Limestone water, charred oak, and two centuries of craft. From Frankfort's historic campuses to Louisville's Whiskey Row, these are the bourbon distilleries that define Kentucky.
The full ranking
Limestone water, charred oak, and two centuries of craft. From Frankfort's historic campuses to Louisville's Whiskey Row, these are the bourbon distilleries that define Kentucky.
Buffalo Trace Distillery (Frankfort)
The oldest continuously operating distillery in America, pouring on the banks of the Kentucky River since before statehood and home to Eagle Rare, Weller, and Blanton's. Tours and tastings are still completely free, a rarity anywhere on the Bourbon Trail.
Maker's Mark Distillery (Loretto)
The black-shuttered stillhouse on Star Hill Farm is the most photographed campus in bourbon, and the tour ends with hand-dipping your own bottle in red wax. Kentucky Living readers voted it the state's best distillery tour in 2025.
Castle & Key Distillery (Frankfort)
A painstaking restoration brought Colonel E.H. Taylor's 1887 castle, springhouse, and sunken garden back from ruin on McCracken Pike. The most beautiful grounds in Kentucky distilling, with gin and rye alongside the bourbon.
Evan Williams Bourbon Experience (Louisville)
Heaven Hill's downtown showcase honors Kentucky's first commercial distiller with a working artisanal still house and a speakeasy hidden below Whiskey Row. Kentucky Living readers ranked it third in the state for 2025.
Rabbit Hole Distillery (Louisville)
Kaveh Zamanian's glass-walled NuLu distillery is modern bourbon's architectural standout, with the full production floor on open display. World Travel Awards named its tour North America's best bourbon experience in 2025.
Four Roses Distillery (Lawrenceburg)
The 1910 Spanish Mission landmark on the Salt River runs ten distinct bourbon recipes from two mashbills and five proprietary yeast strains. One of the most distinctive buildings, and rosiest origin stories, in American whiskey.
Woodford Reserve Distillery (Versailles)
A National Historic Landmark distilling among Woodford County horse farms since 1812, with triple copper pot stills inside century-old limestone walls. Widely considered the most scenic stop on the Bourbon Trail.
Willett Distillery (Bardstown)
Family owned on a Bardstown hilltop since 1936 and fiercely independent, pouring Noah's Mill, Johnny Drum, and its namesake pot still reserve. Its 4.9-star Google rating is tied for the highest of any Kentucky distillery.
James B. Beam Distilling Co. (Clermont)
Nine generations of Beam family distilling on one Clermont campus, reimagined with the craft-scale Fred B. Noe Distillery and a kitchen-table restaurant. The world's best-selling bourbon has never been more visitable.
Old Forester Distilling Co. (Louisville)
America's first bottled bourbon came home to Whiskey Row in 2018 with a working distillery that includes its own cooperage, firing new barrels in front of visitors daily. The most complete production tour in downtown Louisville.
Ranked across 5 sources: Kentucky Living · Best in Kentucky 2025 (Distillery Tour, by award tier); The Whiskey Wash · Best Bourbon Distilleries to Visit 2025 (Kentucky picks); TravelAwaits · Bourbon Distilleries Worth a Visit in Kentucky 2025 (unordered roundup); Yelp · Ranked by Rating (June 2026); Google Reviews · Ranked by Rating (June 2026). Full scoring is on the Methodology tab above.
Related lists
Browse every Top 10 List, see the experts and aggregators behind them, or play the day’s puzzles.