Gethsemani Farms

We have been coming to Gethsemani for years so I thought it was time to write a review. This is a very serene and peaceful place to visit. They have added many new things since we were here last. There is a small room off to the side when you enter the gift shop area. They play a recording that shows the time line that the Monks follow everyday. There are also many photos posted on the walls that also give you a look into what the Monks do everyday. And of course the real reason we came down is the Gift Shop. They have an amazing assortment of religious articles mostly hand made. They have the famous Fruitcakes and the delicious fudge all made by the Monks. I bought a box of fudge, a fruitcake and four jars of the homemade preserves. The prices are somewhat premium, but the quality is so good that it is worth a little more than the normal.We also took time to visit the church, the cemetery and the contemplation grounds. You will leave here with a very special feeling.

So someone bought us fruitcake this year and I thought to myself "really? Fruitcake? Who buys or likes this stuff?" Slap me for not being open minded. It was nice and boozy tasting, deliciously moist, and missing the unknown unpleasant taste I've found in bites of fruitcake. Yup, bites--because despite my sweet tooth, I just can't make it past a bite or two. Well, the Monks succeeded in converting me. I'd happily refrain from regifting and would gladly eat their fruitcake any time.

I have been on a years-long quest in search of the "perfect" fruitcake. I think my search has ended. Ordered online and had shipped to WI. Far and away the best fruitcake I've had thus far. For me, Christmas just isn't complete without a hearty chunk o' fruitcake. A home-freakin'-run!

This fudge from The Abbey of Gethsemani in Trappist, Kentucky is always a welcomed gift. My brother sends it to me every year around the holiday season. I love it because it's made with real butter, sugar, and fair trade chocolate. With that said, you will need to refrigerate it if you don't plan on eating it all right away. Also, please keep in mind that the fudge with bourbon does contain alcohol. According to their website, they use Jim Beam Bourbon that is 4yrs old and 100 proof. It's injected into their products after the baking process so that it retains the alcohol. It's really good stuff. I've had the fudge with alcohol and without. All are exceptional. I think my least favorite of them all is the Mint Julep with Bourbon. Only because the peppermint oil is really strong when combined with the bourbon. I hate to say this but it reminds me of the really strong chocolate mint toothpaste flavor they use at the dental office to clean your teeth. That is my only negative thing to say. All the other flavors are wonderful.Other than that, it's worth the price. It can be a little pricey for 12 ounces of fudge but it goes to a good cause which is to support the monastery. The monks also distribute whatever profit that is left over to the poor and needy in their local area. They are very hard working and generous people. They also make fruitcake (injected with bourbon), jams, and honey if you're not into fudge. Check out the pantry section of their website for more products. These are great gifts. I've taken the fudge to the office and everyone seemed to love it. I've had the fruitcake as well. It's good but I prefer the cake from another monastery that uses rum instead of bourbon. If I have to be totally honest, then I will say that I'm really not a huge fan of fruitcake anyway unless it has alcohol in it. You probably just need to try it for yourself. My vote is for the fudge.

I can only attest to the quality of their fudge. But good fudge is made with butter, and you rarely find that anymore. The monks make some damn delicious fudge. They package and ship well, too. You can't go wrong on the various flavors...pick whatever sounds best to you and I think you'll eat it faster than you should (lol.)Makes great gifts, too!

This review is for their fruitcake. I ordered a fruitcake directly from the Abbey. Through the years we've purchased and baked many fruitcakes, so thought we'd try this one for the first time. It tasted like a dried out spice cake full of slightly burnt raisins. There was no discernable fruit and no hint of Kentucky bourbon (we're from Kentucky and we know our bourbon). This is the first fruitcake that's gone from the tin directly into the trash.

What a beautiful afternoon spent at the Gethsemani Farms and Abbey. I started in the gift shop to get information on the Abbey and the grounds, watched a video on the abbey, featuring a day in the life of the Monks who run the Abbey and farms.The site is just so beautiful in the middle of Kentucky, I walked up to the statue up on the hill giving you a great view of the hills of Kentucky.The Chapel is so simple, yet striking, loved the stained glass. The Abbey is a monastery in the Order of the Cistercians of the Strict Observance (OCSO), part of the body of the Roman Catholic Church, where they value prayer, work and service to others.I attended a prayer service at 2:15pm, then walked the grounds, returning to the gift shop where I purchased a beautiful glass piece, a cross, a journal and picked up food catalog as they make the fudge and fruitcake year round and ship all over.Note they no longer make cheese, I was told due to recent changes in state of Kentucky production, they only make fudge and fruitcake.

None of my three orders have been delivered, and they were supposed to be delivered by Christmas, and it looks like they are still in Kentucky. I will never order from Gethsemani Farms again.

Paid over 30 dollars for shipping for a 2.5-pound fruit cake, and 3 different 12 ounces fudges. Ordered two separate days. Been over 2 weeks and fudge is missing in outer space somewhere USPC tracking a joke. So I finally get the fruit cake. The one everyone on FB raves about. It is full of hard citrus pieces, barely a cherry, pineapple?, bourbon if at all, not a hint of, and a few pecans on the top, maybe a few other kinds but could not tell what inside. The cake was mostly cake and had a sandy texture, probably all the crumbs left in the chopping of the nuts in the mixer but sandy. Been ordering fruitcakes for over 60 years now wondering what the fudge will be like if we ever get it that is.The company could care less. Their answer to me on the phone as to where my order was when I said it's been in KY for a week and has not moved was Oh Well I was flabbergasted and hung up.Went to their FB page and they stopped answering me when I asked for my shipping charges to be refunded. Several others are also asking in posts. I thought it the right thing to do message them did not want to say anything bad on a post. But after getting the cake yesterday I finally posted as the cake was bad and they are not responding to me.What happened to care about what you do?

I have ordered for many years from this company. Their fudge is excellent, and they make a fruitcake that even those who hate fruitcake would love. I even bought a number of their lovely cups. But this year, something went wrong with their system. When you order, they ask when you want delivery, and I chose December 15, so people could enjoy gifts while in the midst of preparing for Christmas. When that date passed, and only a few of my gifts showed that they even "created a label", I called. I finally got hold of the woman in charge of the orders who said they were only sending out a thousand per day. I asked why only some of my gifts had been even started, and she said they were choosing randomly which to send! I noted to her that the shipping rates are very high and suggested they give at least a partial refund. At that point she tried to guilt trip me saying I didn't care if I hurt the monks who run the abbey and Christmas time brought in their only income (which isn't even true, as I found out from doing a search). Anyway, the gifts finally JUST arrived on 12/28!