a mile east of I-75 at exit 178.
The distillery welcomes visitors daily except for Mondays. Boone County Distilling currently offers a tour, the Grain to Glass Experience, and a tasting only option. The Guided Tasting, at a cost of $9, includes a tasting as well as a short history and explanation of the distilling process, while the Grain to Glass, at a cost of $14, covers the entire distillery and finishes with a tasting. Reservations can be made online, by phone, or in person. Each tasting and tour has a maximum capacity of 10 persons although things may change as COVID restrictions continue to relax.
We met our tour guide, Courtney, in the gift shop and our noon tour began promptly. We headed out back into the distillery and after a few safety guidelines were covered, Courtney began with the history behind the brand. It turns out that Boone County Distilling has quite the lengthy past. The original distillery opened in 1833, and even though there were numerous owners over the years, its production continued to grow so that by 1880, as mentioned, it was the largest producer of whiskey in the state of Kentucky. With some company perspective in tow, our attention was then directed toward the distillery area proper.
Covering the distillery is very easy at today’s Boone County. All facets of the distilling process are located in one very large oversized garage style building. In fact the distillery can be seen in its entirety from the gift shop thanks to the partially glassed wall which separates the two. Our first stop was the grain room. Lack of space prevents the use of large grain storage bins so the grains come in 50 lb sacks kept neatly palletized. The grains are sent through an Amish hammer mill then piped a very short distance to the 500 gallon cooker. The cooked grains are then transferred to one of the four 500 gallon fermenters where 3-4 days later with fermentation complete, the newly fermented grains are sent off to the “The Bear” which is Boone County’s copper hybrid pot still. Production is around 10 barrels a week.
Our next stop took us out the back of the distillery to see where those 10 weekly barrels are then stored. The distillery’s one and only rickhouse may look like just another aluminum out-building, but as of our visit in late August, it housed over 1500 barrels! We got the bird’s eye view as we stepped inside this unassuming structure. The rickhouse is almost always one of the coolest parts of the tour, and this one was no exception. Barrels everywhere, here stacked 6 high, and the wonderful angels’ share aroma did not disappoint.
The walking part of our tour wrapped up back in the distillery. The final stop was a peek at the bottling area. At Boone County Distilling, barrels are dumped into a barrel trough. The trough aids in the filtering of any large pieces of char that come out during the dump. The whiskey is more finely filtered once again, whereby it is then all hand bottled, hand labeled, and of course hand boxed.
With all production processes covered, it was time to sample the fruits of Boone County’s labor. Back at the tasting area in the gift shop, our samples for the standard tour awaited us. The four tastes included: Tanner’s Curse-New Make Whiskey Distilled From Rye Mash, Tanner’s Curse-New Make Whiskey Distilled From Bourbon Mash, Boone County Small Batch Straight Bourbon Whiskey, and White Hall Tavern Bourbon Cream. Samples from other product lines were available on a product by product basis and the costs vary. The gift shop also has lots of items to peruse when your tastebuds are done being wowed. From clothing to glassware to spirits, they’re all there for the choosing and a great way to shop local. This past year, Boone County opened a brand new large event space, which includes a cocktail bar where samples as well as full pours and cocktails are available.
So when you’re looking for your next distillery to visit, why not make it Boone County Distilling. You’ll find Boone County both on the northern KY B-Line tour as well as the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour. Grab your passports and go. History, schooling, and spirits await!
Our next stop took us out the back of the distillery to see where those 10 weekly barrels are then stored. The distillery’s one and only rickhouse may look like just another aluminum out-building, but as of our visit in late August, it housed over 1500 barrels! We got the bird’s eye view as we stepped inside this unassuming structure. The rickhouse is almost always one of the coolest parts of the tour, and this one was no exception. Barrels everywhere, here stacked 6 high, and the wonderful angels’ share aroma did not disappoint.
The walking part of our tour wrapped up back in the distillery. The final stop was a peek at the bottling area. At Boone County Distilling, barrels are dumped into a barrel trough. The trough aids in the filtering of any large pieces of char that come out during the dump. The whiskey is more finely filtered once again, whereby it is then all hand bottled, hand labeled, and of course hand boxed.
With all production processes covered, it was time to sample the fruits of Boone County’s labor. Back at the tasting area in the gift shop, our samples for the standard tour awaited us. The four tastes included: Tanner’s Curse-New Make Whiskey Distilled From Rye Mash, Tanner’s Curse-New Make Whiskey Distilled From Bourbon Mash, Boone County Small Batch Straight Bourbon Whiskey, and White Hall Tavern Bourbon Cream. Samples from other product lines were available on a product by product basis and the costs vary. The gift shop also has lots of items to peruse when your tastebuds are done being wowed. From clothing to glassware to spirits, they’re all there for the choosing and a great way to shop local. This past year, Boone County opened a brand new large event space, which includes a cocktail bar where samples as well as full pours and cocktails are available.
So when you’re looking for your next distillery to visit, why not make it Boone County Distilling. You’ll find Boone County both on the northern KY B-Line tour as well as the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour. Grab your passports and go. History, schooling, and spirits await!
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Please note that 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 | Closed Monday Tues-Sat: 10:00am-5:30pm Sunday: 11:00am-5:00pm |
Paved Drive / Lot | Paved Lot |
Motorcycle Parking | No separate parking, just the paved lot |
Motorcycle unfriendly features | No |
Number of tours per day | Monday – Saturday 10:30 am, 12 pm, 1:30 pm, 3 pm and 4:15 pm Sunday 11:30 am, 1:00 pm, 2:30 pm and 4:00 pm. |
Length of Tour(s) | 45 minutes + 15 minute tasting |
Advanced topic tours? | No |
Advanced topic tour names | N/A |
Tours by owners /distillers available? | No |
Number of different types of tours | 1 |
On-Line Tour Reservations Available | Yes |
Advanced Reservations Recommended/Required | On the weekends |
| Cost for tour(s) in $ | Grain to Glass -$14.00 |
Tasting Included? | Yes |
| Number of samples included in tasting | 4 |
| Tasting Only Option? | Yes |
| Tasting Only Option Cost | Guided Tasting - $9 |
High-end tasting option? | No |
High-end tasting option cost? | N/A |
Designated Driver Option | No |
Handicapped Accessible? | Yes |
| Souvenirs included with tour? | No |
Gift shop | Yes |
On-Site bottle sales? | Yes |
| On-site food: Restaurant/Cafe/Snacks | No |
| On-site Cocktail bar | Yes |
| On-site event space | Yes |
| Should I visit? (Yes, Perhaps, No) | Yes |
| Unique Features | Interesting Boone County distilling history |
Website |  https://boonedistilling.com/ |
Date Visited | August 2020, Updated May 2022 |
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