We were nearby for the Kentucky Derby and had time to visit one distillery on our way through. Buffalo Trace was our first choice, but was all booked for 2 weeks. I put our name on the waitlist for the 'standard' Trace Tour, not expecting much, and booked a spot at Jim Beam that has a 24 hour cancellation policy ... just in case. Two days of being on the wait list and I received an email that we were being taken off the waitlist. A few tips:
- Even if it looks filled up, it's a good idea to put your name on the waitlist. If I was taken off the list the day after the Kentucky Derby, it's a good chance that happens often!
- Buffalo Trace is one of the only large distilleries that doesn't charge for tours. Jim Beam, for example, charges $30 per person for a tour. I have to give Buffalo Trace props for not charging. (Trust me though ... you WILL spend a lot in the gift shop!)
- Each day, Buffalo Trace offers a bottle for sale. Which one changes each week. On the day of our tour, it was Colonel EH Taylor Small Batch. The bottle was $49.95, which is amazing because it is impossible to find in the wild and the secondary pricing on this bottle is $100 - $120. You are allowed to buy 1 bottle every 90 days. Some of the other bottles they offer, each on different days, would be ... Blanton's, Weller Special Reserve and Buffalo Trace. It is the luck of the draw ... however, if you google, "Which bottles will be available at Buffalo Trace Distillery?" there are some sites which predict which bottles will be available on each day. They were accurate in telling me that EH Taylor would be available on our day. If planning your trip, you may want to consult these sites on the day Blanton's is predicted. There are NO antique collection bottles available for purchase, or in the tasting.
- It is advised to book an early tour, so you have a shot at buying the best bottle. Note that you HAVE TO CHECK IN AT THE GIFT SHOP IN ORDER TO BUY A BOTTLE. The line will be long ... so plan to arrive an hour before your tour. Our tour was at 12:45 p.m. and it ended around 2:00 p.m. and there were still plenty of bottles available when we ended but the gentleman in the store said they do tend to sell out in the afternoon. You CAN shop in the store once you have your wristband for the tour.
- The Trace Tour is their most popular tour and although it's not anything particularly groundbreaking or scenic ... you get a good idea of the operation. You see the exterior of Warehouse C, the Blanton's bottling room, an Eagle Rare storage cellar/warehouse and the filling room. It's all very basic ... but the tour guides are humorous and chipper. We wanted to do the Col. EH Taylor tour, which includes a stop inside Warehouse C, but only one tour is offered each day vs. several Trace Tours. They have 2 other tours, which also seem more specific than The Trace Tour. Please note that on the weekends, there is not much activity going on ... during the week, you actually get to see the production. (filling, labeling, moving of the barrels.)
- The entire campus is very well kept and immaculate. It is so green and there are plenty of flowers and plants around. The buildings are very historic and look like they could be transported from the English Countryside. We were able to walk all around the distillery and look into buildings. While everything isn't marked amazingly well, it's fun to wander. Plan on 1.5 hours for the tour/tasting (you get to taste EH Taylor, Weller Special Reserve, Buffalo Trace, Bourbon Cream, Wheatley Vodka and Root Beer.) ... then 45 minutes for gift shop. (the line alone is around 10 - 20 minutes) and 1 hour to wander the surroundings.
- As for the location ... it's about 55 miles north of Louisville. Pretty far compared to Jim Beam and some of the other distilleries ... but it's a fairly direct drive and easy to find. It's in a small-ish town and they have a very small BBQ shack-type restaurant on site. We opted to eat in town at a little southern restaurant.
We are very glad to have had the chance to see Buffalo Trace. Undoubtedly, it is one of the most awarded and most historic distilleries. One could argue that Jim Beam might be more historic ... but we read that tour was a bit more 'corporate' feeling. The only thing that was a bummer is that there is no bar on site where you could order a glass of bourbon and chill out for a bit. Don't miss this tour when you are on The Bourbon Trail. Save room in your luggage for all the cool stuff you'll purchase in the gift shop (Pappy, Blanton's, Weller clothing, etc. ... they even have a Humidor with Cohiba Weller cigars, Pappy Van Winkle cigars and Buffalo Trace cigars.) read more