Boundary Oak Distillery
There is more than ample parking at the distillery, which sits on a hill above town. A few hotels are located just a short walk away at the bottom of the hill, perfect for those who want to spend the night after visiting the distillery.
Upon entering the building, we found ourselves in a large, open space. The distilling area is at the far end, easily seen through large glass windows. To our right is the cocktail and tasting bar. To the left is a small room where there is an exhibit of some of the wood from the boundary oak which was reportedly a boundary marker on the Sinking Spring Farm where Abraham Lincoln was born. It is wood from this tree which is used to make the corks in the limited release version of Boundary Oak’s Lincoln Straight Bourbon Whiskey. This oak is not the one which is the distillery’s namesake, and it was not cut down to make these corks; it died in 1976. This special release wheated bourbon comes in an engraved walnut box with a copy of Lincoln’s 1833 liquor license and an uncirculated Kentucky penny originally released in Hodgenville in 2009 as part of the nation’s Lincoln Bicentennial. As an interesting piece of presidential trivia, Abraham Lincoln was the only president to have owned a liquor license, according to Distillery Trail.*
Tours are self guided, and include viewing a film that starts at the bottom of each hour. Tours with a tasting cost $8 per person, and are free for those underage or who do not wish to taste. As luck would have it, we arrived at the distillery just as owner and master distiller, Brent Goodin, was beginning a tour. So we got to tag along and learn about the distillery from the man himself. Someday, we will go back and see the movie and take the self-guided tour, and we will add relevant comments to this review.
For this visit, we caught up with the tour inside the distillery, at the stills. The group we joined was made up of people visiting from New Zealand. Brent had kindly agreed to show them around. Being from elsewhere, they had very limited prior experience with bourbon. Therefore, the tour focused only on the basics of bourbon and a walk through of the distillery, although Brent was very happy to answer questions along the way. We usually extensively inquire about the fine details, but that did not seem appropriate since we were just tagging along, some details will be lacking. We’ll fill those in on our next visit.
We finished at the tasting / cocktail bar where we were given samples of some of Boundary Oak’s spirits. The self-guided tour would conclude in the same manner. The spirits offered included Patton Armored Diesel (a cane spirit finished in bourbon barrels), Kentucky 101 Proof Moonshine, Cinnful 69 (a cane spirit with natural cinnamon flavor), and Lincoln Straight Bourbon Whiskey (not the version with the Lincoln oak cork). Afterwards, Brent was kind enough to give us a Lavender Mint Julep, made with Boundary Oak’s new lavender bourbon, which was the drink made at Boundary Oak for Derby Day. If you are so inclined, additional cocktails made with Boundary Oak’s spirits are available at the cocktail bar for purchase. An outdoor seating area and event space are also available.
Overall, we had a great visit to Boundary Oak, made special by getting to meet and be shown around by Brent Goodin himself. After we go back and take the self-guided tour, we will update this write-up.
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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 | Monday- Saturday 12-6 pm Sunday 1-6 pm. |
| Paved Drive / Lot | Yes |
| Motorcycle Parking | No, but motorcycle friendly parking lot |
| Motorcycle unfriendly features | None, except the access road is moderately steep. |
| Number of tours per day | Self-guided |
| Length of Tour(s) | 45 minutes to an hour |
| Advanced topic tours? | No |
| Advanced topic tour names | N/A |
| Tours by owners /distillers available? | Yes. Occasionally the owner/master distiller will give tours |
| Number of different types of tours | Officially, just the self-guided tour |
| On-Line Tour Reservations Available | N/A |
| Advanced Reservations Recommended/Required | No |
| Cost for tour(s) in $ | $8 with tasting Free without tasting |
| Tasting Included? | Yes, for $8 |
| Number of samples included in tasting | At least 4 |
| Tasting Only Option? | Yes |
| Tasting Only Option Cost | $8.00 |
| High-end tasting option? | No |
| High-end tasting option cost? | N/A |
| Designated Driver Option | Yes, since tours are free without a tasting |
| Handicapped Accessible? | Most areas |
| 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 | Brand new distillery with large areas for events, gift shop, and display |
| Website | |
| Date Visited | May 2019 |
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