Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience — Attraction in Bardstown

An Unmissable Experience at Heaven Hill – A Bourbon Lover’s Dream Every time I’m in Bardstown, there's one place I never skip—Heaven Hill. Whether I’m enjoying a meal at the on-site restaurant or diving back into the rich stories told throughout the museum, this place always pulls me in with its charm, authenticity, and warmth.

But the Bottled-in-Bond Warehouse Tour and Tasting was something truly extraordinary. From beginning to end, the tour was flawlessly curated. Our guide was a standout—engaging, incredibly knowledgeable, and passionate about the history of Heaven Hill. He didn’t just recite facts—he brought the legacy of bourbon to life with energy and depth.

One of the most unforgettable moments? I had the rare opportunity to fill and label my very own bottle of Heaven Hill Select Stock 9 Year Malt. This unique experience, generously made possible by our amazing guide, added a personal, once-in-a-lifetime memory to my visit.

The atmosphere was warm, welcoming, and felt almost like family. I had great conversations with fellow visitors and the friendly Heaven Hill team, especially in the gift shop, where the staff took their time to offer thoughtful recommendations. Pro tip: If you're visiting, do not leave without picking up a bottle of the Single Barrel Barrel Proof Elijah Craig. It’s an on-site exclusive and a must-have for any serious bourbon enthusiast—bold, complex, and absolutely unforgettable.

During the tour, we also learned that Heaven Hill’s brand-new distillery will officially open this fall, with tours expected to follow later in the year. That’s already on my list for the next visit.

In short, Heaven Hill is more than just a stop on the Bourbon Trail—it’s a place where history, craft, and genuine hospitality come together in the most memorable way. Whether you're a bourbon aficionado or simply curious, this is an experience you won’t want to miss.

Already looking forward to...

We just did the “You Do Bourbon” experience, and honestly it was probably the worst experience I’ve had on the bourbon trail.

I personally knew very little about Heaven Hill going into this, and I didn’t learn a single thing. Tour guide didn’t give us any history or brand information, just walked us through a tasting and pressured us to pick a bottle (without telling us the prices we would were committing to or even asking if we wanted to pay).

I selected a bottle, but then changed my mind after finding out it would be another $80 (after asking, not advertised) so my “experience” basically ended after 15 minutes.

Oh, and for those that did bottle, several ended up with the wrong size cork because the Larceny cork container was mostly full of Bernhein corks, which were slightly larger. This meant that they all had corks that only went in about halfway, and even when the tour guide realized this he not only just let these people leave with poorly bottled bourbon but didn’t make an effort to warn anyone else in our grouo about it.

So in summary - $40 to taste three high-proof whiskeys and if you want to purchase you get to bottle it yourself, then (surprise!) pay ~$65-85 for them (not even a discount…). Want to know more about the history or distillery? Too bad, the purpose of this “experience” is just to bait and switch people into buying some expensive bottles.

I will note that they do say on the website that you will “choose your favorite, and if you decide to purchase, you’ll bottle it” - but not being straightforward with the price of the bottles (as well as charging $40 for this whole thing) is easily the most anti-consumer thing I’ve seen on the bourbon trail.

Finally, for reference, the 3 people I came with all bottled and happily purchased their bottles and still all agreed that this experience was a waste of money and the worst one we’ve had out of...

First let me say that we absolutely love Heaven Hill products, so much so that we planned our entire weekend in Bardstown around this visit. I have done so much research online about Heaven Hill, its history and how many brands they produce. We booked the Connoisseur's Experience and were set for a great time. We showed up 30 minutes early for the "experience" and found a line of people waiting out front so we grabbed our spot in line. Well, it turns out that the line of people only contained a few tour members, the rest were locals lined up to scoop up the allocation of limited release bottles for the day. We finally got called in right at 11:30, our tour time, and checked in at the desk. We were escorted into a room, had our 30 minute tasting experience, then released from the room to browse the gift store. None of the whiskeys we tried were available for purchase, all had been scooped up by people who apparently come every day to purchase then re-sell. The gift shop attendant said they do what they can to try to control it but it's frustrating (her words not mine). I really hoped that Heaven Hill, being the only "family owned" distillery left, would take a little more pride in the experience and make it special. I didn't drive three hours to Heaven Hill just to buy a bottle BUT I would have been excited and proud to have one on my shelf that I bought THERE. No tours, not even a peak in a rickhouse, just a tasting in a room and then a crowded gift shop. Come on Heaven Hill team, you can do better! Your product shows how much pride you have, let that translate to your tour experience. Your plans for a restaurant and a roof top bar are cool, but you can go to one of those in any city. Make it an experience that connects the customer with your heritage, your process, your products and...