Kentucky Distilleries: Stories in Every Barrel

Stephanie Manning, K&L Spirits Expert

Kentucky’s state motto, “Unbridled Spirit,” is striking in its accuracy. It captures both the personality of its people and the amber liquid that puts the state on the map: bourbon whiskey.

I moved to Louisville over 12 years ago. My first job was at a downtown whiskey bar where every shift felt like a crash course in America’s native spirit. The more I learned—about the family dynasties, the folklore, the oddities of maturation—the more I wanted to know. Inevitably, my thirst (literal and figurative) for bourbon spilled over into the world of distillery tours.

Some folks tell you, “If you’ve seen one distillery, you’ve seen them all.” I, for one, couldn’t disagree more. The equipment may look similar, but each place has its own heartbeat. The first time I drove to Four Roses, the sunny, Spanish mission-style buildings made me think I’d taken a wrong turn into California.

At Heaven Hill in Bardstown, you might spot company president Max Shapira quietly eating lunch in the employee cafeteria, an unexpected reminder that it’s still a family business. At Wild Turkey, after strolling across the long railroad bridge that spans the river in Lawrenceburg, you might meet Jimmy Russell—over sixty years on the job and still grinning—giving you a brief encounter with bourbon royalty. Keep reading here.

Bluegrass Distillers’ Elkwood Reserve 18 Year Old Single Barrel Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) $419.99 View

Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) $22.99 View

Knob Creek 9 Year Old “Cask Strength Single Barrel Select – K&L’S 5TH FLOOR X MAGIC A” 127.2 Proof K&L Exclusive Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) $64.99 View

Knob Creek 9 Year Old “Cask Strength Single Barrel Select – K&L’S 5TH FLOOR X MAGIC C” 128 Proof K&L Exclusive Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) $64.99 View

Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select “The Versailles Barrels” K&L Exclusive Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (1L) $47.99 View

Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select “The Louisville Barrels” K&L Exclusive Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (1L) $47.99 View

Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection “Double Double Oak” Heavy Charred Oak Finished Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (700ml) $199.99 View

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