Kentucky Bourbon Boys — Local services in Radcliff

Kentucky Bourbon Boys September 9 and 12, 2024

Day 1: September 9 Our guide and drive Jack showed up right on time (actually 10 minutes early) for our drive to Lexington Brewing Company (and Distillery) in Lexington. This tour and tasting was recommended by the staff at KBB. We enjoyed the small group (the 4 of us, plus another few) and learned Lexington’s brewing methods (their Bourbon Barrel Aged Milk Stout beer is outstanding) and tasting (I only tasted the whiskeys :)). I always love trying bourbon I haven’t had before. Lunch was Staxx BBQ in Frankfort - our pre-ordered lunch was waiting for us when we arrived. We then visited Whiskey Thief - tasted straight from the barrel via the copper “whiskey thief” device and we were able to fill out own bottles from the various barrel strength whiskeys. What a special opportunity. Our third stop was the historic Buffalo Trace distillery. We learned the history of Buffalo Trace, how they make their various bourbons and even saw the Blanton’s bottling line in action (we weren’t allowed to sneak a bottle off the line, however :(). The special of the day was the Col Taylor small batch ! Each of us allowed to buy one. Also on hand was their Single Oak Project (experimental) half bottles and we had to buy one as they so rarely are offered. What a treat. Day 2 September 12 Jack was on time once again (10 minutes early) for the 90 minute drive to the Kentucky Cooperage in Lebanon, KY, for the tour of the largest barrel making operation in the country (as far as we can tell). We got to go behind the scenes to see them actually build/repair a barrel, feel the fire as they charred the barrel and complete the process with the bands and lids and bottoms. They make the barrels for almost every distillery in the country (and likely more), each done to the specifications of the distillery. This was on our bucket list and we highly recommend this tour. We then traveled to Bardstown to Heaven Hill Distillery. Heaven Hill makes so many brands: Elijah Craig, Evan Williams, McKenna, Larceny, Pikesville and more. We were able to taste Elijah Craig and Heaven Hill - again, this was on my list as last time in Kentucky, Heaven Hill was not open due to the pandemic. Jack also took us down the road to take a look at the gift shop at Willett Distillery - we will need to return to do their tour and tasting another time. And then, to Makers Mark in Loretto. As a Makers Mark Ambassador it was time for my Golden Ticket tour and to obtain bourbon from my assigned barrel. The Ambassador tour was special as we visited buildings that are not part of the usual tour and we were able to taste some excellent Makers Mark single bar and Makers 46. The back story at Makers is fascinating and well worth the trip to Star Hill Farm.

We highly recommend the Kentucky Bourbon Boys when you are visiting Kentucky for the Bourbon trail. They handled all the reservations for tours and tasting, lunches and of course, driving with fun commentary on the history of Kentucky and all the amazing country-side. The staff are friendly, knowledgeable and their recommendations for visits to some of the less known distilleries (Lexington, Whiskey Thief to name just 2) and the Kentucky Cooperage made this a trip we will always remember. Thank you Jack and team at Kentucky...

Bourbon Bash 65 was the theme of our tour as a t was for my 65th birthday. A total of 14 of us including friends, coworkers and 1 family member. All from Texas except two from Kansas had flown in. Jack arrived precisely 10 minutes before our departure time and upon meetings mg him, we knew we had hit the Jackpot ( no pun intended) . He was friendly and welcoming and excited for our ur day ahead! The weather was terrible, but it didn’t stop him from providing us with a safe and fun ride. Our first stop was at Whiskey Thieves and it was so much fun! Intimate and small in the middle of beautiful Kentucky countryside! We thieved straight out of the barrel which was really cool. Jack connected with everyone in the group which was really cool. Upon leaving he asked us if we would like to take a drive through horse country before stopping for our lunch. We saw beautiful horse farms and estates including some of Derby winners. After an excellent lunch our next stop was a surprise and not scheduled! Jack took us to Woodford ! While we couldn’t do a tour or tasting we were able to go to the beautiful gift shop , where we picked up some special reserve and other gifts! What a great surprise !! Then onto Castle & Key! This was amazing. The history and grounds were nothing short of spectacular! Jack had warned us that we would find it hard to leave and he was right! I highly recommend this on your tour!! We enjoyed Bourbon and Gin!! The tasting was excellent and one of the featured drinks was the Gin they produce . The gift shop was amazing with Bourbons, Gins, clothing and all sorts of Bar ware. What a cool place and the pictures don’t do it justice. On to the Granddaddy of the tour! Buffalo Trace! This did not disappoint! We didn’t even know if we would get to do the tour dues to all of the rains, but we did and it was amazing! The B Boys knew we would want to spend the most time here, so they made it the last one and wow! The history and the buildings , oh and the Bourbon!! Our tour guide was fantastic. We saw it all including the bottling big Blantons gold! I even got one of the Horse Toppers from one of the workers on the line! The tasting featured The last stop was the gift shop! All I can say is We ended up taking home Blantons, Wellers, and Trace! The tasting featured Wheatley Vodka, Buffalo Trace, Sazerac Rye and Blantons!! The last stop was the gift shop! It’s huge! Jack gave us some extra time to get as much goodies as we wanted and he almost needed a u-haul to bring it back !! Through the day, Jack was so fun and friendly! He was a tour guide every bit as much as the tour guides at the distilleries. We learned so much just from him. He had snacks and water ( trust me we needed it) and we sang and had a great time in the bus! We made it back to Louisville on schedule despite the weather the day started with! I highly recommend Bourbon Boys and Jack!! Thanks so much for making my 65th birthday so amazing! Mark Meyers...

We were in Louisville to see the Miami Hurricanes take on the Cardinals so we made a trip out of it. Wanted to do a Bourbon trail experience and immediately found the Kentucky Bourbon boys and are so thankful we did. From start to finish was seamless.

I dealt with Rob for the booking and he was awesome! We were undecided on the third distillery we wanted to try so I asked for his opinion. He gave GREAT suggestions which were very descriptive discussing the different experiences we would get at each one. In fact, one of our favorites of the day (Whiskey Thief) was the one Rob suggested. He answered any questions we had and I felt very taken care of.

The day of the tour Ethan (also one of the owners!) picked us up in a nice big van for the 5 of us. We did tours and tastings at Bulleit, Castle and Key and Whiskey Thief. One big thing I noticed when looking for a company to book a tour is that many did not offer lunch. Lunch is included in the tour price with Kentucky Bourbon Boys and is another thing that sets them apart! We had a really neat (and tasty!) lunch in this place called the Bell House which was so different to what we are used to seeing in Florida. Ethan was very informative, answering our millions of questions and all together putting up with us which I know can be a lot :) We tended to run a little ahead of schedule so Ethan added to our experience by driving us through Woodford Reserve to see the area and offered up different things or places we could do while ahead in time. There is so much more I could say about Ethan but if you are looking to book a tour definitely do it with them because they are very accommodating. Never felt rushed and it was all in all a wonderful experience. Highly recommend!

Distilleries we went to:

Bulleit: Very modern as compared to the other 2 we went to. The best bourbon we tasted and a cool experience with the sensory tasting.

Castle and Key: The bourbon wasn't as great as Bulleit but the grounds and history of the place is something to be seen and heard. Absolutely beautiful!

Whiskey Thief: Very small distillery that we ended our day on which was perfect! We sat by the fire pit while we tasted from 5 different barrels which was at your own pace. Very chill vibe. One of our group actually bought a bottle and they allow you to thief it yourself which was really neat. Also have a food truck on site which was nice to chow down on some fries and nachos at the...