Bourbon Tours, Custom Distillery Tour Packages in KY | Private Trail Tours in Louisville

Bourbon Tours, Itineraries and Transportation from Louisville, KY

There are hundreds of thousands of monthly searches for general “Bourbon tours” and specifically Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey Distillery Tours. Where to start, when to go, which distilleries to tour, and how … ? Bluegrass Executive Transportation has been providing Bourbon Distillery Tour itineraries with premium, luxury car service for more than 15 years, since 2009, so we can say with confidence … you have to start with an experienced guide, preferably local, who will curate an itinerary meeting the needs, schedule and budget of your group. Otherwise, the options are just too many, and you may be disappointed with your group standing in a line for a very routine experience you didn’t envision. Your experience will exceed your expectations when we begin with a phone call about … you.

How many are in your group? What do you want out of a Bourbon Tour trip? Do you want a barrel-select experience, or a general Bourbon tour and a wonderful day in Kentucky? What is your current ‘Bourbon Experience”, and what do you want it to be? How many days, and how much time per day do you have? How exclusive, immersive, interactive and private or public of a Bourbon experience do you want? What type of dining/cuisine do you love or want to try?

Call Bluegrass Executive Transportation at (502) 262-8675, and we simply begin with you, and your group, to create the experience we promise you will love.

The Best Bourbon Whiskey Tours Begin with a Distillery Tour Itinerary from Louisville, KY

After a phone call with Chris Hellmann, Owner of Bluegrass Executive Transportation, native Louisvillian, and 15-year curator of Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey distillery tour itineraries, the result will be your own Bourbon tour itinerary, crafted specifically to get you and your group the experience you would like. After your Bourbon Tour experience(s), you will feel like your expectations were far exceeded. For us, it’s about listening and using decades of experience to do you right.

How to begin? Louisville (“Bourbon Capital of the World”) is a great start, where you could already find days worth of distillery tours and eclectic gourmet cuisine plus ideal logistics that bring you from anywhere in the world to the head of the Bourbon Trail. We will help you find whatever you want in Louisville, and we’ll look at your top options for distillery tours that are about an hour from Louisville, across scenic, rolling horse farms of the Bluegrass to get you into Bourbon Country. The following are among general and usual itinerary highlights and considerations. Keep in mind, these examples barely scratch the surface of possible Bourbon adventures.

Directly from Louisville, and easily within an 8-10 hour day, you generally choose from one of the two main groups of distilleries: South or East. A distillery in each group is about an hour out, and an hour back, with a broad selection of tours, tastings, gift shops and dining options in-between. Distillery tours are typically from 9 am – 4 pm EST, usually closing by 5-6pm, depending on the distillery. You could possibly tour up to three distilleries (in either the South or East group) in a day, or a combination of a distillery and various tasting or shopping experiences … all depending on the distilleries and experiences of interest.

The South Distilleries: Bardstown Area

The major bourbon distillery tours to the South of Louisville are …

Jim Beam
Four Roses Bottling and Warehouse
Heaven Hill
Willett
Lux Row Distillers
Bardstown Bourbon Company
Preservation Distillery
Log Still Distillery
Makers Mark
Limestone Branch

Within the South group, around Bardstown, there are so many different considerations and options among these distilleries, ie., varying types restaurants, gift shops, tasting areas, hands-on experiences, sizes of tour groups, and nearby restaurant/dining options, as well as historic sites. For this distillery group, the decisions usually come down to favorite Bourbons and the historical interest of Bourbon and Bardstown.

The East Distilleries: Frankfort Area

To the East towards the Frankfort and Versailles (pronouned “ver-sales” in Kentucky), the major Bourbon Distillery tours are …

Buffalo Trace
Woodford Reserve
Four Roses
Wild Turkey
Bulleit
Glenn’s Creek Distillery
Whiskey Thief Distilling Company
Castle & Key
Larrikin Bourbon Company
Jeptha Creed
J. Mattingly 1845

Similar to the East distilleries, these distillery tour decisions also come down to what you like, however the tour selections can really affect the experience you get for the time involved. This is where the itinerary-making phone call is worth it, as some tours are generic with large tour groups and structured tours, while others are smaller, more hands-on. It comes down to the interests of your group.

Of particulary note, there is a make-your-own blend experience at J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery, which is a fun favorite among our clients. Similarly, Whiskey Thief Distilling Company lets you taste straight from the barrels, and you can hand-fill your own bottle (highly recommended). Favorite nearby restaurants in East group are The Stave, Bourbon on Main, and Goodwood Brewing.

Louisville Area Bourbon Tours, Activities and Places of Interest

If you are visiting Louisville for a few days, we will be happy to make recommendations, again based on the experience you would most enjoy.

Definitely check out Neat bourbon bar and bottle shop. It’s a bourbon bar only.
Evergreen Liquors in Louisville’s NuLu area has a bourbon tasting bar in the store, and they have hard-to-find rare, unicorn bottles there for you to try 1 oz pours at affordable prices.
Watch Hill Proper, in Norton Commons, is a great Bourbon-themed restaurant and unique ‘club’ experience for the Bourbon enthusiast. You could join with a membership (especially if local) for continuous activities and offers, or just visit as a guest for a wonderful, Bourbon-infused evening.

If you are staying downtown in Louisville, you can walk to several Bourbon distilleries that offer tours, including Old Forester, Peerless, Bardstown Bourbon Company, Michter’s and Angel’s Envy. Of course, there are many other local attractions as well as some of the best food you will ever taste. For any venturing around Louisville to more of our finest Bourbon bars, restaurants and entertainment venues, we would love to be your private car service. Call Bluegrass Executive Transportation at (502) 262-8675.

Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey Distillery Tours from Louisville

All Bourbon is Whiskey, but not all whiskey is Bourbon, and although Bourbon doesn’t have to be distilled in ‘The Bluegrass State’ by definition, Kentucky is the undisputed Bourbon capital of the world. More than 76 million Kentucky tourists are now spending more than $9 billion annually to see what Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey is all about. The term “Bourbonism” was even coined for this rising niched of tourism, and the first question among trekkers is, “how do you do the trail?”

Where to start? It all depends on your interests and available time, so let’s start there. Then, we at Bluegrass Executive Transportation recommend tours in the Southern, Eastern and Louisville distillery groups to get the most distillery time, and less travel time, out of your experience.