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    Neeley Family Distillery

    4.7 (71 reviews)
    ModerateDistilleries
    Open • 1:00 pm - 6:00 PM
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    Pete R.

    This was our second stop on the Bourbon Trail. The Neeley Family Distillery has a colorful and storied past that began in 1740 and intertwines with the history of moonshining and bootlegging. Only just becoming a legal distillery in 2015, it is located in Sparta, Kentucky, and was founded by Royce Neeley, an 11th-generation distiller. Our tour began with a video of Royce telling the story of his family and their history of moonshining and bootlegging. The video was very entertaining and set the stage nicely for the tour. This small distillery has won numerous awards over the past 6 years or so and continues to produce award-winning whiskey. They also have a highly regarded Absinthe. After a short but very informative tour of the distillery, we settled in to taste. We were given a menu of all their products and told we could select 8 to taste. I selected the Wheated Bourbon, Rye Bourbon, Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, 5-year wheated small batch bourbon, Paw Paw's Bottled in Bond Bourbon, Neeley's Brandy Barrel finished, New Toasted French Oak, and French Sauternes Bourbons. All were tasty, and my favorite was the New Toasted French Oak Bourbon. The tasting samples were small, so I took very small sips of each and then was able to go back and forth to compare them, which was nice to be able to do. Their products are not inexpensive, but the quality is high. I would recommend this tasting experience and highly recommend the New Toasted French Oak Bourbon.

    Thumper the cat
    Tony C.

    Great tour and the tasting was delicious. The guide was very informative. Can't wait to go back.

    Joseph D.

    If you're a bourbon and whiskey lover, you absolutely have to check this place out. Make sure you watch the video. The family history is incredible. We were there to pick a barrel Royce and his wife couldn't have been more accommodating.

    Beautiful
    Jessica H.

    We had such a great time doing the tour at Neeley Family Distillery. Our tour guide was the very best!!! Lots of knowledge about the history of the family and the processes used. He had such a great sense of humor, it made you feel like you were visiting with family. Product was great too.

    Huckleberry Moonshine
    Erica R.

    We stopped in here on our way down South. It is super convenient to get to off of the highway. The space is very nicely decorated and gives that down home Kentucky feel. The tasting is $15 a person. Unlike most of the other KY distilleries, you won't find a military discount here. The tasting includes a variety of different options from bourbon to flavored moonshine. We loved almost everything we tasted. They have a nice little gift shop and the space is small but still feels spacious because of how they've set it up. The staff are fun and knowledgeable and they really make you feel at home. I definitely recommend it!

    Make your own bottle before labeling
    Audrey D.

    The tour was a nice experience and we got eight 0.25 oz samples (a total of 2 oz). I thought the tour was a bit pricey ($20) but I like supporting small businesses. Their bourbon only comes in 375 mL bottles, and it's also kinda pricey, but it is cask strength, so that makes it more worth it. We really enjoyed the make-your-own bottle experience, and's made one for Dad since the next day was Father's Day. I recommend this place, and I would go back.

    Front entrance
    Dave B.

    Soooo much family and distillery history. Very nice distillery, well laid out. Tastings and a bar for cocktails. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff about the history and spirits. It's down the street from the Kentucky speedway. Had a cocktail and read about the very interesting family history. This is definitely worth the stop. Plan to stay at least 30 minutes, it's worth it!

    Too rainy to sit outside
    Linda M.

    No visit to Kentucky is complete without a visit to a bourbon distillery. After discovering that the 20+ distillery tours in the Louisville area were all booked solid we ventured out further and discovered the Neeley Family Distillery. So glad we did. This is a long time family owned distillery which originally sold just moonshine. Such an interesting history that included the illegal moonshine years ago with stories that reminded me of the Hatfield & McCoy's. Their story would make a great movie! The distillery tour ended with a tasting that lasted a good hour. It included 8 samples of everything from bourbon to moonshine to absinthe. The moonshine was much less harsh than I've tasted before and the bourbon were so smooth. All the bourbon bottles are hand labeled. Great tours and yes we brought home a few bottles! 2021-167

    Scott D.

    Stopped in and got a bottle of the straight bourbon whiskey, during a business trip. Its my first Newley family whiskey I have ever gotten. Since I was driving I didn't even do a taste test and I got the straight bourbon since it was the least expensive, purchase. It's four grains, corn, oats, wheat, malt. I really like the oat notes, hope to return and have a tour sometime.

    Still

    The history of this place is wild! At first we were just going to stop and grab a taste, but decided to do the tour and do not regret it for a second! Very neat products coming out of this distillery. The tasting selections was great and for very diverse tastes. Learned about B line here!

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    3 months ago

    This family has an incredible history of their heritage and their craft. The tour and tasting were informative.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Neeley Family Distillery

    Review Highlights - Neeley Family Distillery

    “The distillery makes primarily a moonshine so my hopes weren't high, as that isn't generally my spirit of choice.”

    Mentioned in 17 reviews

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    Buffalo Trace Distillery

    Buffalo Trace Distillery

    4.7(957 reviews)
    34.1 mi
    •$$

    I absolutely love this distillery! Friendly staff and fantastic bourbon selection at great prices…read more They do a Daily Drop of hard to find bourbons which is why people start lining up early in morning. They open at 9am and offer free tours as long as you reserve online. The gift shop is huge and some of the bourbons are limited to one or two per person. Since many of the bourbons are not available in my area,this is a must stop when in the Louisville area.

    If I could summarize my experience in one word, it would be Disappointed…read more The Buffalo Trace tour and tasting was at the top of my Bourbon Trail list. My family had visited in 2017 and 2023 and raved about it, so I had high expectations. Unfortunately, after visiting five distilleries during our trip, this was one of my least favorite experiences. To start with the positives: the tours are free, which is generous, and the drinks at the bar are reasonably priced. Our guide, Tony, was knowledgeable and friendly when answering questions. However, the tour itself felt underwhelming and lacked depth. We never went inside the actual production areas, learned much about the grains or bourbon-making process, or experienced the sights and aromas I expected from a distillery tour. Even my spouse, felt the tour was somewhat scattered and lacking in detail. The tasting was even more disappointing. The tasting room was simply a room where everyone stood, and there was very little that felt special or memorable. We were given vodka samples, which felt out of place on a Bourbon Trail tour, and the bourbon selections themselves didn't feel particularly unique. Water wasn't provided at the tasting stations either; we had to walk over to a dispenser and use tiny paper cups. Most surprising of all, the tastings were served in clear plastic cups. After each pour, our guide mentioned how much the bottle cost in the gift shop, which made the presentation feel even more underwhelming. We were even told we could take the plastic tasting cups home as souvenirs. I understand that the tour is free, but Buffalo Trace is a major distillery with a huge reputation, so I expected a more polished and immersive experience. Between the lack of access to the production areas, standing throughout the tasting, limited variety, lack of readily available water, and plastic tasting cups, the overall experience felt much cheaper than I anticipated. The lemonade from the outdoor bar was actually very good and reasonably priced, so that was a bright spot. Unfortunately, overall, Buffalo Trace was one of my least favorite distillery tours and tastings of the trip.

    Photos
    Buffalo Trace Distillery - Examples

    Examples

    Buffalo Trace Distillery - The pairing Blantons Gold with a rosemary biscuit and bacon snack.

    The pairing Blantons Gold with a rosemary biscuit and bacon snack.

    Buffalo Trace Distillery - Second floor

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    Second floor

    Castle & Key Distillery - Grounds

    Castle & Key Distillery

    4.9(583 reviews)
    39.2 mi
    •$$

    After seeing all the rave reviews for this distillery, we decided to schedule a late-afternoon…read moretour, and I'm so glad we did! The property itself is absolutely beautiful, and our tour guide, Cristy, was incredibly knowledgeable and informative. Before we got started, she made sure to go over important safety tips, which I really appreciated. I will say, out of all the distillery tours I've been on, this one was definitely the most challenging physically. If you're bringing older adults or anyone with limited mobility, just keep in mind that there are some tight spaces, steps, and stairs throughout the tour. At the end of the tour, we were led into a speakeasy-style tasting room, which was such a neat atmosphere! Our tasting included several samples, chocolate, and an Old Fashioned. After the tasting, we were taken through to the gift shop, which had some unique souvenirs. We decided to grab a few drinks at the bar and hang out for a bit before heading out. Surprisingly, Cristy was there to greet us again and even gave us some great drink recommendations! Overall, we definitely recommend the experience! Just be mindful of the physical demands of the tour if you or someone in your group has limited mobility.

    This place is way too big and touristy for a memorable tasting experience if that's your goal…read more However, the buildings are significant historically and architecturally so it's worth a visit. So big in fact that the parking lot is across the street. It was very crowded. I parked and walked over to explore the extensive grounds. Many of the buildings are old, the castle dating from 1887, with distilling at the location since 1819, with an 18 year break from the start of Prohibition, and an even longer break from 1972-2016. The site deteriorated greatly during this time until the Old Taylor site was restored and became Castle&Key. The castle and several other buildings are now fully restored, with the castle serving as the main visitor area. Inside the castle it was bustling with tourists so I left after a short wander. There are at least three places to sample spirits here: inside the castle building, in a covered bar patio outside, and a tiny stand-up bar in the patio in front of the castle. That's where I went. I chose two 1/2-ounce pours from the 10 available (bourbons, ryes, gins, and a vodka) for a reasonable $4 each and sat at a nearby table. The Restoration Rye and the standard Small Batch Bourbon were both decent but I wasn't motivated to buy a bottle. There's no cell service here but they supposedly have wifi. However it wasn't working and nobody I asked seemed to know why or for how long. Unacceptable for such a large, touristy place. As I said, the main draw is the buildings and the history behind this place. The site was striking architecturally, the old buildings of various types, from the vine-covered stone castle, metal industrial buildings with pipes running overhead, and an old rusting water tower probably no longer used, with any new buildings thoughtfully placed so as not to detract from the historical ones. And the grounds themselves were very pretty, flowers lining the walkways, some formal gardens, a rushing river overflowing a dam forming one boundary opposite the road side. Walk up the road a bit and you'll discover even more ruins. Not part of Castle&Key anymore but part of the original Old Taylor site as well. I love old ruins and found these striking. And just past these ruins is another distillery, Glenn's Creek. Check it out too but beware: it's a very different experience and may not appeal to everyone.

    Photos
    Castle & Key Distillery - Distilling operations

    Distilling operations

    Castle & Key Distillery - Tasting after the guided tour

    Tasting after the guided tour

    Castle & Key Distillery - Front

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    Front

    Bear Wallow Distillery - Flavored 'shine

    Bear Wallow Distillery

    4.8(61 reviews)
    73.6 mi
    •$$

    When people think of whiskey in Indiana's Brown County, they might think of that other place. (You…read moreknow the one.) But there is another distillery quietly making small-batch, high-quality spirits in Nashville, and that's Bear Wallow Distillery. Located just outside of downtown Nashville, Bear Wallow Distillery is one of the only female-owned distilleries in the country. They create their spirits in a traditional copper pot still, which I learned is unique. Inside the tasting room, you can enjoy a whiskey tasting or a flight, or sip a craft cocktail and relax in the shop. I chose to enjoy a "Call Me Old Fashioned" standing up at the bar, while chatting with the guy who made me my drink. My Old Fashioned was well balanced, not too sweet and made me feel all warm inside, as a good Old Fashioned should. Those who are interested in learning more about the whiskey-making craft can go on a Farm-to-Fifth Tour, which takes you behind the scenes to learn about the history of whiskey and see the full production process. I did, and I found it very informative! I had a new appreciation for the kind of whiskey and spirits they are making here at Bear Wallow Distillery. From the ingredients they choose to the barrels they use, they really put their foot in it, as they say. If you like whiskey, or just like to try local spirits, this is a good place to visit in Nashville.

    LOVED this distillery - small town vibes but such a fun space. I am usually not a whisky drinker…read morebut they had so many flavored ones that I actually enjoyed. The guy working was so nice and explained everything so we knew what the different whiskey's were. We loved it and I would for sure come back here. We went on a Sunday around lunch and there was no one else there. Very nice to have the place to ourselves!

    Photos
    Bear Wallow Distillery - Moonshine

    Moonshine

    Bear Wallow Distillery - Camping requires drinking, in my opinion

    Camping requires drinking, in my opinion

    Bear Wallow Distillery - Where the whiskey is made

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    Where the whiskey is made

    Neeley Family Distillery - distilleries - Updated September 2026

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