I absolutely love this distillery! Friendly staff and fantastic bourbon selection at great prices. They do a Daily Drop of hard to find bourbons which is why people start lining up early in morning. They open at 9am and offer free tours as long as you reserve online. The gift shop is huge and some of the bourbons are limited to one or two per person. Since many of the bourbons are not available in my area,this is a must stop when in the Louisville area. read more

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If I could summarize my experience in one word, it would be Disappointed. The Buffalo Trace tour and tasting was at the top of my Bourbon Trail list. My family had visited in 2017 and 2023 and raved about it, so I had high expectations. Unfortunately, after visiting five distilleries during our trip, this was one of my least favorite experiences. To start with the positives: the tours are free, which is generous, and the drinks at the bar are reasonably priced. Our guide, Tony, was knowledgeable and friendly when answering questions. However, the tour itself felt underwhelming and lacked depth. We never went inside the actual production areas, learned much about the grains or bourbon-making process, or experienced the sights and aromas I expected from a distillery tour. Even my spouse, felt the tour was somewhat scattered and lacking in detail. The tasting was even more disappointing. The tasting room was simply a room where everyone stood, and there was very little that felt special or memorable. We were given vodka samples, which felt out of place on a Bourbon Trail tour, and the bourbon selections themselves didn't feel particularly unique. Water wasn't provided at the tasting stations either; we had to walk over to a dispenser and use tiny paper cups. Most surprising of all, the tastings were served in clear plastic cups. After each pour, our guide mentioned how much the bottle cost in the gift shop, which made the presentation feel even more underwhelming. We were even told we could take the plastic tasting cups home as souvenirs. I understand that the tour is free, but Buffalo Trace is a major distillery with a huge reputation, so I expected a more polished and immersive experience. Between the lack of access to the production areas, standing throughout the tasting, limited variety, lack of readily available water, and plastic tasting cups, the overall experience felt much cheaper than I anticipated. The lemonade from the outdoor bar was actually very good and reasonably priced, so that was a bright spot. Unfortunately, overall, Buffalo Trace was one of my least favorite distillery tours and tastings of the trip. read more

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I looked at several highly rated reviews, trying to understand what they experienced and I missed. I did a tour. I was pleased with my guide. He was knowledgeable and entertaining. The content was adequate. I believe the distillation processes were thoroughly explained and history covered well. I'd rate the tour as a 4 out of 5. The grounds were well kept and clean. Again, a 4 out of 5. Now I'm not a distillery expert and probably more importantly, I don't have any brand loyalty, but where I feel Buffalo Trace would have benefited me would be by allowing for the chance to taste some of their more rare, expensive or unique whiskeys. I just don't see the value of driving to the distillery to sample the very product readily available at any Midwest alcohol shop. Here I was limited to tasting a vodka, their signature Buffalo Trace Bourbon, a Blanton's and a rye. That's all. Because I can buy these virtually anywhere. It just seemed a little shallow if not disappointing. The gift shop was nice but no chance to purchase any of the nicer whiskeys manufactured here. If you want to experience the destination you will probably enjoy this place. If you are a bit of a whiskey connoisseur, you might be a bit disappointed. read more

Buffalo Trace Distillery - Entrance - Distilleries Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

We were here this time to buy bourbon for family and friends as we have taken the tour before. We did not win the lottery draw for the opportunity to purchase a bottle of Elmer T Lee. They did give us lunch vouchers as a conciliation prize which was generous. We did get an opportunity on a 2nd quick stop in on the way home to taste it. At 128 proof I was afraid it would be fire but the host suggested a sip of water first and the bourbon flavors all got better and smoother. The staff here are so friendly. Take my money please! read more

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Today's tour was as good as our last visit a decade ago. Definitely more crowded as boring has skyrocketed in popularity. There were lines at the entrance that didn't exist years ago. Great prices on bourbon - with a bottle purchase limit. Top class tour for a product leader. read more

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What a fun stop on the Kentucky Bourbon trail. Definitely a do Not miss! Buffalo Trace is a leader in the bourbon industry. They offer a wide variety of bourbons as well as a vodka, a bourbon lemonade and other fun drinks. We stopped on a Sunday afternoon- while the place was busy the help was friendly and relaxed- did not feel rushed at all. They offer free tastings and tours. You may want to book a tour ahead of time if you plan to go on a very busy weekend. The day we were there they had a great selection of some of their specialty bourbons to buy. read more

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"Whisky is liquid sunshine." - George Bernard Shaw July 15, 2020 Buffalo Trace Distillery - My first time on the bourbon trail. Absolutely memorable. As a National land mark and the oldest continuously operating Distillery in America, Buffalo Trace Distillery has been making whisky for more than 200 years. It was an experience beyond my greatest expectations and an amazing place to begin my adventure on the bourbon trail in Kentucky. read more

I think Buffalo Trace Distillery is the only distillery around that offers complimentary tours/tastings (someone PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong ;) This Sunday I visited for a second time with my dad in town. Our tour guide, Jeremy, was informative and funny. The grounds are absolutely beautiful. I enjoyed every bit of the tasting, and especially loved the bourbon ball. We ended up buying more. Check early for tickets if you have a specific day to visit, but sometimes you can get lucky with open time slots a few days before. read more

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My wife has been in KY for just over 1.5 years and we hadn't been to a distillery. Not being a big drinker anymore... I'm just meh on it but I do feel living in KY requires certain requirements. And visiting, being a short-term bourbon alcoholic, or at least knowing a bit about bourbon is one of those things. Racking my brain for the best first, I went back and forth between a few of them. We will visit some of the others but I feel like Buffalo Trace is a good starter. It provides a bit of country, a bit of history, and there's a FREE tasting tour. It is crowded though. The bourbon craze last decade... Pappy, Eagle Rare, Blanton's, and a few other drinks put this place on the map for so many in the bourbon world. So it stays busy. It does get extra points for having a FREE tour and tasting but ultimately I think this tour focuses more on history. In my opinion, Buffalo Trace isn't the place/tour to come to to learn how it's made. There are far better distilleries for that. The tour is also a little disappointing. Like I said before, you learn a bit about history but even rickhouses... you step foot in one. It's a bit cramped and you don't get to walk around it. Again, there are far better distilleries that show off their rickhouses. It's the same with the tasting. I haven't done this tasting in a while but I was crazy surprised that they had samples of their vodka on their tasting. They did have Weller 107 on display for the tasting... and we were there when they were dropping bottles in the gift shop. I'm surprised it hasn't turned into every(almost) other product that Buffalo Trace has... it's allocated before it ever hits the shelves. Ultimately, I'd visit this distillery for the history. Just expect to visit other distilleries to learn how it's made, see the process, and in some cases, the others have grounds that are more beautiful. read more

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We tried to squeeze in a few distillery stop on our road trip, make sure you leave a decent amount of time for Buffalo Trace because we did not and wish we didn't rush it. They have free tastings, if you have little ones they will get some root beer which my one kid loved so we ended up buying some. Their store had all the swag you can think of we found the barrow coaster to be pretty cool. Not that we needed more coaster I think my husband might have a coaster obsession but I'll give it to him these were unique but he's no on a coaster band until some break of disappear. There were some tasting option in the store. They have a playground on site which was nice. We didn't have time for anything else since they were close to closing but there was so much More to check out if we ended up back in the area it won't be our last stop again. read more

Buffalo Trace is an amazing stop on the Bourbon Trail! The atmosphere, incredible customer service, 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! read more

Buffalo Trace was just a quick but enjoyable stop for us. It's it far off the highway and has ample parking. They offer a quick guided free tasting on the second floor. If you won't drink, they have samples of a yummy root beer. Our tasting hosts super personable. There was additional sampling in the merch shop on the first floor. The Buffalo Trace lemonade cans were great as were the grown up root beer floats. We're from Chicago and we'd never seen an entire wall of Blanton's before. Very exciting. read more

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And a Good Time Was Had by ALL!! First of all, the grounds are absolutely STUNNING! This would be a fabulous place to have an event! Their tours are free, which is very nice and unexpected! Especially given how nice the facility is and how well they do the tour and the tastings. All top-notch! Our tour guide was named Jay. He was kind of a low-key , laid back dude but he tried hard to entertain everyone. We were not able to get into one of the barrel rooms, but that was not his fault. Apparently they were in the middle of trying to fix something. But he was able to pivot and keep our tour going and keep it fun. The tasting was done very well. Everyone chose their favorite. We went to the on-site gift and liquor store before our tour and after and everyone working there have been trained well and were very friendly and helpful and accommodating. They have several items there that we cannot get around the area we live in and you may not have in your area either- so take advantage of buying it while you are there at the distillery. Highly recommend this tour! read more

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Buffalo Trace Distillery is a mind blowing experience for a first timer. The grounds are massive with historic buildings that have been distilling, aging and bottling bourbon over 200 years. The distillation aromas in the air are intoxicating. We arranged a tour of the facility in combination with a river cruise on the Kentucky River. We signed in for our tour early, so we could shop in the distillery gift shop. I spent several hundred dollars in the gift shop buying special bourbons that you can only purchase at the distillery. I even bought Buffalo Trace dog treats. Plan at least an hour for shopping as lines are long. Fred was our tour guide. Fred was knowledgeable, humorous, interesting and passionate about Buffalo Trace. We learned the history of the distillery, saw how barrels are made, transported and stored and saw the bottling process for the Blanton bourbons. We concluded our tour with a tasting of four bourbons and a sample Kentucky Bourbon Ball. Unfortunately, the tasting was a bit rushed for us. The bourbons were good and I would have liked to make additional purchases after the tasting, but we were not able to because of the timeline for the river cruise. Parking is free. The line to check ids is long but moves quickly. There are restrooms available. I'm told dogs and kids are welcome with some restrictions, but I didn't see any. The tour of Buffalo Trace should be on every bourbon drinker or history buff's bucket list. I want to go back. read more

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The BT Distillery has been hosting tours and welcoming the public for 20 years or more, and every time, there seems to be something new. For Blanton's Lovers, visiting BT is a big deal. Do you feel lucky? If you visit on the right day, there are bottles aplenty to buy - but only one per person. If your timing is off, there is nary a cast iron thoroughbred to be found. But that just means you should return tomorrow. They have an extensive gift shop where rare whiskeys are available for alloted purchase (a bottle every 90 days for Blanton's, Eagle Rare, etc.), check the website for daily availability. Additionally, there are multiple touring options, and complementary tastings on the second floor. The grounds are very (VERY) hilly, but fully wheelchair accessible. I stop by almost yearly - every time I make a bourbon pilgrimage to Kentucky - to reload on Blanton's. read more

Disney world of bourbon. Nice tour. More importantly they have great bottles that you can't always get in your state and they are reasonably priced. read more

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I can't believe I have never reviewed Buffalo Trace before after many visits over the years. The first stop is to obtain a wristband. You need to provide ID, and you will be given a wristband (free) which allows access to the tastings. Tastings are offered in the building with the gift shop. The tastings are free and you don't have to take the tour for the tastings. The tour is interesting and enjoyable, but you might want to make advance reservations as it does sell out at times. The gift shop is excellent, featuring everything from glasses and coasters to all varieties of clothing. There are many collectible items. Perfect place to shop for anyone who loves bourbon. There are different varieties of bourbon available each day. Today I scored a bottle of Eagle Rare, yay! Limited to one per person. It is well worth the drive to experience Buffalo Trace. It is a little off the Bourbon Trail but easy to find. read more

Buffalo Trace Distillery - Distilleries Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

We enjoyed our morning spent at buffalo Trace. It is very clean and organized. I saw a gentleman washing the screens and windows on the mill. There were ladies cleaning the outside windows at the log cabin. The staff were very friendly, helpful, and seemed to like their jobs. They allow dogs on the property and inside when making a purchase/taste testing. They gave our dogs treats and the staff welcomed them in. The property is beautiful and great to take dogs on a walk. We enjoyed our day and may go back tomorrow depending on the specials!! read more

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What a beautiful distillery! Kentucky was part of my husband's retirement trip and BT was outstanding! This place is huge! We had lunch starting our tour. Food was good people are hustling! Our guide Michael was excellent. Extremely knowledgeable and very informative. read more

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Finally landed a EH Taylor Tour. Everything was sold out online. But when I was checking into the gift shop this morning, they had an opening, so I jumped on it for this afternoon. I hear this is the best tour in terms of history and tasting. I'm excited to see how this tour compares to the others. I really liked the Trace tour and I was very disappointed with the hard hat tour, which puts a lot of pressure on this tour to deliver. Ok, so this tour was awesome. So much history. Fun. Entertaining and great tasting experience. This is hands down the best tour I've been on at Buffalo Trace. read more

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In my humble opinion, the Bourbon Trail should begin here. Based on all other distilleries we visited, Buffalo Trace is the most bourbon-centric, no frills, and no additives approach to both making bourbon and touring a distillery. It is just so simple, they don't even rotate their barrels or add any finishing touches to them. This is THE hardest tour to book. We ended up visiting on THE most crowded day they have ever experienced because they were releasing Weller CYPB (craft your perfect bourbon.) The lines were out on the roads. Even then, they proactively identified and emailed us additional parking and ran a shuttle efficiently so that all reserved tours could have expedited entry. As an event planner myself, I was so impressed by the smooth operations despite thousands of people lined up. I would suggest that you plan your visit around tour availability if needed. read more

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We had an amazing time on the Buffalo Trace Tour. Our guide was so nice as he guided us through in 100° heat. The grounds are beautiful and the gift shop is well stocked with all your favorites. We scheduled a tour so we bypassed a pretty long line. So I highly recommend you make a reservation if you want to do the tour. I heard you can do the taste testing without a reservation so check into that if that's more your speed. Also wanted to do a shoutout to all the staff. They were friendly and very helpful. read more

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Tours and tastings available, plenty of free parking. Large facility, we opted for the tasting without a tour. Immaculate facility, samples of four bourbons and a vodka, alternative was a root beer sample. General information about the facility and products. Next stop was the gift shop, with a large selection of bourbons, beverages, and accessories. It was worth our time to stop and visit. read more

Buffalo Trace Distillery - The mascot! - Distilleries Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

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We've been to Buffalo Trace more times than we can count, and somehow this trip we ended up there three times! Hunting down Taylor and Blanton's for Christmas gifts has kind of become our quest, and we're always the first ones in line. Honestly, that's part of the fun--we've met some of the nicest people just waiting together. The team at BT truly loves what they do, and it shows. Everyone is friendly, knowledgeable, and just great at their jobs. We were lucky enough to score a Hard Hat Tour, and Ron was a fantastic guide--engaging, informative, and made the whole experience even better. To top it all off, we had an unexpected encounter with Freddie, which was such a cool moment! Buffalo Trace continues to be a top-notch distillery with incredible people and, of course, some really great bourbon. Always worth the visit. read more

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Tastings are free and led expertly by the incredible staff. We were lucky enough to secure a bottle of eagle rare the second time I was there. Beautiful area to walk around. read more

Buffalo Trace Distillery - Tasting - Distilleries Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

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Fantastice event for the Holiday season at Buffalo Trace! Easy access to tickets and the entrance was set up by timeframes to avoid confusion! The walkways were well lit, decorated tastefully and family friendly. Plenty of areas for photo-ops. All the staff were happy, cheerful and welcoming to help families/couples take photos. The Spirited drinks were wonderful- boozy hot chocolate had a hint bourbon, dark chocolate and hazelnut. The 3 drinks- one was an okd-fashion style with a hint of cranberries, 2nd was more on a heavy peated taste with oak char, and the third had a hint of pine with orange zest! read more

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Only able to stop here to go to the gift shop and keep it moving. Place is massive - lots of large buildings and lines for entry. The gift shop was nice but I felt like it didn't have a whole lot of high dollar bottles or offerings. I originally tried to book a tour and tasting but they were fully booked every day we were there. read more

We love stopping by Buffalo Trace Distillery to shop, tour, and/or taste their bourbon. Today was shopping and tasting. Due to the popularity of a few of their bourbons, this distillery has grown by leaps and bounds. They have a smooth process to check you in and get you moving along to your next stop. The folks at the welcome desk are very personable and helpful with any questions. Things are always changing here - they have rearranged their gift shop assuming to better handle the flow of shoppers. Each day, they announce what they are selling. Today is Blanton's and EH Taylor - both are typically hard to find. We also were told that their 3 month "jail" to buy Blanton's has been lifted due to the US tariffs and Canada boycotting US bourbon but they still have a daily limit of one. So, we'll be back tomorrow to see if they have it available again. We did the free tasting and since I'm driving, I passed so the nice gentleman offered me some root beer. I appreciated that because it's really good root beer! read more

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Probably the best distillery I have ever been to. Everything is organized and run well. A lot of staff to help with questions, tastings, and checkout. Free samples in a big beautiful building with ac. My mil couldn't make the small walk. No problem, she got a ride on a golf cart. The best part, I love Buffalo Trace bourbon! This place has history and charm. The gift store is awesome. I probably spent too much! But I couldn't help it. I highly recommend checking this place out!! read more

Buffalo Trace Distillery - Distilleries Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

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We went with our RV Rally group. Great place visit. We walked all over the premises. Had a group tasting party. Took home a few bottles. Lots of things to see and do. read more

Just visited Buffalo Trace Distillery during our cross-country road trip, and it was a highlight! The tastings were absolutely amazing--smooth, flavorful, and expertly guided. I could've stayed there sampling all day. Unfortunately, we didn't have time for a full tour, but the tasting experience more than made up for it. The line into the gift shop was a little long (as expected at a popular spot), but it was well organized and moved quickly. The staff was friendly and helpful throughout. I ended up leaving with several excellent bottles to haul back to California--definitely worth the drive and the extra weight in the car! If you're a bourbon fan, Buffalo Trace is a must-stop. Great atmosphere, fantastic products, and solid operations even on a busy day. We'll be back next time we're in Kentucky! Highly recommended. Cheers! read more

Buffalo Trace Distillery - Distilleries Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

We didn't get to go on a tour but were able to procure a free ticket to visit the site, get some tastings and go to the gift shop. We went on a Wednesday on the road to Nashville. The tastings were great (bourbon, rye, rootbeer, ginger ale). We were lucky to get 2 great bottles to buy in their daily releases. We bought for my adult son who loves bourbon. These two (Eagle Rare and Blanton's Single Barrel) were on his list read more

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Such nice people and a beautiful location. We toured around and enjoyed the products offered. This is a fantastic spot to visit give the a try. read more

Beautiful location in Frankfort Ky. Although none of us are big drinkers, we wanted to check the place out and pick up gifts for the bourbon drinkers in our families. The distillery is very organized. Check in was easy and smoothly run. While my brother and I took the short, pleasant walk from the registration to the gift shop, the ladies took the trolley that goes around. Again we didn't take the tour, but they did have a couple of tasting tables set up, and the gift shop room was full of bourbon choices and related items. We all took advantage of the bourbons-of-the-day offers. Despite a lot of people buying things, check-out was a breeze. Everywhere the staff was friendly - all smiles, and professional as well. read more

Buffalo Trace Distillery - Gift shop mugs - Distilleries Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

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What a beautiful distillery. I thoroughly enjoyed our bourbon tour, learned a great deal about fermentation and distillation as well as some fascinating history about the distillery. We sampled some bourbon, had some coffee from the coffee bar with bourbon cream, who knew this was so good! I really recommend this tour if you're in the area, it's definitely one I will remember. read more

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Heads up, it's a decent amount of walking! But lots of information about the process and the rich history. Allan was a real fine tour guide, as he used to be a teacher and did a fantastic job answering questions. Very delightful. I was surprised there was vodka as part of the tasting! I really liked the bourbon ball, as I had never had one before. I wasn't the one that booked the tour and tasting so maybe it's well advertised but there was also cream, root beer, ginger ale to try too, which was delightful for someone that doesn't love bourbon (but loves the person they came here with to celebrate a big birthday). Their gift shop was huge! Long check out line. read more

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We came from WI to check out "Night at the Distillery" and it didn't disappoint. First of all, Trace does a great job with everything they do. This event was well run with friendly people, beautifully decorated grounds and delicious cocktails. Seeing the distillery lite up with green lights was something I won't soon forget. The highlight for me was being able to walk in the rickhouses at night. This was a perfectly spooky addition to the event. We'll be back for sure read more

Buffalo Trace Distillery - Distilleries Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

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This distillery is not only an historic site with cool early industrial age architecture and pretty grounds, but it is a fun place to visit for a tour and tasting. Book ahead, as it can get busy. The tour was interesting, especially the barrel aging warehouse. Our tour guide was very nice. We enjoyed all four of the distilled spirits we tasted (and of course bought some in the gift shop on our way out). Both the tour and tasting were free. We also had a great lunch at their cafe (called the John G. Carlisle Cafe). We had very tasty flatbreads loaded with burnt turkey ends in a sweet and tangy BBQ sauce that included bourbon mornay sauce and bourbon cherries. They got the amount of cherry exactly right, as you could definitely taste it, but it wasn't cloying or overpowering. It simply elevated the BBQ and bourbon mornay sauces. We also had their traditional Old Fashioned cocktail and a seasonal Old Fashioned that included blood orange. Both were excellent. Both the food and cocktails were reasonably priced. I highly recommend visiting the distillery, doing the tour and tasting and having lunch at the cafe. A great experience overall! read more

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I've been to Buffalo Trace now more times than I can count and I've never been disappointed. Tonight was the "Night at the Distillery" event and what a treat! The evening began with a tasting, as we set on our path to walk the grounds to hear the spooky stories, enjoy more cocktails, a tasty snacks and to see the grounds transformed to a Halloween vibe. Check-in to the tours is always a breeze- fast & friendly. We've been on every (all free!) tour offered and each offer unique bits of history about the property and the business. The tastings and chocolate at the end of the tour are always appreciated but a tour isn't necessary for the free tasting if time isn't on your side. The store offers a wide variety of products, with options from each of the bourbons /products made at Trace. Checkout at the store is also fast & friendly. Parking is always ample, no matter how busy they are. A back lot is available for the extra busy events too. The processes at Trace have certainly been perfected for the best customer facing experience possible. When visiting bourbon country, a visit to Trace should not be missed! read more

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Buffalo Trace can't be beat- their grounds are beautiful, their free tours are awesome (the guides are so knowledgeable and I learn more every time I'm on one) and it is beyond fun awaiting the bottle of the day. If you visit, be sure to stop by their outdoor patio and get an iced coffee with bourbon cream- you won't regret it Oh and go check out warehouse X- it's cool! read more

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