The shop was nice, but a lot smaller than I expected. Also, I had already seen a lot of the items offered along the bourbon trail at the various distillery gift shops. Was also a little disappointed that the bartender in the tasting room wasn't even a bourbon drinker and thus couldn't give us his own input on which ones to try. The house itself is gorgeous (along with the bar).
This place has very friendly and hospitable staff, anything related to bourbon you would ever want and a great tasting room. Our host was very helpful and six of us enjoyed a flight of bourbon and bourbon mixed drinks.
Stopped in after visiting a couple distilleries and enjoyed the tasting room. The owner was very knowledgeable and friendly and we had a great time talking with him and learning about some of the other distilleries we didn't get a chance to visit. It was more personable than some of the distillery tours we went on.
I happened to park in the municipal parking lot across the street from this place and stopped in. There is a nice bar, interesting conversation, and merchandise that was different from any I saw in the other shops. I picked up some good souveniers.
Thank you so much for your visit. We're so glad you had such an enjoyable visit. Please come back any time. Cheers!
We didn't have a whole lot of time in Bardstown, but we stopped here on a Saturday afternoon after reading about it in a travel guide. Boy, were we glad we stopped. We sampled several bourbons and ended up buying a bottle of our favorite! (Be aware: The samples aren't free.) The bartender was exceptional...so knowledgeable, friendly and willing to answer any questions we had, being we were certainly not bourbon aficionados. Lots of great stuff in the gift shop, too. This is a fantastic place to kill an hour or two, and try some bourbon as well.
I can't speak to the tasting room but the shopping was a big let down considering the amount of advertising I saw in publications. I assumed they would have lots of different bourbons at prices that were less than the distilleries. That was not the case. If you are looking for a good place to buy bourbon at realistic prices, I suggest you hit Toddy's Liquor Store in Bardstown. I can't remember the address but it is a block away from the Talbott Tavern and they have lots of different bourbons at retail prices. Toddy's is also a good place to find the one serving bottles of bourbon that you will want to take home to your friends.
We appreciate you stopping in and for your kinds words about the Marketplace. Come on back anytime. Cheers!
Bourbon Marketplace is a great discovery and a nice addition to Bardstown! One block off the main street (which is N. 3rd St / 31E) just before the roundabout (coming from the north side of town). Located in a beautiful old historic home dating from 1821. Once you enter, to the left is a very nice bourbon gift shop - lots of t-shirts, hats, souvenirs, flasks, glassware, bourbon cookbooks, etc. A nice collection of items and a one stop shop for items from many of the individual big distilleries. At each of the distilleries themselves you find merchandise, obviously, from just their company. Here you can pick up logo items from a number of the distilleries as well as items with the KY Bourbon Trail logo. A little further into the back of the gift shop side is a liquor store selling some different bourbons, wines, bourbon BBQ sauces and condiments, some cheeses, etc. A small but nice selection.To the right, once you enter the house, is a fabulous bourbon tasting bar. Lots of quaint charm to it as they have used mostly old wood to build it. The bar itself is made from the original floor joists, 200 year old pine and bourbon barrel staves. It is very cool! There is wood from hand hewn logs, a nice big wood mantle, and I was intrigued with the door... an old bank door that slides on a track.There are 2 shelves of bourbons. One shelf is all $6 a shot and the other shelf is all $7 a shot. The owner (and I'm sorry... I don't remember your name) is so nice and very knowledgeable about bourbon. We were sampling some Buffalo Trace bourbons... Col E. H. Taylor small batch and Taylor single barrel. Recommend both by the way!A relaxing atmosphere and enjoyable tasting. There is a nice open air outdoor patio with tables and casual overhead lighting strands which would be fabulous at night, but we were there during the day and enjoying the inside part of the bar.I saw this place when I was there with friends several months ago and we didn't have time to stay. Last time I was there I made it a point to take the friends I was with that day. So glad I did. This will be a "Go To" spot for sure whenever I am in Bardstown!Check out their website: www.kybourbonmarketplace.com
Thank you so much for your visit and kind words. Cheers!