Independent Stave

This is the place to visit if you want to enhance your knowledge about how Bourbon is made and what importance the barrel has on the quality. The tours they conduct of the Cooperage are only given Mon. to Fri. There are two tours a day at 9:30am and 1:00pm and each lasts about 30 to 40 mins. Make sure you wear closed toe shoes as they will not let you go on the tour unless you are wearing them. Also, you can not take pictures so leave your camera in the car. They start out with a short talk and video. Then you go out and see how the barrels are actually constructed, then go through the charring process and finished. There was even a demonstration on how they repair a barrel and replace a stave if it is leaking. The staff is very friendly and will answer most reasonable questions. It's amazing how the charr of the inside of the barrel is a key to the whole aging process of bourbon. It is very educational and it's free.

We were on the bourbon trail and decided to do this one too. A real gem. Gives great perspective to a different step in the bourbon making process. Highly recommend. Not slick, clean or corporate which I liked. A bunch of hard working folks on a factory floor doing an important job for the product.