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

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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Did not take a tour, but stopped by for a sampling and a purchase. The curators here have made this experience seamless, especially for a weekday. After checking in and providing my age verification, I was granted a wrist band that allots a free sampling of what is for sale that day, and the opportunity to purchase up to 12 bottles. I wish I could describe the whole experience, but let's just say it was calming and fun. Lots of families with kids, but you didn't really notice them. I was I lived closer. I would buy all my bourbon straight from the source. 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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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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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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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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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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Absolutely an amazing history and place to see. The tour may be hard to get in. But worth the effort to try and make it in. read more

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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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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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I visited Buffalo Trace during the Charred and Chilled event and had a wonderful time. I got to enjoy a Weller flight and a pour of blue label Weller along with some great cocktails. I love wandering the grounds and seeing the old buildings mixed in with the new buildings - a testament to the past and present of the bourbon industry. The gift shop seems to be constantly changing - reinventing itself after the great flood - I really like it, and I think it opens up the gift shop more and is definitely preparing for another extension when they add the sandwich shop - it will be interesting to see how BT changes and expands in the upcoming years. I know I will definitely visit several more times just to check on the progress and drink their bourbon. read more

Wonderful distillery.... Greeted by the aromas of cooked grains.... Come in for a tour... see where Blantons, Eagle Rare, Buffalo Trace , EH Taylor..... grab a bottle or two.... Sazerac rye.....weller.... Yea ha !!! read more

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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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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This is a beautiful and historic distillery One amazing thing is they offer their tours for free- this is unheard of in the tour industry. They have many tours offered so be sure to check fully what tour you are taking to know what is included- I signed up for a tour that was in the end not what I wanted but I appreciate the care and compassion the manager took to listen to my thoughts on the experience- this shows a great business that cares The mixers and syrups here are also high quality versions that are hard to find at a very good price Thank you read more

Buffalo Trace Distillery - Distilleries Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

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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Free Tours, Great Smells Love this place! One of the few (if not the only) distilleries around still offering free tours. The second I step out of my car and catch that whiff of the "angel's share," I know It's all good. Depending on the time you go (and your luck), there might be a bit of a wait to get in, but it usually moves quickly. The shop inside used to be a bit more organized ever since the flood, the layout feels a little congested, like they played retail Tetris and ran out of pieces. My only real wish? That you could actually enjoy more of what they make on-site. The limited patio area and small cocktail menu are fine, but imagine if they offered flights or a few more options to sip while soaking in that distillery vibe. Other spots have that Buffalo could totally level up here. Still, it's a solid visit every time. Friendly staff, great smells, and free whiskey tours Hard to complain about that. read more

Buffalo Trace Distillery - Distilleries Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

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Wow! We went on a Saturday in October and it was crazy busy! There was a line to get in - like at a club! We waited and they would let a small group go in every 10 minutes or so. Once we got through there, we went to the building where the tastings and merchandise are. We walked around a little and then went upstairs to do a tasting. There was a line there! We had to wait until there was an available tasting area. The tasting was lead by a knowledgeable staff member. We tasted three bourbons and a vodka. We went back downstairs and tried to shop, but there were so many people it was hard to even get to see everything. Also, the line to checkout was ridiculously long. We decided that if we did find something, we didn't want to stand in that line! I'd love to go back sometime when the crowds were a little less crazy! read more

Buffalo Trace Distillery - Distilleries Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

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Came here for a tour, tasting, and barrel selection and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Our guides were so great. Special shoutout to Freddie who walked us through our barrel selection! The site is historic and so beautifully rustic. I loved seeing the process the bourbon goes through and even spending a little to much in the gift shop. 10 out of 10 experience. read more

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OK, but can I just say this distillery is amazing? For a place this big, that has been present for so long, they're still amazing. Free tastings, everyone is so happy to be here, and you get to see some adorable and leashed dogs! Tours sell out very quickly, so be ready for them when possible. But even if you can't do a full tour, wandering around the gift shop, or sitting on the grounds is a great time. Specialty release days get kind of intense (people lining up from 4am onwards), but if you just want to wander around, show up after 10 and it's quite a bit calmer! read more

Buffalo Trace Distillery - Distilleries Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

Had a great experience visiting the gift shop and walking the grounds. Hubby was pleased with the selections of the day and came away with a few items to partake !! All ambassadors were happy, helpful and eager to engage. read more

Buffalo Trace Distillery - Offerings on 2/14/26 - Distilleries Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

We did the Hard Hat Tour at Buffalo Trace Distillery on a bourbon tour in the Frankfort area. This tour can be difficult to get into so book this well in advance if you want to enjoy this tour and wear closed toed shoes. You will get an inside look into the behind the scenes work that goes into crafting truly great bourbon. We learned a lot along the way and found it very interesting and informative. This tour was a little less than two hours and ended with a tasting at the end. The tour ends back in the gift shop. This was a free tour so you can't beat that! We had an amazing tour guide and really enjoyed our time visiting this distillery. read more

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I visited to do the Buffalo Trace Botanical Gardens Tour and Tasting. It was a lovely tour full of gorgeous flowers and tastings. My favorite was the Blantons. The gift shop was so nice and the grounds where beautiful. If your a local this is a great date idea! read more

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Such a great experience at Buffalo Trace. The tasting was incredible. The experience we went to also included cocktails which were good. Beautiful grounds. Easy to get to from Cincinnati. The gift shop was my favorite part! read more

Buffalo Trace Distillery - Distilleries Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

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Amazing. I wish I would have gotten here earlier to get in a tour. But the grounds and history is just somethign to behold. The staff are all amazing and friendly. This is a must stop if your doing tasting tours. This is a must stop if your visiting the area as well. read more

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Done a lot of bourbon tours. I live here. I enjoy them. I like sampling the different brands. I love learning how things are made, whether it be cars, Tabasco, or bourbon. This one is a little different. On a positive note, the tour is free. Buffalo Trace takes a different take on the tour business model. They give you a free tour and then corral the masses into a huge gift shop, and make their money there. So, while the tour is free, you pay a price for it in other ways. This tour has a very industrial feel. You quickly miss the family feel of a Maker's Mark or a Wild Turkey tour. And look, they're all owned by multi-billion dollar conglomerates. I get it. But the other distilleries do a better job, in my opinion, of making the tours more personal. They teach and show you the step by step process of making bourbon. You can see the vats of mash bubbling. You can smell the process. You can put your finger in the mash and taste it. You'll get none of that here. Our tour guide just kept asking our group, "Who wants to drink?" It was like we were at some kind of college party. Girl, I can drink at home. I'm here to learn something. I'm not recommending you avoid this one. It's free and the grounds are the beautiful grounds. And that's ok on a perfect day. Just walk around. Enjoy yourself. But don't expect a great tour. read more

Buffalo Trace Distillery - Nice place to sit outside the gift shop - Distilleries Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

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Visited Buffalo Trace on vacation. The staff did a great job and we had a wonderful tour. Loved the history and our tour guide had some wonderful insights. Down side was gift shop. While they had lots of merchandise, the allocations led to a vulturistic vibe with numerous shoppers just popping in to get the allotted bottles. Just didn't make for a good ending to the experience. read more

Buffalo Trace Distillery - Distilleries Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

Having planned this trip to Kentucky for months, my heart was broken when the news came out about the floods. I felt terrible for the people who work there and live in the area. It was an absolute miracle that Buffalo Trace was able to rebound so quickly. Understandably they are not offering tours but they did give you the opportunity to visit, have a tasting and purchase only if you had a previous tour booked. I am thankful I was able to visit the grounds. It is beautiful. The employees are so friendly and the bourbon was fantastic. I did take home 5 bottles read more

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Great place, just a bit too touristy and commercialized. Very well organized considering the crowds they draw. Only did tasting and skipped the tour, since we had our dog. Pet friendly in gift shop and patio, so that was a plus. Tasting was 4 different varieties of their choosing, nothing really remarkable but all good. Ended up with one bottle from gift shop and som trinkets. read more

This was my first distillery on my bourbon trail trip. It really set a great expectation as it was beautiful, organized and fun. They have so many different tours to do I'll definitely be back to do the others. I wished there was a restaurant to have some lunch and more cocktails but they do have a tasting experience and a little spot to grab a spiked coffee. Wonderful store to shop for any and everything you could possibly want. read more

Buffalo Trace Distillery - Bourbon tasting - Distilleries Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

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Great tour, our guide Karen was fantastic. Historic place and great bourbon. Gift shop is good, plenty to buy for take home drinks.

Very interesting and informative tour. Our tour guide was great and was absolutely amazing with our 5 year old. If you like bourbon, I would 100 percent recommend this distillery for a tour! read more

Buffalo Trace Distillery - Distilleries Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

My friends and I took the free tour yesterday. We had an amazing time. Karen our tour guide was funny and knowledgeable. She made the tour flow and gave great insight on the history of Buffalo Trace. The tasting room was fun. Talking about the different notes we get and learning about the bourbon more in depth. I would recommend this tour to anyone no matter how long you have been sipping bourbon. Thanks again to Karen and all the staff yesterday for making it a great experience. From the guy who wore a Bardstown Bourbon shirt to Buffalo Trace. read more

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So far I have been to Buffalo Trace distillery twice and both times were amazing. This most recent trip was on a Saturday for a tour. We arrived early and there was an enormous line for the gift shop. Luckily, the staff called us out of line so we could make it to the gift shop for the limited bourbon and then make it to our tour on time. The tours here are free and really fun, just be sure to book ahead of time. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and was cracking lots of jokes. You get to walk through a good amount of the distillery and learn about the bourbon making process. After the tour there is a complimentary tasting with some chocolate to go with it. My favorite bourbon of the tasting would be the Blantons...sweet, oaky and delicious. I really liked how they decorated the distillery for the fall, it felt very festive. It is definitely worth the trip! read more

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My 1st Bourbon trail distillery tour was an insightful, top-rated, FREE and fun event with tasting at BT on a property of over 400 acres. Importantly, we arrived early (at opening) to get a chance to purchase their "daily" (rotating) offering; today was a bonus as we were allowed 2 bottles/pp (1 Eagle Rare 10yr and 1 Wellers Special Reserve). I suggest pre-booking (in advance of your trip) your tour 1-2 hrs after opening time so you can purchase any daily specials or gift shop souvenirs; and remember your ID to get a wristband. Also, a shout-out and kudos to our awesome guide, Annie, who made the experience 5-Star rated - great job "Pappy"! Our tour of the oldest continuous distillery campus gave us knowledge of the bourbon making process, understanding the "Mash Bill" (recipe) variations, their Brands, and a visit to the coveted Blantons building where production is 1 barrel at a time. Our tasting today included their Wheatley Vodka (distilled 10x), original Buffalo Trace Bourbon Whiskey, Wellers Special Wheated Bourbon and Sazerac Rye Whiskey. What a treat, even if you're not a Bourbon aficionado! BT is now nearing their 9 millionth total barrel production since Prohibition, proud of their long history and expanding their biz with many Brands and new products to sample (and buy). If this is your 1st visit to Louisville area and Bourbon Trail, don't miss BT as I believe it's the ONLY Free tour in the area (although i'm sure they cash it in from all the gift shop purchases). Cheers, have fun and ENJOY!!! read more

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When we arrived in Kentucky this was our first distillery tour and we loved it! Great news- out of 5 distilleries we visited this was the only "free" tour. I say free, but it's also the shopping experience where we spent the most money. People checking in and receiving wristbands included tour visitors and shopping only visitors- so if you can't do a tour- you can still shop! When I went to make the reservation a couple weeks before our planned trip- the date I wanted was full. I signed up for the waitlist for 5 people and within a few days got the email saying they had tickets for us- so don't get discouraged if your tour day is booked- there is hope. Our tour guide did a great job and we learned SO MUCH! It was a great kick-off tour. The grounds are gorgeous and you get to see the bourbon process from corn to bottling to barrel! We bought quite a few bottles of the eponymous Buffalo Trace (priced below what we have paid in both Illinois and Minnesota). There are special labels available- all one per person. That day is was Eagle Rare and Blanton's. We had three people and you can buy them together provided all three people are at the checkout to have their wristband scanned. This was also the only shopping where samples of the bourbon are available in the shopping area. That led to the realization that a Buffalo Trace bourbon cream and root-beer make an awfully tasty drink! Bring your credit card and good walking shoes and experience the awesomeness of this distillery! read more

Just did the Discover the Trace tour. Was the best tour during our Bourbon trail week. Thought I would be done with tours after starting in Louisville then Bardstown and then Woodford/Castle and Key/Four Roses/Wild Turkey yesterday. Jermey was fantastic ambassador for Buffalo Trace, sharing history of bourbon as well as BTD history during our tour through the facility and grounds. The grounds are beautiful, the store was hoping and the tour with Jeremy was the highlight. In addition to the site tour and history we were also able to make our own PaperPlane cocktail. It was fantastic. Can't wait to get home and make it again! Very much recommend this tour and you cannot miss the Buffalo Trace visit! Ask for Jermey! read more

Buffalo Trace Distillery - Distilleries Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

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What an amazing place. We did the Trace tour. We arrived early to check the lay of the land of a bit. Everyone we encountered that worked there was awesome. They throughly enjoy their job. You can tell this is a well oiled machine. Top notch. We had Scott for our tour guide and he was fantastic. Couldn't had a better person representing Buffalo Trace. The gift shop was amazing. Highly recommend going in before the tour to check it out. Then go back after the tour. We will try again to schedule another tour. They go fast people so get on and good luck booking it. read more

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