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Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour Grows To 10 Distilleries

The Kentucky bourbon industry, for all the whiskey produced in that state, is still pretty much dominated by the big guys with names like Jim Beam and Wild Turkey. But there’s a whole world of craft distilling going on there as well, which is partially why the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour was born back in 2012. It is now up to 10 “micro distilleries,” courtesy of two new additions which joined in the fun in October: Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co. in Louisville, and Hartfield & Co. Distillery in Paris.

Kentucky Peerless Distilling
image copyright The Whiskey Wash/Maggie Kimberl

The Kentucky Distillers’ Association, which maintains the Craft Trail, had this to say of the latest to the tourism adventure:

Corky Taylor and his son, Carson, have revived the Kentucky Peerless brand that their ancestor, Henry Kraver of Henderson County, made famous in the 1880s. The new state-of-the-art distillery opened in June and is located at 120 North 10thStreet in downtown Louisville.

“Kentucky Peerless is proud to join the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour, and we look forward to sharing our grain-to-bottle experience with Bourbon enthusiasts from all over the world,” Corky Taylor said. “It’s an honor to be part of such a wonderful organization.”

Kentucky Peerless is producing Bourbon, rye and a new “Lucky” moonshine. Tours are conducted Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit www.kentuckypeerless.com.

Andrew Buchanan and his wife, Larissa, became the first licensed distiller in Bourbon County since 1919 when they opened The Gentleman Distillery last year. They recently changed the name to Hartfield & Co. to reflect their family’s distilling heritage in Green County in the 1800s.

“Joining the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour was one of our original goals when all of this was just a dream,” Buchanan said. “It’s the culmination of a lot of hard work and effort. Being counted among some of the best distillers in the country is a true honor.”

The distillery, located at 718 Main Street in Paris, specializes in whiskies and rums. Tours are available Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visit www.hartfieldandcompany.com for more information.

For the curious, other participating craft tour distilleries include Barrel House in Lexington; Corsair Artisan, Bowling Green; Limestone Branch, Lebanon; MB Roland, Pembroke; New Riff, Newport; Old Pogue, Maysville; Wilderness Trail, Danville; and Willett Distillery, Bardstown.

“Craft distilleries are a thriving part of our signature industry and are increasingly vital to the future of our iconic spirit,” KDA President Eric Gregory said in a statement. “They are the next generation, and we’re all extremely proud of their growth and success.”

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