We pulled up to Benson Valley only to find it closed, so we decided to give HOC a try instead --…read morebest detour ever! This place was absolutely amazing! From the moment we walked in, the vibe was warm and welcoming. The staff provided great whiskey conversation and shared so much interesting history about the community and the distillery. It really made the tasting feel personal and special. We had the opportunity to sample an incredible lineup: * Weller 12 * Rip Van Winkle 10yr * Castle & Key Rye * Peerless Double Oak * Benson Valley Bourbon Every pour was smooth, flavorful, and clearly high quality. The pours were generous and the explanations for each one added so much depth. If you're into whiskey (or just good conversation and local history), HOC is a must-stop. We left smiling and already planning our next visit. Highly recommend! Thanks again to the team at HOC -- you turned a closed door into one of the highlights of our road trip!

Beautiful interior and knowledgeable staff. Well stocked bar, with about any bourbon you can…read moredesire on the shelf. Love the friendly atmosphere and it feels very upscale for a small town. 6/26

What a great find after a long day on the Bourbon Trail (I mean someone has to do it)…read more We had a great server who enthusiastically gave a tour of their menu. I had the meatloaf and it was awesome. My lady had the shrimp and grits. We sat on the porch. It's just down the road from Woodford Distillery.

Charming place close to Castle and Key. Very busy, and it looks like there's always a wait. It…read morelooks like you could make reservations, though! This place is quite small, and just a warning only one bathroom. It's pretty congested by the bathroom door, and there isn't really anywhere good to wait. This could be difficult for someone with disabilities. Service was on the slow side, but very friendly. We tried the smashburger Kentucky style, and the smoked fried bologna. Both were good, and we would definitely return when in the area to try something else too. There's an outdoor area with some picnic tables, cornhole, and chalk for kids to write on the sidewalks.

I've done many tours at wineries and distilleries. The Woodford Reserve "Path to Flavor" is one of…read morethe best! Before the tour starts, use the restroom and grab some water or a "neat" sample while you wait....the welcome center is just that, "welcoming!" If you park at the Welcome Center, you'll need to walk back across the street or take the black shuttle. The tour... The grounds include some very old, well-seasoned buildings, and our tour guide gave us all the details. She was personable and knowledgeable, though it was hard to hear her at times, it's worth grabbing a spot up front if you can. What's really cool is that you get to view a working distillery in progress! This isn't some museum, it's the real facility. The "Path to Flavor" is well worth the price, particularly with the informed tasting at the end. If you ever make it on the Bourbon Trail, try this place.

Took the full immersion tour and tasting on a Friday at 11:45. Had Jeremy as our guide. A small…read moregroup we were able to tour the distillery, the barrel house, and even look into the bottling area. The tasting was also very good. Our guide was great, conversational, and you could tell he was invested in us getting to know the process. Also was able to get a bottle signed by the head distiller Elizabeth McCall

Our tour guide was Niki. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour of Buffalo Trace Distillery. Niki's…read moreHungarian heritage and her world history studies really enhanced the tour because of her vast knowledge of the long history of the distillery. She was genuinely a kind person. That kindness, along with her vast knowledge of the history of Buffalo Trace, made it a wonderful and worthwhile afternoon.

Buffalo Trace is an amazing stop on the Bourbon Trail! The atmosphere, incredible customer…read moreservice, and huge gift shop all contribute to the experience. Basically, it is Disney for adults. This was our first visit and we were able to secure 5 Trace Tour tickets for our group, which worked out perfectly since two others opted not to go on a tour (they had craft cocktails in the bar area! Win-win). The tour gave a nice overview of the history and the bourbon process. I plan to take one of their other tours in the future for more in-depth knowledge. The tour is free and you get a tasting of 4 of their bourbons at the end (plus a piece of their amazing chocolate.) The gift shop has everything you could possibly want related to BT. They also have nice selection of bourbons available for purchase that I'm not able to easily find in PA. On the day we visited they were giving out samples of their new RTD bourbon lemonade and their bourbon cream with root beer. Needless to say, we purchased all three of these items! We did grab lunch at the John Carlise café on-site. It was delicious and affordable. We had the Bluegrass Melt which was loaded with meat and came with chips. Their chocolate chip cookies are also quite tasty. I recommend grabbing a bite to eat here. Overall, I was very impressed with the organization of the BT tourist operations. They efficiently moved hundreds of people through quickly, while still creating a welcoming place. The friendliness of all the staff is commendable. We will return in the future!

I think I've found my newest favorite restaurant in Lexington! Old Bourbon Country (OBC) Kitchen,…read moreis a showstopper! This place is a must for anyone local if you haven't been, and if you're not local, it's seriously worth the trip! There are so many great things I can say about OBC, the service is phenomenal; professional, amazing recommendations, and they go out of their way to give you an unforgettable experience! Their bourbon selection is fantastic; they're guaranteed to have everything you'd want and even some things you haven't tried or been able to find anywhere else. The food is on another level! Starting with with bacon in the glass for the table is a must! This gives you a taste of the quality to come and the peanut butter accompaniment that comes with it works so well! The depth of flavor in the Cola-Braised Short Rib Tacos is unreal & even their rolls are amazing! The Ribeye is cooked to your exact liking; is a very high quality cut, and has a delicious seasoning which is the differentiator for me that makes this one of my favorite steaks I've had in a very long time! I could go on & on, but you need to experience it for yourself!

I was truly stunned by the incredible bourbon/whiskey selection at OBC. They have over 800 unique…read moreoptions and the talented/educated staff to match in order to guide you through the selection process. The shear number of bottles on the bar will keep your eyes moving about and hard to focus on anything else. For food, I had the wagyu meatballs and couscous salad. Both were well sized and utterly delicious. I'll be back here again for sure

The person at check out decided he needed to comment about my appearance and age for five minutes,…read moretelling me how I looked too young despite my ID, I am 30. I have been here several times purchasing with a male counterpart, but the one time I was alone I had to deal with the clerk discussing my appearance which I didn't appreciate in the slightest. When my age and appearance was never even questioned when I wasn't alone. Never have I wanted to leave a place more. I will be shopping elsewhere.

Friday night = cocktails at my house. To my horror, I saw the empty bottle of bitters in my liquor…read morecabinet! I made the drive to Happy Hour Liquor to check it out and give an entrepreneur my business. Ondie was a great help. He asked which drink I was planning to make, and naturally I had my two-page list on hand. Together we searched the web to determine the best pick. We have something in common since we've both recently moved back to Lexington, and we agree that it rocks. Then he gave me a sneak peek of their future bourbon bar. I'm first in line when it opens! You'll find Ondie behind the bar. He made me promise to bring my list so we can concoct some libations. My new friend! Here's a tip: if you're looking for an alternative route to Nicholasville Road, take the Harrodsburg to Keene Road connection. Such a beautiful drive past a couple of horse farms.

3.5 stars. Just a long room open to the street that on a warm Spring Saturday night, even past 10…read morepm will be interestingly dead, but with a collection of top bourbons that punch above this bar's weight. By 11:30 pm though the place suddenly is crushed, and among the college tribes stomping in are some lithe girls in half-shirts looking at their phones, amidst guys that either look preppy or like country raccoons. Good vibes. Good service that is efficient over being friendly - and why not.

Accidentally found this place when staying one night in Lexington and already want to go back! Our…read morebartender Noah was so knowledgeable about all the bourbons and helped us create a very personalized flight! We were blown away by the variety alone but the service really made this place a must stop. They also have an AMAZING espresso martini!

So good! So good! The hot fried chicken with hot honey sauce was just fantastic! Every bit was…read moreflavorful and left me wanting more. The Mac and cheese was also delicious! I'd skip the slaw next time, not bad, but would try something else. The warm cookie to finish the night was epic! Baked fresh and did not disappoint. The only downside was when I realized I left my hat there the next morning Dinner was served very quickly! The waitress was friendly and attentive (I forget her name).

Merle's is one of those restaurants where I didn't expect much from it, but nevertheless, it…read moreexceeded my expectations. It's way better than it needs to be! It could just be mediocre pub food, but the food here is very, very good. I don't know why, but when I'm in the south, I get the hankering for a deviled egg. So we started with the deviled eggs (Los Huevos El Diablo), which, despite the name, were not super spicy. They had just the right amount of spice. One thing to know about me is: If I see a patty melt on the menu, I will order that. So I got the Merle's Melt, which is a burger patty with cheddar and Monterey jack cheese, plus bacon and special sauce on buttered toast. It was sublimely tasty! It comes with house-made chips, which were good. They also offer tacos on the menu. One of my children got one steak taco and one chicken taco. The tacos are topped with tomato, lettuce and cojita cheese. I was told that these were very good! My kid eats like a bird, but ate one and a half tacos, so that must say something, right? The Lip Smack'n Mac & Cheese was also ordered, as well as the fried chicken, because the menu says that the fried chicken is award-winning, so how could we not? The fried chicken was super crispy and tasty, and the mac and cheese was creamy and made with large shells, which is the best kind of pasta to use for mac and cheese (in my opinion). The service was great, the lighting was great, and we were seated quickly, even though they seemed busy. It was a good place to have a family dinner in Louisville.

From the moment we walked in just an amazing experience. We were part of a surprise party of 6 and…read morethe staff knew it. They created our birthday girl as a reservation for 2 instead of 6 and helped us surprise her at the table. The lighting is a bit dark but that helped the surprise. The manager brought out a sparkling wine and the chef sent out an amuse bouche. The pimento spread was so good we took a pint home for $20 (shhh secret). Our waitress Mo was professional a helpful with meal suggestions and separating some mushrooms for me. The shrimp appetizer is delicious and had 9 shrimp. The corn fitters come in 4 and Mo added 2. They were okay but I'd try something different in the future. The whole large kernels were odd in a light fritter. Our meals were fantastic. Everyone raved about bites of the filet and the chicken dish. The bolognese is a staple in the menu and was almost the perfect bite, perhaps a bit more meat in the sauce but the pasta was perfect. I had the wild boar and goat cheese polenta. The polenta didn't have a strong goatyness to it but was creamy, I ate it all. The boar was done to just short of falling off the bone. I used a piece of the grilled bread from my friends pasta to finish the meal. The wine list is short but complex. We had the Rioja red, so dry and smelled of old leather, but was a perfect wine to cut through the richness of the dishes. Our seat had a great view of the whiskey wall (almost every seat does) and it was a conversation piece the whole evening. Oh, forgot to mention the manhattan can be made into a black manhattan- outstanding. Best I've had in a restaurant. We are already making plans for our parties next birthday in July and will be asking for Mo. she was there at every turn throughout the meal. Pleasant and there to help at any point. The manager checked on us two times. WHP does fine dining so well. I haven't had such a wonderful evening for everyone in quite some time. We will be back and highly recommend. Will be sending out an executive's here when they are looking for L'ville dining. Well done. Sorry no pics, the room is dark and the ones I took don't do the meal justice.

Ambiance 4.5/5: Very nice design with beautiful bar and huge bourbon selection…read more Service 4.5/5: Our server was great. Polite with good timing. Food 2.5/5: This obviously carries the most weight. The menu itself is excellent and the descriptions and components of each dish sound perfect. The execution was way off! Literally everything was far too salty and we ordered things that should not be salty... diver scallops and black cod. These are delicate proteins that don't need much help. Why oh why over-salt these?! Oddly the cook on both was very good but the seasoning ruined both dishes. Drinks 4.5/5: We had 3 different cocktails all of which were excellent.

After seeing the frilly, popular and cute distilleries to hear all their blah, blah, blah about…read morewhat makes them so special, a visit to Glenn's Creek Distilling is exactly what my group needed the other day. Old Cranky Dave and his motto: "Bourbon Without the BS" is quite refreshing when compared to the same old talk about limestone filtered water jabber as though the founder of a brand is still stirring mash along the creek. Pretty - not a bit, but this is the reality of an actual distillery. Will Glenn's Creek Distilling try to convince you they're the "first of" anything - no sir. What this site is, is the real deal, on a small scale, and a bit rough around the edges. It's not everyone's cup of tea, and there are many sites visitors can see pretty grounds hosted by some young folks who know nothing more than a company line. While they do walk-in tastings here, BE SURE TO BOOK A TASTING EXPERIENCE at 10, Noon, 2 or 4, or plan a private experience if you have more than a half-dozen in your party. I love it, and I'll return as soon as I possibly can BOB

We have been to many distilleries over the last few years and Glenns Creek Distilling is far and…read moreaway the best visit. David Meier is the owner and he will go down as one of the most-engaging and entertaining people you will meet. David is the reason we will continue to return to GCD every single time. The products offered by Glenns Creek Distilling are perfectly made with the highest of standards (David's Way). The location has an interesting history and worth every minute. When you see all the major players in the bourbon game, visit the blue-collar Glenns Creek to experience a 'puffery-free' environment and a real lesson on bourbon production. Prepare for a masterclass in bourbon.