Second time at the Kentucky Cooperage for a tour and it was as good as the first. The tour first starts at their welcome center. Make sure to take pics of everything there because photos are not allowed on the tours. After a short video, you climb into a bus and are shuttled over to the plant, where the tour officially begins. You first walk into the barrel raising room where the smell of fresh milled wood hits you. It's easy to see from the start that spirits get a ton of flavor from the barrels when you walk in and catch a whiff. After a short demonstration of raising, they walk you to what I consider the highlight of the tour, the char station. 6 barrels are loaded at a time, gas burners are inserted inside the barrel and for an undisclosed number of seconds, fire is applied to the inside. They are still on fire as they move to the next station where they are doused and put out. It's a spectacle I wish could be videoed because it's amazing. From there, a short demonstration on the art of cooperage and then outside for a photo stop. Overall a great tour with tons of knowledge about bourbon and spirits. If you are looking for something outside of distilleries, make a stop here. You won't be disappointed. read more

Kentucky Cooperage - Tours Near Me - Lebanon, Kentucky

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Loved the tour. The guide was outstanding. Learned so much about how the bourbon barrels are made.

Cool tour! The history and in general one of the most important aspect of making great bourbon, wine, whiskey and tequila so why not learn how they are made. These guys work so hard making or rebuilding them. And now you get a better picture of how much good bourbon costs. Anyway a good tour with knowledgeable guide read more

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Out of all of the things we did in Kentucky, whiskey related or not, this was the best and tied with Maker's Mark in terms of impressiveness, value and learning. Our host was very knowledgeable and you could sense the pride they took in showing everyone around. Unfortunately you cannot take photos (it's completely understandable why not) so we had no idea what to expect. I only heard about this through Reddit and it sounded like something different than the same distillery tour so we figured why not. Wow were we pleasantly surprised. If you consume maple syrup, tobacco, grains, condiments, spirits (obviously) and so much more, you have barrels to thank. This tour really gives you an appreciation for whiskey in a way you might not have considered. Even more impressive is what they do with used barrels. Prepare all five of your senses, this is a must. Arrive early and tip your tour guide, they can make or break the experience. We were grateful to have Kate showing us around. It was like being present for the filming of a documentary. Aside from chopping down the tree in a forest (that part was in the introductory video), we really did see the life of a barrel from start to finish. I would do this again and recommend to anyone whether they appreciate spirits or not. My hat is off to the hard workers that turn craft into art. I will never look at a barrel the same way again, and will remember this wonderful experience each time I pour a dram. read more

Fantastic tour. You can take as many pictures as you like inside the visitor center however, no pictures are allowed inside the factory itself. This was an up close and personal tour. You could touch the barrels when they were first being raised. We got to see them being charred, which was pretty amazing. Then we got to see a Cooper disassemble and repair barrel.you take a small bus from the visitor center to the factory itself. Not a lot of walking. Most of it is indoors. Ample free parking at the visitor center. Small gift shop at the visitor center as well where they sell, trinkets, barrel, staves, T-shirts. Our guide was fantastic. Reserve your tour online. They have three tours daily. Tours take about an hour. read more

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A great tour. Before or after you visit a distillery, you should learn about the barrels. The tour is is very interesting and fun. You can watch the cooperage process from beginning to end. The barrel charring process is particularly interesting. No photographs are allowed on the tour. read more

Kentucky Cooperage - Tours Near Me - Lebanon, Kentucky

A must see tour for any whiskey tour enthusiast. you actually get to see the process of creating and making barrels . one of the highlights is actually going into the manufacturing plant where you get to see them char the barrels and you learn about the process of how barrels are created and how they are repaired. Allison and pat were so friendly. some of the best tour guides I've ever been on . a must see . very reasonable in price as well!! read more

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If you have the opportunity, this is absolutely a must-do tour for bourbon fans. The International Stave Company will allow you to see how barrels are made, from assembly to char to cooperage of defects. Some things to know: * When it's open, there are only 3 tours a day. * Tours take limited numbers because you're actually walking onto the factory floor. From our eyeball of seats/standing area available, we'd guess they can handle 20 people at a time. * All tour times are EST. You're close to the timeline, so it's easy to get messed up with what time it is where you are located at any given time. * If you KNOW you'll be in the area, buy your tickets online to guarantee a place. If not, limited tickets are sold on site but there's no guarantee they'll have space for you when you show up. We really enjoyed the tour. It was amazing to see how much hand labor goes into building barrels and how fast the work is done. Barrels are made for more than bourbon, though the bourbon industry is driving the rapid production demands. What is simply amazing to me is the process of barrel-making is virtually unchanged since the 1700s, with the exception of machinery for certain aspects (wood cutting, steaming and charring). Again, this is absolutely in our minds a must-do stop if you're able. read more

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When you have completed the Kentucky bourbon tours and think that you have seen as there is to see, then think again. Great fun and well presented this tour gets you up close in the process. From the charring process to seeing a cooper repair a barrel it clearly demonstrates the skills needed in this old business. Well worth the money, lasts for a little over an hour. Pick a cool or wet day to visit. Standing next to burning barrels would not be as much fun in the summer. read more

A friend who has visited the area many times recommended this tour. I am so glad we did. It set the stage for visiting the distilleries. You get a great tour that takes you through all the steps of the process. You also learn about the part barrel making has in the production of bourbon. Great tour! read more

Kentucky Cooperage provided us with a great tour. Not only did we get to see the barrel making process up close, but we also learned a lot about the process from start to finish (selecting trees to used barrel purposes). Our tour guide, Pat answered all questions, provided detailed information and humor. read more

Today I took my parents to the 1pm tour at the Kentucky Cooperage. Yesterday I noted that there were tickets available but was unable to secure them online this morning. I called the phone number listed on the tour website & placed us on the 1pm tour. On our arrival we were warmly greeted by our tour guide, Ann. The tour is $10 per person & can be paid by cash or card on your arrival. Ann gave us a quick bit of information & we had a seat inside a room. Promptly at 1pm Ann joined us in the room & started the video. We watched a short video about the history of Kentucky Cooperage. Ann wore a microphone & we were given headsets to listen to her during the tour. The headsets were great to have inside the noisy Cooperage. Ann did inform us that the 1pm tour is the hottest inside & it was! My favorite part is watching the barrels roll out on fire after they are charred. So neat to be able to see the barrels being made from start to the final product. While inside there are two step designated risers to stand on in each area. No photography is allowed while on this tour. There is an area towards the end with barrels where Ann happily took our photo. Today was my second time touring the Kentucky Cooperage. I always recommend this tour to others & plan to return with out of town guests in the future. Thank you to Ann & the employees that demonstrated their skills to us while on the tour today! read more

Kentucky Cooperage - Tour information posted outside - Tours Near Me - Lebanon, Kentucky

This is the place to visit if you want to enhance your knowledge about how Bourbon is made and what importance the barrel has on the quality. The tours they conduct of the Cooperage are only given Mon. to Fri. There are two tours a day at 9:30am and 1:00pm and each lasts about 30 to 40 mins. Make sure you wear closed toe shoes as they will not let you go on the tour unless you are wearing them. Also, you can not take pictures so leave your camera in the car. They start out with a short talk and video. Then you go out and see how the barrels are actually constructed, then go through the charring process and finished. There was even a demonstration on how they repair a barrel and replace a stave if it is leaking. The staff is very friendly and will answer most reasonable questions. It's amazing how the charr of the inside of the barrel is a key to the whole aging process of bourbon. It is very educational and it's free. read more

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Such a cool experience. I came with my company because we distribute a bunch of brands that the cooperage makes barrels for. They show you every process of the barrel making, but the coolest pet is watching the charring and see flaming barrels roll down the line. If you are a whiskey/bourbon fan, you'll like this place. read more

If you are doing the bourbon trail thing, you have to take the tour of this place! I took it when we moved to town, and have sent dozens of touristy people there through the years. Without a doubt, one of the moat engaging tours you will ever take! FIVE STARS!! read more

Very informative and fun tour. The actual hands on demonstrations tie it all together.