The Angel's Envy distillery is pretty much the #1 reason that my top-tier chum who literally went…read moreto the school of hospitality and I decided to go on a trip to Kentucky, and after actually visiting, justified it as well. During an early 2025 trip to Washington, D.C., we went to multiple establishments and, coincidentally or not, encountered this specific bourbon and just loved it. The most notable occurrence was at Jack Rose Dining Saloon, where I had literally the best Old-Fashioned I've ever had, using a special Angel's Envy that hung out in some sherry barrels for a while. Since then, we've both regularly ordered it when given the opportunity, and ultimately decided that the best way to appreciate this fine spirit was to go right to the source. So to the mothership we went. My chum did most of the heavy lifting here and scheduled a bourbon tour with Louisville Food Tours (very strong recommend) that featured Angel's Envy at the first stop. It's hard to really put into words what this building looks like as you walk in and explore, but it's just so...nice. It's classy without being inaccessible, and it just felt like a true cathedral of bourbon. As tasteful as the bourbon it makes. During our initial tour, we were probably in the distillery for a solid half hour plus, getting a quick tour of the still and fermenters before being led into a side room on the second floor to formally taste some bourbon. Paula was our guide, both during this tour and later on, and was just enormously impressive, which I touched upon in my review of the official tour as well. She's no-nonsense and loves her bourbon - who can't relate? We learned how to inspect the bourbon in the glass, to take a test sip to numb the pain receptors and to truly appreciate the subtle notes in the bourbon with the second sip. It was legitimately helpful, useful information that we're both going to utilize going forward. After our three-hour tour ended (go hard or go home), it wasn't even much of a discussion - we came back here for a few hours to soak in more of the atmosphere and drink some more bourbon. At this point, it was probably close to 5ish but the place was still pretty busy; somehow we were able to secure spots at the bar upstairs and made ourselves at home. I wish I could remember the name of our bartender (blame the time that has elapsed, not the bourbon), but he was very good, social without being oppressive and was just present and let us do our thing. After sipping straight bourbon for most of the afternoon, I switched to the Bourbon Renewal, which you'll be shocked to know includes Angel's Envy but is a more summer, fruit-forward cocktail and super refreshing. Was the right call and hit the spot. (We also got waters because that's the responsible thing to do.) We finally went back downstairs to the gift shop, which doesn't feel like the right term - it was more majestic than something you'd walk into after going through, say, a museum for an hour or two. It's enormous and offers numerous bourbons and also some very high quality swag. We reunited with our chum Paula and sampled their limited edition two-grain, which was created due to a fortunate mistake in which the rye wasn't added so it's just the corn and malted barley. You CAN see the difference and taste it; to me at least, it's more caramel-y than their normal single barrel. We each bought a bottle to bring back to the homeland. My chum basically bought half the store, but I remained calm/deliberate and my only other purchase was a MAGNIFICENT black hoodie. I'm not kidding - I love hoodies and have probably owned dozens over the years, and this is literally the best quality one I've had. It has this interesting front pouch pocket design with like a pocket within the pocket for high-priority items like your ID or credit cards, and the hood itself is interesting. It's just really good and I wore it all day the next day as we slowly made our way back to the East Coast. It's been washed and carefully placed in my closet, where it will reign supreme when the weather inevitably turns nippy again. It's not an exaggeration to say we probably spent hundreds of dollars (at least not thousands) directly and indirectly involving Angel's Envy on this trip. Worth it.

Right downtown and close to many other places. This was great to check out. Learned a lot about the…read morehistory. Our tour guide, Paula, was fabulous. She was attentive, informative and taught us how to get past the initial burn of bourbon. I much enjoyed the bourbon and the chocolate pairings were a nice surprise. We were able to get tickets the night before at a time that worked well for us. The bar area is a nice place to hang out and if you don't do the tour you can still go get some tastings.

Absolutely the finest bourbon distillery available The bar…read moreis great and filled with tasty aperitifs and drinks for every palate Their snacks stinks mostly salty crackers and sort Needs to change But the opportunity Of filling myself for a special bottle was well worth it Knowledgeable attendees

TLDR: The ultimate cocktail lounge experience on the Bourbon Trail. Skip the tour if you're burnt…read moreout and just belly up to the gorgeous top floor bar for world class drinks and free corn nuts. My group of four decided to wrap up our epic Bourbon Trail weekend at Michter's Fort Nelson Distillery right before heading to the airport. Having already hit six other distilleries over the weekend, we were completely "toured out" and opted to bypass the standard distillery tour. Instead, we headed straight upstairs to the bar and it was the best decision. We happened to visit right at the start of Derby week, so the entire building was alive and buzzing. Because of the festivities, they were highlighting their own rendition of the Derby fan favorite Mint Julep. I had to get one, and it did not disappoint. It was well crafted, perfectly balanced, and served in the classic, frost chilled sterling silver cup. Easily one of the best Juleps I've ever had. The bar area itself is beautifully appointed, sitting on one of the top floors of the historic building with a great atmosphere. A massive bonus: they offer patrons free bar snacks. The seasoned corn nuts were an absolute hit at our table, to the point where we had to ask for seconds (and they happily obliged!). Service was fantastic from start to finish. Despite the Derby week crowds, our water glasses were never empty and the cocktails came out incredibly fast. Whether you are doing a full day of tours or just want a world class drink in a stunning setting, Michter's is a phenomenal addition to any Louisville itinerary.

This was the only place we did a tour - and it did not disappoint. Bill was our "bourbon host" and…read morehe was fantastic. The information accompanied by the tasting was so fun and I'm not a bourbon drinker. 5 stars!!

I had this place bookmarked and attempted to participate in this experience but I did not plan…read moreaccordingly. We visited this part of town to prioritize other touristy activities. We had some extra time to kill before a tour we purchased tickets for and walked around the area. I didn't realize this place was so close. I walked in not knowing what to expect and had no specific plans. I guess I was hoping to go on a tour but there were no more tours that fit into our itinerary. We walked around for a couple of minutes to kill. Since there was a lot to see block after block in this area, we decided not spend too much time here. It was cool to stop in just to check it out and possibly plan a tour for next time we are in town. There was merchandise and bottles available to purchase but we withheld due to not sampling any of the bourbons. We were not approached by any staff offering assistance, which was fine since we did not require any but maybe a hello would have been cool.

The Old Forester Distillery tour is located at their smaller distillery on whiskey row in downtown…read moreLouisville. They also have a shop there along with a bar for paid tastings of their bourbons. The staff are friendly and personable and the site is welcoming. We were early for our tour but there was seating along with the shopping and bar. Our tour guide was Carter and he was very knowledgeable. He took us through the history of the distillery and owners as we walked through their smaller distillery. A stand out aspect of their distillery is the on site cooperage. The cooper that was working was very energetic and treated us to a viewing of an actual barrel charring. I've never seen that in person and it was a real treat. The tour ends with a tasting that included a pin and a chocolate covered caramel marshmallow, which I ended up buying a full bag of later in the shop - they are so good! This is, by far, my favorite bourbon trail tour yet - partly because of Carter, the cooperage, and the little extras we were given. I highly recommend!

Enjoyed the opportunity to tour a famous old distillery. The bar and gift shop were hopping on a…read moreSaturday afternoon. 16 on the tour, a reasonable size, and it was clear that the space (which is good sized though not their large distillery) was set up at least partially to allow for the tours. Got a good history of the founder and the distillery. Enjoyed smelling and seeing the fermenting brew at various stages. Cool to see the coopering (barrel making) including the blazing fire charring the inside of the freshly made barrels. Wife said she could have watched the bottling line all day, and I wouldn't disagree. Small tastings of their 4 major labels in a sit down tasting room. The wife, who is not a whiskey fan, still enjoyed the tour, and was presented a decent mocktail to sip during the tasting. If you're in the neighborhood, it's a fun way to pass an hour plus.

Wandered in and found this place by accident. We are so happy we did. Best part of our trip! They…read moremade us feel so welcomed and love the unique experience of tasting straight from barrel and bottling from barrel. Great space as well to sit, sip and relax. Go and visit, you won't be disappointed!

Barrels of good times to be had here…read more Everything is barrel strength at Whiskey Thief, so the five sample tasting is quite the gauntlet. I found the high proof points to be draining, and so I can't recommend buying a bottle with my own money. The chocolates are a must pairing. Service, however, is super chill and friendly. The bar is a chill place to hang out afterwards, and the bitter blend for their Old Fashioned is stellar. I also bought a couple bars of soap. Earthy and aromatic!

My favorite bourbon tour. Was not crowded, sampling straight from the barrel, and you got to meet…read morethe master distiller. You also can thieve, label, and cap your own bottle. Tour guide was great, answered every question, and we had an awesome time.

Great place!!! Willow was awesome! Don't skip this location and whiskey! A must do if in…read moreLouisville

Great drinks and even better view! Once you enter, there is a huge outdoor space for hanging out…read more Once you're inside, the rooftop bar has a nice indoor and patio area. We stopped by before a Lou City game and our bartender was lovely and took care of us before we headed out. I tried Stacy's Mom and Find Me in the Garden. Both were delicious and there's still more on the menu that sound good to try. Might be my go to spot for game day.

We attended a private party at this gorgeous distillery located just outside of the central area in…read moredowntown Louisville. The catering was good, the drinks were strong, and the majority of the staff were very friendly. I do not think they were ready for all of us, as the line for the gift shop was crazy. We wanted to get a bottle of the apple bourbon, but we had to scoot. We will try again before we fly out.

We have taken three tours so far on this Louisville trip, and Stitzel-Weller was by far my…read morefavorite, and the most informative. It also included a tasting, and we did that while on the tour. Our tour guide was Carly and she was fabulous, too. The distillery doesn't make much alcohol anymore, but Weller is still made and sold at Buffalo Trace, I believe. We also enjoyed some drinks and charcuterie at the Garden and Gun Club upstairs after our tour, and the charcuterie was top notch - beautiful presentation, and great meats and cheeses and accoutrements. I would definitely come back here again and do a tour or just come for a drink or two.

Vintage distillery with a lot of cool history. Definitely worth touring! The bourbon they make is…read moreto notch.

I was very excited to tour this distillery, my husband went here during his bachelor trip almost…read moretwo years ago now and always said it was fun. We showed up around 930am for our 10am tour - they say to get there at 9:45 AM, but we were a little bit early - and they greet you with a welcome cocktail, which was pretty nice, you can choose between an Old Fashioned or a Manhattan. The tour was very informative and you do the tastings throughout, and then we headed up to their rooftop bar to drink a bit more - it was a rainy day but still nice. Overall I liked this distillery and would come back - there is free lot parking too, although only about 20 spots.

We enjoy visiting Kentucky and touring the bourbon distilleries. The tours aren't necessarily…read moreunique from one to the next, with regard to the process of bourbon distilling,, however, there are some stand outs we have found over the years. Rabbit Hole is a newer distillery located in downtown Louisville. As with almost all others, their shop is where the check in area is and it's all immaculately clean. The team that works here are knowledgeable and friendly. I have found most of the distilleries have happy employees- that's appreciated. One part of the tour that stood out for us was a special tasting of one of their founder's blends (Adoura) at the end of the tour. When the price tag for that particular one is $900 a bottle, it's a real treat to try it.

Fun trip, restaurant here is great too. Got to tour the new facility, and do a progressive…read moretasting.

So disappointing…read more... We had Maker's, HH and Beam set up for tours and all I looked forward to was Heaven Hill. Of my 200+ bottles, Old Fitzgerald 15 is hands down my favorite. Top 5 everyday drinker is HH 7yr BiB. Favorite rye is Rittenhouse. I have at least 20-30 bottles of HH product. The line up was criminal for a tasting. They should pay their patrons for having to stomach mellow corn (not capitalized because it doesn't deserve to be!). Larceny is a dollar a dozen as is elijah craig. I would have preferred cheap Old Fitzgerald and the brown label Henry McKenna. Anything other than the "line up" sampled. The only high point was our host, Debbie. Debbie was very nice, pleasant and knowledgeable about HH. Four days in Louisville and my only disappointment was the Heaven Hill Experience. HH has to rethink the line up they offer for tastings if they want people to return. Combined my buddies and I have over 1,000 bottles- this was the biggest DUD of our trip.