A maximum of 10 points will be available for each distillery visit…with 2 points available for “presentation” (basically the first impression the place puts on based on the sites, sounds, friendliness, etc), 3 points for the “experience” (whatever tour or tasting we did…which can include just doing a flight at the bar), 3 points for the Gift Shop (this will encompass all the gift shop has to offer EXCEPT for the final category), and 2 points for bottles exclusive to the distillery.
After Wild Turkey, Larrikin Bourbon Company, and lunch (in a little place in downtown Lawrenceberg) our next stop was Woodford Reserve. I think the first time I visited Maker’s Mark was 2010 and just about ever since then I’ve had people say, “Yeah, but, Woodford Reserve has really awesome grounds, as well!” So I knew that I would have to put it on the list eventually…even if their bourbon has never been a big favorite of mine.
PRESENTATION
Survey says…Ding! Yes, Woodford Reserve dose absolutely have a beautiful campus. Although Woodford Reserve itself has only existed since 1996, the distillery has been around for over 200 years, originally built as the home of the Elijah Pepper Distillery in 1812. Many very old building are still in use and are kept looking very rustic…you can “feel” the history of the place around you. Then the modern buildings are made to blend in without looking run down or old themselves, while the landscaping is kept immaculately. All-in-all, it’s an awesome place to look at and presents very well for the brand.
2/2
EXPERIENCE
We opted against yet another “production tour” and decided to do the “Spectacle for the Senses” tasting instead. In this format, we did get a short walk around a bit of the grounds while our guide told us about some of what we saw, but then we went to the “historic Dryer House” and a tasting room set up for pairing some various Woodford expressions with “small bites.” The whiskies we tried were: Woodford Reserve Bourbon Whiskey (their standard release), Double-Oaked Bourbon, Wheat Whiskey, Rye Whiskey, and Malt Whiskey. They did give us a card that shows the mash bills of each one, which was especially nice to see. What was a little bit of a let-down was the amount of the “small bites” allotted to each person…you literally were able to get 1 or 2 bites of each thing to go with the whiskies. And it’s not like they had to worry about keeping hot things hot…these were all pieces that could be bought on the snack aisle at your local grocery store. We weren’t expecting a “meal,” but it just seemed like the portions were a little stingy and didn’t really allow for a real pairing effect. Great idea…execution could have been better.
2/3
GIFT SHOP
The gift shop was spectacular…tons and tons and tons of items. Pretty much all their regular release whiskies available at prices that weren’t bad. There was a set of bitters that is hard to find elsewhere and I almost bought. Honestly, it was one of the nicest gift shops I can recall from our two visits in 2025. We did buy a bottle each of the Wheat Whiskey and Malt Whiskey because I couldn’t recall their availability at home (turns out they’re pretty easy to get).
3/3
EXCLUSIVES
Can you believe two out of two big-name distilleries in the same day that had not one single “distillery exclusive” available in the gift shop? That’s what we got, though. The closest Woodford came was having Double Double Oaked for $150-160 (or whatever it goes for). Yes, it is a little hard to find…no, it’s not an exclusive…I’ll give .5 point for that.
0.5/2
Woodford Reserve is a beautiful place that should be a stop on any bourbon aficionado’s road trip through Kentucky…at least once, anyway. While I respect the brand, I still don’t like their standard expression as much as I liked their Wheat or Malt whiskey, and I can think of 3 or 4 double-oaked bourbons I prefer to theirs…and for less money! Still, it’s a cool place to visit.
Total 7.5/10 – Great history and beautiful landscaping make for a don’t miss experience. If you love their products, it’s an even bigger must-do!
