We had a fantastic time at Dueling Grounds with Steve, the Master Distiller. Learning about their…read moredistilling process and equipment was truly interesting, and the tasting experience felt personal and a lot of fun. The bourbon itself was excellent--smooth, flavorful, and well worth the visit. When you go, be sure to try the pizza and desserts; they're outstanding too.

We went on the barrel tasting and bottling tour. It is so well done. We had fun and laughter and we…read morelearned a great deal. The price was exceedingly fair for all that we got to do and the bottle we got to keep. Afterwards we ate pizza there. It was good. They make a very good old fashioned, and bee's knees. Highly highly recommend if you're in that part of Kentucky. We drove 2 hours to get there. Well worth the 2-hour drive there.

The Domes & Dripstones Tour at Mammoth Cave National Park was easily one of the highlights of our…read moretrip to Kentucky. If you're looking for a cave tour that combines incredible scenery, fascinating geology, and a bit of a workout, this is the one to book. The ranger-guided tour is well organized and packed with interesting information about the cave's history, formations, and the natural processes that shaped this underground world over millions of years. The descent into the cave through the natural sinkhole entrance is an adventure in itself, and while the 638-640 stairs sound intimidating, they're absolutely worth it. The highlight for us was Frozen Niagara. The stunning collection of stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, and delicate cave curtains is unlike anything we've ever seen. It's amazing to think these formations were created one drop of water at a time over thousands of years. Throughout the tour, the massive domes and enormous passageways constantly reminded us why Mammoth Cave is the world's longest known cave system. The guides were knowledgeable, friendly, and happy to answer questions, making the experience both educational and enjoyable. The cave's constant 54-degree temperature also makes it a comfortable activity no matter the season. Be prepared for plenty of stairs and wear comfortable shoes, but don't let that discourage you. The tour is paced well, with opportunities to stop and admire the scenery along the way. If you're visiting Mammoth Cave National Park, the Domes & Dripstones Tour is an unforgettable experience and one we would enthusiastically recommend to anyone looking for a memorable underground adventure. Five stars! Check out our video on our socials @reessroots

I wish I just day tripped it and did not spend money to stay the night. I was travelling solo and…read morethis was my last stop before heading back to Maryland. I was arriving from St. Louis. I booked one of the historic cottages to stay the night and planned on hanging out in the bar on site. When I first arrived my cottage wasn't ready to check in yet and I still had a couple hours until my tour. I went to the restaurant and sat at the bar. I was informed that they did not have a bartender but the servers were rotating serving the guests at the bar. I was promptly greeted by the waitress but ultimately moved to a table because the chairs are not tall enough for the height of the bar. It would have been extremely awkward and uncomfortable to eat up there. I had a salad and sweet potato fries and two IPA beers. Everything was delicious and the service was great. I went on the Historic Cave tour which was great. I wish I remembered the rangers name who gave the tour because he was amazing and hilarious! After the tour we (another solo traveler and I) planned to go to the bar and grab a drink before she hit the road for her next stop. Upon arrival to the restaurant, the bar was open but the host (who admitted he was new and did not know what he was doing) refused to let us sit there. He said there was no bartender. I told him earlier they allowed people to sit there and the servers helped. He said they only had 3 servers so he handed us a buzzer to wait for a table. The restaurant had half of its tables open. She decided she didn't want to wait so she left. I was then frustrated because I did not want to sit at a table alone again so I ordered food to go and ate in my cabin. There is no service in the cabins because you are in the middle of nowhere. As a solo female traveler I rely on meeting people at restaurants by sitting at the bar. This on site restaurant clearly was not staffed well enough to accommodate their guests in the middle of the summer when everyone is travelling. The other stores that served coffee and ice cream were closed by the time I finished my 3:30 tour. The prices in the gift shop were extremely high and I refused to pay for a magnet that was $12.00. I ended up going to bed super early and hit the road at 3 am because there was nothing else to do. For these reasons and more, I would have preferred to come for my tour and left to stay somewhere else.

Tour guide Laura is the absolute best and made my ambassador experience top tier. Her positive…read moreenergy and knowledge is unmatched. The distillery grounds are well manicured and all of the staff is personable. This was my second visit after 3 years in 2023 and the progress on the grounds is beautiful. Early morning tours are a must so you can take in everything before the crowds come.

The Maker's Mark tour is the gold standard of distillery tours! From the moment you drive on to…read morethe property, you can tell this is going to be. Special kind of day! The grounds are amazing, the restaurant is amazing, and the tour is over the top amazing. The only thing that tops the grounds and tour information is the team of employees that make your experience so enjoyable! Can't wait to come back again and again!

Friendly tour guide, great location, and amazing drinks! If you are on the bourbon trail, you have…read moreGOT to see Log Still!

This may be one of my new favorite destinations on the Bourbon Trail. I've seen their bourbon and…read moredowntown tasting room For Monk's Road. That bourbon comes from this distillery. Their space is amazing and why you should really check them out. They have an outdoor amphitheater featuring a different act on a weekly basis. The space is lush, green and an incredible space to hear music. They even have a location for events including weddings. The staff is lovely and has a great understanding of the offerings and history of the bourbon itself. So check out the space and then drive by the monastery too where they get the name for their bourbon "Monk's Road."

This is a small operation, situated well off the main roads in farm country. As I reached the…read morebuilding surrounded by beautiful pastures filled with horses and cows I found that I was the only visitor at the time. The man inside, the head of this tiny family-run operation, seemed delighted to have a visitor. I tried 6 micro-pours, served in tiny plastic disposable communion cups. And, very unusually these days, there was no charge for this! They make several products here, two bourbons, a rum, gin, and three flavored moonshines (caramel, hot pepper, and blackberry). I tried all except the rum which sadly they were out of. Moonshine is silly but these flavored ones were interesting, although too low in alcohol at 60 proof. The bourbons were good but didn't wow me. The gin was really good and different, very citrusy and with low but detectable juniper. I learned the gin was very small batch: distilled in 4 gallon quantities! I complimented him on it and wanted to buy a bottle but the rest of the current batch was already sold out. His wife also stopped in to talk while I was there. I learned more about the farm where they primarily keep and breed horses, and keep a few cows as well. The horses are of the ordinary recreational type, not for thoroughbred racing like some other farms in the area. And I was also able meet their pet duck "Sweetie" who had free reign to the yard and wandered in looking for attention or a handout.

Fantastic stop for tasting. People were inviting, friendly and very knowledgeable. The distillery…read morewas amazing, bright and beautiful. The alcohol tastings were all delicious. The history charming and very informative. We definitely recommend this distillery to everyone!

This is one of the best kept secrets in KY! Peaceful setting, outstanding hosts that go above and…read morebeyond in all aspects! You are within an hours drive of 12 of the best Bourbon Distilleries out there, and there is a Trappist Monk Abbey just up the road I highly recommend in checking out just for the peace of mind. Lauren and Bill are the best hosts on the planet hands down, no questions asked. Check them out. You will not regret it.

From the owner: People choose The Barrel House Bed & Breakfast because of the area that we are located in. There…read moreare lots of things to do and see including distilleries, wineries, historical interests and parks. Now more than ever, though, people are choosing to stay here because they have 16 acres complete with hiking, swimming and fishing all to themselves! These reasons, and the fact that I like to spoil our guests make it the place to visit.

Great property with parking literally outside the front entrance. Limestone's proximity to…read moreBardstown is what attracted me to this distillery and I was not disappointed. Beautifully appointed outdoor space, indoor tasting and store space. The tour is well crafted, from the great historical lineage that led to its creation and the quick yet well curated behind the scenes tour to the lovely tasting room all worth a visit. Great product and property and staff. Highly recommend.

We stopped at Limestone today because we heard great things about the distillery and the tours…read more We loved the bar and the build your own old fashioned options. We opted for the black walnut and orange bitters, which was an excellent pairing. Even better, we were able to take our cocktails on the tour with us. I wasn't as impressed with the tour as others were. The operation is extremely small. From the raised platform above the fermentation tanks, you can see everything. It was a high level walk thru. The tasting was intimate. Our host Kim did a great job walking us through the tasting experience. My favorite was the Minor Case Rye paired with the orange truffle. The other bourbons weren't in my flavor profile, so this is probably my only time coming here.

There are very few distilleries in this area of Kentucky - this may be the only one. So it might be…read moreworth a stop. Parking lot was deserted when I arrived and I had the undivided attention of the bartender who gave me a lot of info about the place. It's a relatively new distillery. It has to be because this backward county didn't legalize alcohol sale and manufacture until 2016! Believe it or not. And it's a fairly large scale operation judging by the size of the tanks. I tried a flight of 4 or 5 whiskies, bourbons, and a moonshine. The pours were adequate, neither too small nor too big. Honestly, none of them were great but they were all acceptable except the moonshine. Moonshine in my opinion is just unfinished whiskey, suitable only as a gift to bring home to Northerners for their amusement. And ridiculous concoctions like peanut butter whisky - artificially flavored. It tastes as weird as it sounds - avoid! My rating is based more on the overall experience than the actual whiskies. I enjoyed talking with the bartender, then taking my flight off to a table and relaxing for a while in the quiet and out of the heat. I bought a couple of airplane-size bottles and a cool tee shirt. And there was a cat.

OUTSTANDING!!!!!…read more Let's just start right there. We are visiting from Virginia, a friend who recently moved to the area. They had heard good things about SKD but hadn't visited or sampled their products. But today was the day. Let me touch on the tour - wow. The tour was expected to be about an hour but we stayed at least two, maybe a bit more. Our guide - Luther, is a hell of a nice fella. Taught us a lot. He told us how he's been friends with several of the other since school days and you can tell he really loves this place. This post would be too long to go over every great thing about the tour and sampling - so go and see for yourself. The products: Folks I'm not a big drinker. But I will say this. I came out buying, a bottle of their Vodka, two bottles of bourbon, and two bottles of flavored shine. I will also say I love each and every shine flavor and it was hard to choose just two. The location: new, very clean, and great looking. Inside and out. Lastly the staff: Again Luther was a great fella. The counter girls were crazy friendly and nice and then the owner Junior was just so nice and personable. Folks come here, bring your friends, and have a great time. We absolutely will be back when we return to the area. Hoping to catch a night when they have something going on like music outside.

Second time at the Kentucky Cooperage for a tour and it was as good as the first…read more 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.

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

It was a decent place. Decent service. Decent options. Just decent. Done well but not exceeding…read moreexpectations.

Great place. Good priced cold beer. Good looking waitresses with personality. Cool atmosphere…read more Can't beat The Dive!!