Augusta Distillery — Local services in Augusta

My husband is the bourbon drinker and paid $30.00 for the tasting experience and tour; I'm designated driver and paid $7.00 for the same experience but no tasting. It was a GREAT experience.

The tour begins in the oldest section of the distillery with the guide providing information about history, process and "interactive" sampling and bottling. This portion could have been boring, but Cory was our guide and there was no way he was going to let this be boring. His personality, humor, and stories made for a very entertaining and educational 30-45 minutes.

The interactive portion of the tour included: (1) three guests removing the bungs from the barrels, (2) each bourbon drinker got the opportunity to fill their glass with one of the three bourbons using a special piece of equipment; and, (3) in the end, anyone who wanted to purchase a bottle of one or more of the bourbons could fill their own bottle, cork it and label it. My husband was in "bourbon heaven".

After bottling and labeling was complete, Corey walked us around the inside, then outside, of the building, telling us about the various sections, how far they have come in a short period of time, what plans are for the future, how they are responsible community members and how we can take a piece of them home with us (a souvenir glass and candy kiss).

After the tour, we stopped back at the desk to pick up the bourbon bottle. But, there is a gift shop atmosphere in the entire area, so we did a little browsing and shopping. T-shirts, magnets, ornaments, glassware, etc. occupy one corner. There are bottles of bourbon next to the counter. A stand with a bourbon map 1000 piece puzzle for sale (wish I would have gotten that!!!). Another area has various wood items that you can purchase.

The tour may be only an hour but you can linger a lot longer than that.

The restroom area, a recent addition, is a unique experience, unlike any I've ever had before. You have to see it...

Augusta is a small historic town on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River about an hour east of Cincinnati OH. It is also the town where George Clooney went to High School. This review is about the new Augusta Distillery that is being built in an old factory on the east side of town, about a block from the river. The distillery will be producing bourbon when it is complete. Right now the tour takes you through the empty factory building with our tour guide explaining what it will ultimately look like. Our guide, Abby, was terrific. Extremely knowledgeable about the plans which I am sure they will carry out. The tour ended in a tasting room of bourbons they have already created but are stored in other distilleries until theirs is done. Billy was in charge of our tasting. It was so much fun. We have taken tasting tours before but nothing like this. He fully explained the entire bourbon creation process and I learned a lot I never knew. He also allowed us to thieve the bourbon (pull it out with a giant copper straw like we used to do with plastic straws and water at restaurants when we were kids) out of several barrels to taste and explained to us how to train our palete to prepare for the bourbon taste. At the end we were able to thieve an entire bottle out of the barrel of our choice, pay for it, and take it home. It was a great experience. I can't thank these people or rate them highly enough. That, together with dinner at the Beehive restaurant, and a night at the Augusta Guest House, made it a fabulous weekend vacation. I will do a review of both the Augusta Guest House and the Beehive...

My husband and I were excited to find an online article about Augusta Distillery winning Best Bourbon at the SF World Spirits Competition, so I quickly booked them as the first stop on our Bourbon trip! Believe me, you need to experience this boutique distillery firsthand! From the aged patina of the brick building to the tasting room, you could feel the Kentucky roots went deep! Cory, our Tasting Master, really knew his stuff, and was hilarious! He kept the flow of conversation going and made sure that every tour participant interacted at whatever level they felt comfortable. We stole our own samples and eventually bottled five bottles from the Riverside Collection, then picked up a bottle of Old Route 8, which just received Gold at the NYWSC. I'm a bourbon person, and I was impressed by each sample and style I tasted. The mash bills are varied, but equally excellent. Knowing that all their bourbon supplies come from Kentucky is niche and carries some additional gravitas! The owner is obviously well versed in marketing as well as bourbon, because the atmosphere is immaculate! Definitely Insta and TikTok friendly for influencers, or just a gorgeous venue for someone whose wants to try some bourbon! I highly recommend a stop here, and ask for Cory, he will make sure you gain some knowledge and keep you...