Tastings and tours are free! We appreciated that we could do a tasting only and that it was a nice representation of their product. We tried the 1792, Very Old Barton, the eggnog and the Chocolate Bourbon Ball cream liqueur. This is a great way to sell those last two products since they are only available on site and are at a good price point. The staff was friendly and pleasant to talk to. We are glad we stopped by. read more

The Barton 1792 Distillery is an operating factory plant owned by the Sazerac Company who also owns Buffalo Trace who makes Pappy Van Winkle, Weller and Stagg but did you know this company also makes Fireball? The tour includes tastings of their 1792 small batch and 100 proof Very Old Barton Bourbon. It's not a showpiece set up to wow visitors more a real deal production plant. While in Bardstown a fun stop for Bourbon fans. We enjoyed their 1792 Single Barrel enough to feature 1792 on You Tubes Kentucky Bourbon Traveler. https://youtu.be/JnMH3gXxh0g read more

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Up and running but making it Safe! Temperature checks at the door, masks, glass shields. One of the few places doing free tasting, as it should be, and paired with chocolate. Sad the tour was booked but still a good time. The free tasting with the "how to drink bourbon" experience and a little bit of history sold me. I bought chocolates and more bourbon at 1792 than any other distillery. A little hospitality goes a long way! read more

Sad to see the place this way after we've visited for years. While the rest of Kentucky is back to normal this was the only distillery we visited with masks and temperature checks just to get into the gift shop. I mean the CDC doesn't even push temp checks anymore. Nothing in the gift shop to buy once you get to that point. Apparently they can only sell so many bottles of things a day so they seem to be trying to create artificial scarcity. Many people left as quickly as they came. read more

We traveled to Kentucky to visit the Bourbon Trail in September, unfortunately, unaware of all the Covid restrictions still in place. After visiting a half dozen distilleries and not being able to get a tasting due to not having reservations, we came upon the Barton Distillery. Don't get me wrong, we tasted some bourbons, but when only the gift shop is open and then they want $17. for a single 1 oz taste, not a fun time. But I digress. When we entered the Barton tasting room and got the same reply about not having reservations and no tastings available, I jokingly stated that we had traveled over 1500 miles to this state and could not get any bourbon. At that time, a lovely young lady by the name of Julia came up to us and said she would give us a tasting. The cashier told Julia that she was done for the day. She said that it was ok and she would do it on her own time. She made up two trays with the samples and a bourbon barrel. We went out onto to the deck and sat at an umbrella table. We were with her for almost an hour telling our story and learning hers, and tasting some amazing bourbons. Thank you Barton's for employing some terrific people. And thank you, Julia for the wonderful experience of getting to know you. We will be back! read more

If you are heading to Bardstown for a visit and you can spare a couple hours, i highly recommend the 1792 Estate tour of the Barton 1792 Distillery. I give this tour nothing but praises. If you do this tour, you don't need to take another bourbon distillery tour in Kentucky. You will see every single facet of the bourbon making process. From dumping of grain (see saw a truck dumping corn) to the dumping of barrels of bourbon. You'll visit the mash bins, taste "white dog" (pure distilled alcohol), visit a rickhouse, you may get a chance "hammer the bung into a barrel, watch the loading and unloading of a rick house, and then the to top if off visit the dump house. You top if off with a tasting of Very Old Barton, 1792 Small Batch and Chocolate Bourbon Liquor. We experience a few little surprises on our tour. First, our tour guide, Jerrica, was outstanding she knew her stuff and was a lot of fun. We received free water bottles upon arrive to stay cool and later they were filled with bourbon straight from the barrel. These is a free tour and was absolutely amazing. I can also say their gift show is reasonable for both their gifts and their bourbon. 1791 has become my favorite. read more

1792 was the product that took my bourbon virginity, so I was pretty pumped to visit the distillery. Maybe my expectations were too high because I had previously visited other distilleries.... but...... here we go, ya'll. What to expect on this tour: *Peering through windows to see the bourbon making process rather than being right in the action. *Parts of the property have more of a manufacturing feel than a place where time honored craftsmanship takes place. *Very small product variety when compared to other nearby distilleries. *Views of a less than charming property, mostly asphalt and dodging semi-trucks. What I appreciated about Barton before arriving: *Super helpful staff (Terri in particular) that answers phones and coordinates the tour times. *Easy to find location, smack dab in the middle of Bardstown. Really if you are staying anywhere in town you could ride a bike or walk there. read more

Last year, when we came to Bardstown, we ran out of time and skipped over Barton 1792 and drove out to Jim Beam instead. Big mistake! This year, Barton was the first place we stopped, even before our hotel. The tour is free and relatively short, especially compared to other distilleries. However, much of that is due to the fact their fermentation tanks are outside and sealed instead of inside and open like most others. Each distillery does things a bit different and Barton is no exception to this rule. The gift shop is smaller than the big boys, but there are some neat finds inside. Don't pass up a visit to Barton! And, don't forget they are closed on Sundays, so make sure you plan accordingly. read more

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This tour and tasting is free! Very informative and clean. They took every precaution for Covid. They take your temperature as soon as you walk in and you must wear a mask! The groups are limited which makes it nicer! However due to Covid you can't go inside the facility, hence the tour is outdoors. So wear sunblock and take a hat! Also would recommend the presenter to wear a clear face shield as it was difficult to understand him when you spoke! read more

Barton 1792 Distillery - Distilleries Near Me - Bardstown, Kentucky

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This distillery tour has been by far, one of my favorite large, commercial type tours. Our guide, a retired school teacher, was very personable, spoke well and at a level we could all hear, while he told us about the history of the distillery. The tour takes us through the overall process of obtaining and processing various grains, the barrel prep, spirits production, storage and aging. And you end by sampling the spirits and chocolates sold in the store. The extra bonus, there is no charge for the tour or tasting! The grounds are well kept and the visitor center is bright and welcoming with helpful and friendly staff. Best of all, these guys produce a great bourbon! When searching for something a little different along the bourbon trail, check out Barton 1792 Distillery. read more

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Didnt even look walked right in and instantly treated like crap. My family and I were driving by so we thought we would pop in the gift shop to look around, when I was greeted with a "What are you doing here" I was shocked never in my life heard someone greet me like that she then said "Usually people dont just pop in they do tours" so that told me enough and we left. The worst customer service ever, so bad I will not even buy there product anymore. read more

Recently my wife and I were driving back to North Carolina from Wisconsin and decided to stop somewhere along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail to investigate some distilleries. Most of the big name brand distilleries had temporarily shut down their tours and tastings, so we stayed with the smaller ones. We picked two in Bardstown, and Barton 1792 was the winner for us. The staff there was friendly and knowledgeable, and we got a great tour, along with a tasting. Their signature 1792 Small Batch Bourbon is awesome. And amazingly, the whole experience was absolutely free of charge! Although we did end up spending a good bit on some yummy things to take home with us :-) I highly recommend Barton for anyone traveling the Bourbon Trail. They are great people and really know their Bourbon. And make sure you pick up a bottle of their 1792 Chocolate Bourbon Ball Cream Liqueur. You won't find this in your local stores, and it's wonderful. read more

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This tour is the real deal. No whimsical, folksy stories, but facts and process. You will see what is really done, and they are upfront about their operations. A "must see" facility, you get to taste wonderful bourbon, and, it is free! RJT read more

Aggressive old women. Our entire group was cut off by two workers, no more than 5 steps into the "visitors center." We were aggressively blocked and asked what we were doing there. It doesn't feel great being intimidated while trying to stimulate the local economy. We will not return, but their bourbon is pretty solid. read more

5 star tour that was FREE and then a taste testing. I learned so much about my favorite drink... Bourbon. Will bring friends!! This was my husband's second time and it did not fail. read more

Joined my girlfriend and her friends in attending an informative, interesting tour of this distillery. Our guide was very knowledgeable. I highly recommend making the trip and learning about the history of bourbon. read more

Nice informative tour and best of all free. Tours are an hour, small because they are not on the bourbon trail. A lot of similarities to Buffalo Trace, because they are owned by the same company. Must do, includes two tasting portions and a bourbon barrel stop. read more

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Great tasting wonderful experience with Katie nice gift shop. Tried to buy a bourbon barrel limited only four available today a little rough hopefully come back and get one next time. Wonderful tours. Check out nightmare two ladies running register not sure if having a bad day but They were very crabby took away from the experience. Hope your day gets better don't let this deter you from stopping they still take your money. read more

My friends and I had a great trip along the bourbon trail. We caught the last tour and Justin was our guide. He is the 3rd generation in his family to work at the distillery along with his mother who works in the gift shop. He was energetic & full of knowledge. Thank you Justin, Kristin Green read more

Some of the nicest folks we met on our tour around this Bourbon-soaked region of central Kentucky, which is especially handy when showed up about halfway through their first tour of the day and asked nicely if we could just skip all that tour stuff and have a tasting. See, we were used to tastings in wineries, where there's not much in the way of a tour unless you pay for it. In Kentucky, however, pretty much all the tours are free (including this one) and end with a tasting.* However, they didn't have any problem with us having a tasting at 10:30 in the morning, and it's a great thing to be able to drink that early. The grounds are small, as they've just started doing tours here, but the gift shop is nice and has a bunch of 1792-themed merchandise, including some nice highball glasses, one of which we purchased. Even though we didn't take the tour, this seems like a great place to start your tours, because you won't have as many people visiting and you'll be able to get closer to the process and ask more questions. And you can probably talk them into an extra bourbon chocolate ball, and there's nothing wrong with that. * - I assume that's because of some byzantine complication of if they ask you for money for a tasting, then they're a bar and all the rules that come with that. read more

We did 5 distillery tours and this was the best one for me. I loved our tour guide - Katie. She was not talking to us as if she was giving a speech and we were her students. She was so personable, took the time to connect with us and so made it fun. We got to taste the marsh which was something exclusive and did not happen on other tours. Our tour was not rushed and we had enough time to see everything. Among all the bourbons I tasted, Barton was one of the best. The only thing I did not like was when I asked for my Bourbon bottle to be packed so that it is safe in my flight luggage, they just stuffed 3 bubble wrap pieces and handed the bag to me. I think if this is a product that is advertised as Louisville exclusive then they should do a damn good job in making sure that it gets home and take care of packing for me. read more

Fun tasting quick tasting. Staff was super friendly and helpful. Good stuff in the gift store and prices are fair. They don't have many options for bottles of whiskey for sale. read more

We kicked off our tour weekend here and it did not disappoint! Jerika was so informative, entertaining and fun! Thank you!

This was our third and by far best distillery tour. Amanda our tour guide was incredibly knowledgeable and so much fun! This is not a shiny new distillery but had so much character. And all for free! The tasting included their Very Old Barton, award winning 1792 and Chocolate Bourbon Ball Cream Liqueur. ALL so good. We left with 4 bottles! Highly highly recommend. read more

Great tour. A real contrast to some that seem very corporate and sterile. Jerica was our guide and made it great - lots of personality and put up with all our questions and what we like to call "charm". She really made for a great experience. read more

Experienced an extensive tour at Barton, courtesy of our tour guide Jerrica. She walked us through the entire process from the grain delivery, the actual distilling and the aging in the ric house. Then we got to taste in the tasting room. Our favorite was their Chocolate Bourbon Ball Cream Liquor, which sadly was not available for purchase. It's probably best as I could have downed the entire bottle. read more

We started our Bourbon Trail adventures this past weekend. We hit only 3 distilleries but this was one of my favorites! Unfortunately, we got there a little too late to fit in the full distillery tour (which is free, btw) but the ladies working let us do a (free) tasting in the gift shop. I'm definitely not a huge fan of drinking straight bourbon on the reg but their bourbon was not bad. My FAVORITE thing was the Chocolate Bourbon Ball. It's a classic Kentucky candy and it was delicious. After we sampled that, our guide gave us a sample of the Bourbon Ball liqueur! WOW. I was in love. It's better than Baileys/Kahlua, and you can only buy it in their gift shop. I will be back for the full tour (and probably more of that Bourbon Ball, let's be honest) very soon. I highly encourage you to stop here if you're on the Bourbon Trail (not part of the official list) or just passing through. It's worth it! read more

Excellent experience. Didn't have time for a tour but the staff was super friendly and set up a personalized tasting for our group in which we got to taste three offerings that were also available for purchase. read more

Barton 1792 Distillery - Smoke stack - Distilleries Near Me - Bardstown, Kentucky

This was our first tour of a distillery. It was informative but certainly not the best. We are glad we went to two other distilleries. The part that really ruined it for us was the tour guide, Shelia. About 1/2 the wuestions I asked where answered with "I don't know". Very disappointing. You should still do their tour, just hope you get a different guide. read more

The giftshop bourbon tasting happens pretty quickly and they serve delicious chocolates. I recommend relaxing on the sunny patio and soaking-up the delightful distillery aromas. read more

The best stop of our bourbon tour today. Personable, small and attentive. Good tasting bourbon and a delicious - truly delicious - desert drink: Bourbon Ball. Come here. Free tasting and nice people. read more

Great tour guide, Jessica. She was I and answered questions with a lot of knowledge. The tour is mostly outside so keep that in mind as you dress. It was chilly this morning and I could have dressed warmer. The distillery is full of history and it was great to go inside the wharehouse. The bourbon and bourbon ball cream were very tasty. read more

This facility is home to a substantial bottling operation, where they churn out cases of vodka and margarita mix for their parent company, Sazerac. This gives the tour a fast-moving, industrial component that is very cool to see in action. The bottling area is shiny, new, and modern, contrasting sharply with the buildings and machinery on the distillery side of the tour. Each of the aged, but well-restored distillery buildings contains equipment that was state of the art in the first half of the twentieth century. It was impressive to see their operational and old-fashioned pot still, hammer mill, and processing machinery. The tour here is informative and interesting, but is contained within a small area and doesn't feature much in the way of scenic grounds. That said, a few of these tours involve a good amount of walking, so the limited area might be a perk for some visitors. The bourbons here were all pretty good, but somewhat boring. This might have been a better first stop of the day on a Bourbon Trail trip, before we'd gotten spoiled by some of the other more interesting bourbons. read more

These guys wowed and impressed me. Best bourbon balls on the trail? Delicious chocolatey version of baileys which was the best drink for non-whiskey people on the whole bourbon trail too. I however enjoy my whiskey and liked Barton's 1792 Ridgemont. Spicy and just about the price I was expecting. All the bottles you buy here come signed by the master distiller? What wowed me even more was the very old barton sold 80-100 proof. The tour let us try 86 and it had a very powerful kick and a pretty good flavor. It isn't exactly sipping whiskey, but it knocks the socks off anything bottom shelf besides buffalo trace's weller. Supposedly its an old recipe from when all bourbon's were more or less the same and tasted like that. Don't get me wrong, I don't buy much cheap bourbon. Jim beam, evan williams, and many low end products taste horrible to me. You have to hide some of them in coke and still can't drink them. Its just good to have strong flavors like a rye when mixing. Unless you want to go smooth and higher end like four roses or makers mark. Anyway, very impressed with their operation. Definitely helped sell me on their product. read more

This was my first visit to a distillery. The staff were so accommodating and the knowledge of our tour guide was full of details, methods, history and stories of Kentucky bourbon. This is a must visit in your bourbon trail. read more

I went with a group for the bourbon tasting tour. Always ask for the group with Erin as your guide. She was not only knowledgeable about the product, but she connected with everyone in our group on a humorous level. We went to several tours over the past week in Kentucky, and Erin was by far the most personable. I ended up buying their bourbon for mixed drinks and their version of Baileys that you can't get anywhere but there. Only one creme liquor to a customer. It was a free tour and tasting. Unlike the other tour guides on our other tours, Erin seemed to have a genuine love for the bourbon, and her approach to the tour didn't seem memorized or read from cue cards. It wasn't a long tour, but it was fun, from the super friendly security guard to the gift shop at the end. I am now a fan of Barton bourbons and creme liquor. read more

Barton 1792 Distillery - Product display. Bourbon creme very good! Can only get it here. - Distilleries Near Me - Bardstown, Kentucky

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Tour and tasting is free! 1792 full proof is readily available at the gift store! They did measure temperature due to Covid-19. Highly recommend getting a reservation! read more

Good place to visit, too bad I was working. Very nice people, I am sure the tours are good read more

One of the most informative tours you will ever get. started the grain dump through tasting. Not the typical tourist trap, gate keeper greets you at the entrance, very friendly folks in the shop. Tour and samples (and chocolate) is complimentary! Don't miss this one. read more

Barton 1792 Distillery - Distilleries Near Me - Bardstown, Kentucky

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We visited the Barton Distillery during the Light Up Bardstown celebration and took the lantern tour. It was a fun tour and very kid friendly. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and spoke loudly enough that the large group could hear. read more