Preservation Distillery
Preservation Distillery is located just off of the Bluegrass Parkway, on the west side of Bardstown. The setting is quite rustic. The distillery sits on 40 acres of farmland. The majority is used for corn, however six of those acres are home to 10 head of longhorn cattle. The buildings are repurposed tobacco barns. An antique Dodge truck resides in the gravel lot in front of the visitors center. It all makes for a quintessential down home country feel.
Our first stop was the visitor center, which also houses the tasting/cocktail bar, and gift shop. Cocktails can be purchased and then enjoyed at any of the many indoor tables, or at the outside seating area. There is a fairly large stage at the far end of the visitor center, but don’t expect to see the “Big Show” because at this point, there are no performances. Hopefully there will be in the future.
Since Preservation Distillery is part of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour, “Passports” can be purchased for $3 at the distillery. More information about the KBTCT can be found at: 
https://kybourbontrail.com/distilleries/kentucky-bourbon-trail-craft-tour/ . As of this writing, tours cost $15, and include a tasting and souvenir glass. There were also some special offers available, such as $25 for a T-Shirt + tour + tasting, or $35 for a Hoodie or Zip Up Jacket + tour + tasting. They also offer a discount for designated drivers.
We met our tour guide, MacKenzy, in the visitor center. It turns out, MacKenzy has been around wine and spirits for quite some time, so she is extremely knowledgeable about the industry. We knew we were going to be in good hands.
Our tour began with a brief history of the distillery. One of the owners, Marci Palatella, has spent many years in the spirits business, and is an expert at selecting choice barrels for making small batch bourbons. She and her husband had been looking for a place to open their own distillery. They fell in love with the Bardstown area and the farm that would become the Preservation Distillery.
There is much that makes Preservation Distillery unique. For example, the first stop on our tour was the grain mills. All of the grains used for Preservation’s bourbons are ground on site. There are different types of mills that can be used to grind grain. Both a roller mill and a hammer mill can be found at Preservation. It is the latter which will primarily be used going forward, but it was out of service while we were there, so the roller mill was on duty. Speaking of grain, all of the ingredients used at Preservation Distillery are sourced either locally, or from around Louisville, which is less than 50 miles away. In the near future, corn grown on the farm will be used in distilling. Preservation and sustainability is their mantra.
Our next stop was the distillery proper. Preservation has 2 mash tuns, 16 closed fermenters, and 2 copper hybrid stills (a pot still connected to a small column). All have a capacity of 1000 gallons. They also have two additional continuous column stills which will be used for higher alcohol spirits. The water used for mashing is from their own on-site limestone water well. The freshly distilled spirit, also known as “new make”, is barreled on site. It is then aged, dumped, blended and bottled a few miles up the road.
Our tour finished back at the visitor center for the tasting. Our tasting included: Cowboy Little Barrel, Wattie Boone & Sons 7 year old, Rare Perfection 14 year old and 1 year old Preservation bourbon. The first three are sourced and blended small batch whiskeys, while the last is made start to finish at the Preservation Distillery. Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, the Preservation bourbon is not available for purchase. MacKenzy was very clear that when the bourbon was ready it would hit the shelves, and not a minute earlier. The four tasting glasses are nicely presented on a plank. The name of each spirit is written by each glass for easy identification. A small cone of popcorn to cleanse the palate, and water with a dropper, are also thoughtfully provided. We also had the opportunity to taste Campeon Tequila. The owners of Preservation also distill this Tequila in Mexico, and 3 varieties, a Silver, Anejo and Reposado, are available to sample and purchase.
After our tasting, MacKenzy was kind enough to take us out to see more of the property. We walked back past the distillery and saw the large former tobacco barn which is now used as an event space capable of holding 300-400 guests. Then it was on to the fields to see the Longhorn cattle. What beautiful animals they are!
Preservation Distillery is picturesque, welcoming, and, like many small craft distilleries, unique. This trifecta definitely makes it a stop not to miss while on the Kentucky (Craft) Bourbon Trail!
Check out a short video of our visit.
A few words about Preservation Distillery's Spirits (as of Summer 2019):
Wattie Boone & Sons is a Tennessee whiskey aged in new charred oak barrels and bottled at 94.7 proof. While that may sound like a Tennessee Whiskey or Bourbon, the wording needs a little clarification. The barrels for this whiskey are actually used oak barrels that receive a new char. So the whiskey can technically neither be Tennessee Whiskey nor Bourbon. It’s tasty none-the-less. Cowboy Little Barrel is an 81.2 proof American Blended Whiskey. For those not familiar with the style, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau defines American Blended Whisky (sic) as "Whisky produced by blending not less than 20% on a proof gallon basis (excluding alcohol derived from added harmless coloring, flavoring or blending materials*) straight whisky or a blend of straight whiskies and, separately or in combination, whisky of any type or neutral spirits”. Rare Perfection 14 Years Old is 14 year old Canadian Whiskey. According to blog.distiller.com, “to be called Canadian whisky, the whisky must contain alcohol distillate made from cereal grain that’s mashed and distilled. It must age in small wood for at least three years in Canada. Finally, it must contain no less than 40% alcohol by volume—that’s really about it.” Interestingly, most Canadian distilleries don’t use a mash bill per se; instead they ferment, distal and age each grain independently, and then blend them after maturation. If a whisky does contain additional flavoring spirit, it must age for at least two years in wood. But I digress. What is important to me, is the taste, and I really enjoyed the Rare Perfection 14 Years Old, and bought myself a bottle.
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Additional references:1. https://kybourbontrail.com/kentucky-distillers-association-welcomes-preservation-distillery-as-newest-craft-member/2. http://www.iscbarrels.com/2019/05/02/qa-with-preservation-distillery/3. https://www.kystandard.com/content/preservation-opens-links-past4. https://blog.distiller.com/canadian-whisky/
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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.
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| Days of operation | Tuesday - Saturday, 10am-4pm Sunday 12 - 3pm |
| Paved Drive / Lot | No. Gravel |
| Motorcycle Parking | No |
| Motorcycle unfriendly features | Gravel parking lot |
| Number of tours per day | 4-7 |
| Length of Tour(s) | 45 minutes to an hour |
| 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 | Probably not needed for small groups |
| Cost for tour(s) in $ | $15 (discounts available for military, underage, designated driver) |
| Tasting Included? | Yes |
| Number of samples included in tasting | At least 4 |
| Tasting Only Option? | Yes |
| Tasting Only Option Cost | $15 (educational tasting; includes glass) |
| High-end tasting option? | No |
| High-end tasting option cost? | N/A |
| Designated Driver Option | Yes. $10 |
| Handicapped Accessible? | Yes. Two handicapped spaces located on far side of visitor center. |
| Souvenirs included with tour? | Yes. Glass. |
| Gift shop | Yes |
| On-Site bottle sales? | Yes |
| On-site food: Restaurant/Cafe/Snacks | Not currently. Future plans for light food. |
| On-site Cocktail bar | Yes |
| On-site event space | Yes |
| Should I visit? (Yes, Perhaps, No) | Yes |
| Unique Features | Longhorn cattle on site. Locally sourced or self-produced ingredients. Beautiful rustic surroundings on old Tobacco Farm. |
| Website | https://www.preservationdistillery.com |
| Date Visited | June 2019 |
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