Bluegrass Distillers

The location is a little difficult to find. We got there and no one was in the main room. Which doesn't seem safe with all the product there but oh well. After about 20 minutes a person giving a tour came out to say hello. We ended up leaving and going to the brewery next door. The staff there were wonderful and welcoming had a great experience. I would say you can skip Bluegrass and hit up the brewery instead.

Fun stop if you're touring Lexington. Boarding the Legacy Trail which is a 12 mile shared-use greenway trail that connects downtown Lexington with area neighborhoods, parks, and historic sites. In the same block as bluegrass distillers there's a fun brewery (West Sixth) that shares a space with a seafood eatery so you get the best of everything! Bluegrass Distillers is laid back establishment and very affordable for under $20 you and your companion could try every whiskey. A few gift shop items and also remember there being a wall of syrups that you could sample/purchase.

Lovely distillery, up close and personal. Our tour guide Logan was awesome! You won't find a better small craft experience. The bourbon was great and the tasting was super cool. Probably out of all the tours I've done, I'd say this would make the top 5. Logan was knowledgeable and friendly and had all the answers to all the questions. Such a low key diamond in the rough ambiance.

Since I finished my work week early, and since I am in the middle of the Bourbon country, I thought I would take a distillery tour. I am a champion of small, local, craft businesses; so, after some research, I found Bluegrass Distillers in Lexington, Kentucky. I hopped on their website and booked a tour for 2:00. I stopped for lunch on the way and arrived at the distillery about a half hour early. The directions on the website help you find where to park and then hoe to get to the entrance. The entrance is on the Legacy Trail which you can access from the parking lot on Bellaire Avenue. The building is well over 100 years old and when you step inside, it is like stepping back in time. The area you enter is the tasting room as well as the area for retail sales. When I arrived, I spoke to a gentleman, who turned out to be my tour guide, to check in. He told me that I was the only person on the 2:00 tour but if I didn't mind waiting, he would like to wait to make sure there weren't any last minute tour bookings. I was in no hurry so I took the time to explore the room. Bottles of their whiskey were on shelves with distillery t-shirts on one wall. The other walls had photos of other distillery things plus concept pictures of the new distillery that is opening, hopefully, by the end of April.Two o'clock rolled around and as my tour guide was pouring samples of their whiskey for me to sample, he as asked me if I liked Rye whiskies. As luck would have it, I love Rye's, Barrel Proofs, Smokey, and Intense whiskey. So, instead of a Rye whiskey, he poured a sample of their new release: Wheated - Bottled In Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. As is required by law, all barrel proofs are 100 proof. He asked me if I was okay with that to which I replied "Oh yeah..." Taking my tasting samples over to the bar, we sat down and he stared telling me about the start and history of the distillery. Bluegrass Distillers was started in 2012 by a local attorney who wanted to what I call, find a hobby. Unlike some distilleries, they started from scratch and did not use anyone else's whiskey as their own until theirs was ready. They waited until their whiskey was ready before releasing it. So, my guide started to tell me about what I was going to start tasting. We started with what they call Mash Bill #1 is where it all starts and all of their other whiskies are born from that. From there i moved in to the Toasted Oak Bourbon in a normal proof and their barrel proof version. One of the tasting notes he gave me was the slight hint of marsh mellows and sure enough it was there. He told me that because of the way the barrels for the Toasted Oak are prepared, the bourbon takes on a sweeter note than most bourbons. My fourth selection was the new Wheated. Rye whiskey is rye whiskey because of the greater quantity of rye used in the mash so it is also so with the Wheated. They use 75% yellow corm, 21% wheat, and 4% malted barley in the mash. It has a flavor profile I have not experienced before and I really like it. The last two whiskies in my tasting were their Elkwood small batch, and their Midway bourbon (they have three and I can't remember which I had). Elkwood is the name of the farm they bought which has a restored mansion and where the new distillery is almost complete. Midway is the name of a distillery in Midway, Kentucky that shut its doors at the start of prohibition. Blueegrass bought the rights to the name and have release a line of bourbons in honor of the history of bourbon in Midway. Both were very good!After the tasting, my guide took me back to where all the work is done. Now remember, this is a small, hand crafted, craft distillery, so don't expect a huge space with master craftspeople all over the place. The distillery is two rooms. One is used for aging their barrel proofs (all of the other whiskey they produce is taken to the farm) and the other room is where ALL of the whiskey they can produce is made. Right now, they can produce 300 barrels a year and that is done from one 380 gallon mash tank and 2 copper pot stills. It's pretty small but they make some tasty bourbon. As we were rapping up the tour, my guide told me everything they do is done by 8 people. I also got the feeling, from some other things he was saying to me, that he might be the attorney that retired and started a whiskey distillery because it sounded fun. Even if he isn't the owner, he is passionate about the whiskey that make and it rubs off. I want to start my own craft distillery now! lol With that, the tour was done and we went back up front where he prepared to start the next tour. I hung around for a few more minutes and ended up picking up a bottle of the Wheated - Bottled In Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey... Batch 2, bottle number 1362. I plan on savoring it for some time to come.

We showed up at 520 on a Saturday but couldn't try it because they closed early. Tried calling but no answer. Even the automated message said they were open till 6 on Saturdays. Shame because we drove 6 hours to get here!

We thoroughly enjoyed our "tour/tasting"with Scott!!! His passion for bourbon & whiskey was over the top! His knowledge was very impressive! My husband & I were VERY impressed with the whole operation! Thank you Scott !

The tour was very interesting. We learned a lot about bourbon. Our guide Logan was very sweet. We would recommend!

Not only some of the best bourbon in all of Kentucky but hands down the best distillery tour and tasting we've ever been on! We've been across the entire United States and been in distilleries in nearly every state and this tour was the absolute best! Super relaxed and very thorough, it felt like our best friend was showing us where he worked and he loved his job! We got to taste the mash, the heads coming right off the still and of course the main offerings during the tasting. This place may be small but they're doing big things and really creating a loyal following with the type of customer service and appreciation they show. We got a bottle of the single barrel, raising funds for Camp Heroes, a non-profit organization providing outdoor experiences for wounded veterans and first responders. Bluegrass Distillers is truly a class act!

This was a great tour. The guide was passionate. She walked us through the process and hyped their new facility to the point we cant wait to visit! They have a adorable kitty. We got to try blue corn bourbon and it was fabulous (still sad we couldnt bottle that one, but thats ok!). We did do the bottle your own experience and it was fun!

The tour was super short for the price. The bourbon was good but the tour was awful. I would not recommend.