Barrels & Billets Bourbon Experience — Local services in Louisville

I rarely write negative reviews, but unfortunately, my wife and I were very disappointed with our visit to Barrels & Billets on Saturday, November 30th. We had high hopes for the experience, especially given the intriguing concept and the positive atmosphere. The setting itself was pleasant, and our host was enthusiastic, which initially added to our anticipation. However, the overall experience fell far short of expectations, especially considering the price. The concept of blending your own bourbon & creating a custom label sounded unique & fun, but it quickly became apparent that the execution left a lot to be desired. The bourbon provided as the base for blending was incredibly harsh & unpleasant-both on its own & in blends. It was difficult to enjoy any aspect of the tasting process because the quality of the product was so poor. To make matters worse, the experience felt less like an enjoyable activity and more like we were part of a focus group evaluating a subpar product. The fact that we had to pay for what felt like a trial run of a mediocre concept only added to our disappointment. While we appreciated the effort to create something interactive & engaging, the quality of the bourbon and overall value simply weren't there. In the end, while the atmosphere & hosting were strong points, the core product & steep cost made the experience feel like a letdown. We left feeling that our time & money could have been better...

I want to start with the fact that I'm a vodka lover. Not bourbon. ( more on that later, stay tuned) I had the off chance I landed in Louisville and one of the planned events was the bourbon experience at Barrels and Billets. It was easy to get to down on Whiskey Row. We came in and was nicely greeted by a lovely lady. I think her name was Emmy or Emma? Very welcoming. We were immediately taken to our tasting room. We sat and got comfortable. I never expected what came next. Our hostess was a girl named Ami and she rocked the floor! She not only put us through a wonderful history lesson of Louisville but the spirits it brought along the way but also the Americana of the Louisville slugger next door..We had such an amazing experience and Ami had the funniest jokes and charisma! She was on stage and the whole room had to have been captured as we were all laughing. Reeling back, I hated bourbon. Remember when I said that?! But after this experience I mixed, tinquered with my blends and I found a blend that I really loved!! And they can bottle that blend with your own idea for a label too! Super cool! And!!!! They've also ventured into distilling damn good vodka!!!! From the second I walked in with doubt, to the second I left with my ribs hurting from laughing, I will never forget this...

This is a MUST DO if you want to experience a different spin on the bourbon experience PLUS take home a fabulous souvenir: your own custom bourbon. I'm all about the mash bill but OMG what an eye/taste bud opening experience to try a 60 something corn 20 something rye bourbon rested in different kinds of wood barrels. "It's all about the wood." Is it the best bourbon you can find? No but the point is well taken about how the woods influences the final product. Makes sense, every tour will tell you that charring is proprietary, & look at Angel's Envy going rogue with a 2nd rest in port barrels. Lol! We definitely opted in to get our own custom bourbons - my guy & I have very different palates & I'm so psyched to have 2 new custom bourbons in our rotation. Or guide Ami with an "i" was wonderful, funny, encouraging & very knowledgeable about bourbon. Book this experience, & if you're local do this for date night like another couple in our group. Btw they do events here...