Is Bourbon Country Found In Central Kentucky?

How do you find Bourbon Country in Kentucky?

You may think this is a simple task. Take the scenic 31 E from Louisville, Kentucky through Mt. Washington, past the Barrel Preserve at Cox’s Creek, and into the iconic town square of Bardstown, Kentucky. With a quick trip around the square, it will shoot you out toward some of the most well-known bourbon distilleries in the world.

If that isn’t your answer, you may think about heading east from Louisville down I-64 to the state capital of Kentucky. That is Frankfort, not Louisville as some may guess (your Kentucky geography lesson is now complete). Once you arrive, you will see one of the most iconic brands in all the world, Buffalo Trace Distillery. If that is not enough, head over to tour the historic grounds of the Castle & Key Distillery, or even jaunt 20 miles to Lawrenceburg, KY to potentially catch Jimmy & Eddie Russell at Wild Turkey or stop by and smell the [Four] Roses.

While those might be the two most popular answers. Bourbon history might tell you to head a little further east on I-64 and arrive in Lexington, the home of the Kentucky Wildcats. While it may now be known as a college town, it was once known as the epicenter of bourbon and it is primed to make a comeback.

Setting the Table: Bourbon Lens Takes on Lexington

Scott and I recently made the trip to Lexington in partnership with an absolute legend Tim Knittel. If you do not know Tim, he is the owner of Distilled Living, Adjunct Professor of Tourism & Event Management and Bourbon Studies, and Official Bourbon Ambassador of Churchill Downs. He also is the straw that stirs the proverbial drink in the bourbon and hospitality side of Lexington.

With a busy man like Tim, you can imagine it took us a while to schedule our own “taste of Lexington.” Once we finally nailed down a date, we arrived early on a cold and blustery December day to begin our exploration of Lexington. We arrived at the Distillery District with a jam-packed agenda. Tim had lined up a day full of craft conversations and tours at Barrel House Distillery, James E. Pepper Distillery, Lunch at Goodfellas (had to carb up), Bluegrass Distillers , Fresh Bourbon, and a nightcap at Bourbon On Rye.

Barrel House Distillery

We started our day at the first craft distillery in Lexington, Barrel House Distillery; named for its historical location. It sits where the original barrel house for James Pepper Distillery once stood. It is also home to a great local restaurant named the Elkhorn Tavern.

We were greeted with a cocktail to start the day, while Scott and Tim both enjoyed a Bloody Mary. I couldn’t start off a day of bourbon with a vodka drink. I opted to start with a hot toddy to warm the soul a bit because the morning was cold! Starting with a cocktail was also great as it acted as the conversational lubricant to get the day going.

The First Tour

On our tour, we were joined by their distiller, Andrew, who showed us around their truly craft operation. Walking into the barrel room, we got a taste of the history of the location and where everything from aging to fermentation was taking place. We got a taste of their rye mash that was being laid down in the barrel. We all thought it could be something in a few short years.

What was unique about the operation is that you were able to see how creative and nimble craft distillers must be. You aren’t just responsible for the whiskey, but the entire operation. Their small operation was manned by just two people! A few interesting notes on Barrel House Distillery: they use an open flame to heat their still and they truck in special water loaded up every few weeks to make the best whiskey they know how.

Of course, no bourbon tour would be complete without a tasting. For each of our stops on this tour of Lexington, we will share which product you should seek out when you make the trip. If you are looking to grab a bottle after your tour at Barrel House Distillery, I would recommend the Rockcastle Bourbon. This was a very tasty, full body pour!

James E. Pepper Distillery

Once we wrapped up at Barrel House, it was a short walk to our next location, James E. Pepper Distillery. The size and scale of this operation was massive compared to what was happening at Barrel House Distillery just next door. The James E. Pepper Distillery reminded me a lot of Rabbit Hole or Angel’s Envy in Downtown Louisville. While in a smaller space, Pepper Distillery shared great architecture and modern practices. While it might be a larger distillery, you do still feel the pluckiness of this resurrected brand.

The History James E Pepper Distillery

Once we arrived, we were met by Jared Bickel, Brand Ambassador and Events Manager. While we got a small history lesson at our first stop, Jared gave us more of the “Level 301” History Course of Bourbon in Lexington with the history of Pepper Distillery. This tour inspired the title of this article Finding Bourbon Country. While the owner of the company, Amir Peay, brought back the James E. Pepper name, this brand was once the backbone of bourbon in the Lexington area. Not only was it the backbone, but it has ties to Colonel E.H. Taylor and the famous Kentucky horse industry.

While revitalizing a historic brand can be tricky, Amir and the team pay homage to the brand while innovating to modern times. After our history lesson, we took a quick walk outside to get a view of the property and then we entered the back of the distillery. There, we got a quick view of bottling, barrels waiting to be filled, fermentation, and,finally, their beautiful still.

picture of building with smoke stack and flag

As we wrapped up our tour, we headed to the tasting bar to try a variety of whiskies, but there was one that stood out. So which would garner our favor? Would it be their bourbon or rye? Unexpectedly, their American Single Malt was killer and highlighted the brand’s history and the modern American Whiskey landscape.

Time To Eat

After two distillery stops, you know we had to eat! We continued our tour of the Lexington Distillery District at Goodfellas Pizzeria. The whiskey selection was an impressive surprise, especially the number of private, single barrel picks for sale. While enjoying their famously large slice of pizza and breadsticks, Scott and I each enjoyed one of their barrel picks and it didn’t disappoint.

With full stomachs, we finally headed out of the Distillery District and towards downtown Lexington for our next distillery stop.

Bluegrass Distillers

We arrived at our next location after a 10-minute drive from the Lexington Distillery District; a humble warehouse for whiskey-making at Bluegrass Distillers. Walking into this distillery, I immediately realized how small this distillery operation was and how they were making the most out of every square foot of their distillery. We were with our tour guide, Steve Morgan, who took us through a brief history of the distillery and then we headed right back to where the magic happens. The best thing about this space was you could literally see everything happening all at once.

We witnessed senior distiller, Kee Pyles, starting a new batch of whiskey while we came through on our tour. In true craft distiller fashion, he was nice enough to share a bit of his time with us. He shared the unique science they are working on such as increasing the speed and flavor created during fermentation. After diving into the nerdy pieces of whiskey making, we had the opportunity to try Bluegrass Distillers’ infamous PickleBack Bourbon Whiskey. It may have been the most interesting pour the Bourbon Lens crew has ever tasted. From there, we finished with a tasting flight of whiskey from Bluegrass Distillers and Midway Distilling Company.

Bluegrass Distillers Thoughts

While this may have been a simple tour and tasting, the experience was well worth the time because of the one-on-one discussions with the team creating the whiskies. If you are going to pick up a bottle of whiskey from Bluegrass Distillers, our vote goes to the Blue Corn Bottled-In-Bond Bourbon.

We left Bluegrass Distillers to head to a project which is near and dear to Tim’s heart: Fresh Bourbon.

Fresh Bourbon

In the heart of Downtown, just a few minutes walk from the city center, Fresh Bourbon is crafting cocktails and boasts an elevated tasting experience. This tasting is only rivaled by Michter’s sensory experience at its Fort Nelson Distillery in Louisville. The Fresh Bourbon tasting experience, led by Nate Taylor, truly lived up to its name; Fresh.

The experience included a tasting with a unique blend of bourbon crafted by the team at Fresh Bourbon and concluded with crafting a cocktail using some of the finest ingredients. The time spent with Nate Taylor was truly elevated and properly conveyed the vision of the founders, Tia and Shawn. It just goes to show you don’t have to revive a brand from yesteryear to be relevant. Fresh Bourbon is forging their own path ahead. To truly enjoy this whiskey experience, book your tasting today.

As the sun faded and the streets lit, our night took an unexpected turn. We had an evening dinner reservation at Carson’s, a local favorite. But, as you know, Bourbon People always want more bourbon, so we ventured down to another local watering hole, Bourbon on Rye.

The Nightcap: Bourbon on Rye

Tim showing us around Lexington allowed for the night to take an excellent turn. Next, we huddled up at the bar with Bourbon on Rye General Manager, Chris Evans, to try some great whiskey. We shared stories around the bar, sampled whiskey in the back, and finished the night with an excellent pub burger.

Coming to Lexington to explore Bourbon Country was a great way to experience new parts of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

So glad the Bourbon Lens team made the time for an all-day trip to check out the Bourbon experiences in Lexington! Central KY might not have the biggest names in Bourbon, but we absolutely have the honest history and excellent experiences that I believe make it a very worthwhile destination for whiskey enthusiast travelers. Hope to get you guys back soon!
Tim Knittle

When thinking about your next bourbon adventure, don’t hesitate to look further east of Louisville and land a few tours in Lexington. After all it is home to the Kentucky Wildcat. You never know who you might bump into while enjoying a pour out or dinner in the city!

Cheers!

Special thanks to Tim Knittel with Distilled Living for showing us around Lexington. Hopefully you’ve found the spicy pickles from Bluegrass Distillers which I accidentally left in your car.

Is Bourbon Country Found In Central Kentucky?

How do you find Bourbon Country in Kentucky?