Barrel House Distillery was founded in 2006 and is located in the barreling house of old James E. Pepper Distillery in historic Lexington, Kentucky, owned y Jeff Wiseman and Peter Wright.

The distillery offers one vodka (first product launched in 2008), two rums, two moonshines, and two bourbons (Barrel Select and Rock Castle), none of these products offered outside of the state of Kentucky.

The distillery produces 700 liters of whisky in each distillation run through pot stills, uses 26-gallon barrels (as opposed to 53-gallon barrels) to speed up the maturation process, and bottles all of its products by hand. You can see in the picture below the bottling equipment (see more on my Instagram).

The Elkhorn Tavern is located right next door to the gift shop and is a great place to start and end the tour due to the wide selection of bourbons and cocktails you can enjoy in a rustic theme.

Our tasting flight at Barrel House Distillery:

• Devil John Moonshine. Devil John honors the name of John Wright, who was a sheriff, moonshiner, and the ancestor of Pete Wright, co-founder of Barrel House. The mash bill is 90% sugar and 10% corn and bottled at 45% abv (90% proof). I remember feeling a burn on my throat when I tasted it, not a fan, but if you are into moonshine, go for it.
• Devil John Dark’s Shine. This whiskey has the same mash bill but aged for ten months in once-used charred oak bourbon barrels. I tasted some vanilla in this whiskey and liked it more than the previous one because it is a much smoother whiskey.
• Barrel House Select. This bourbon has a mash bill of 70% corn, 20% rye, and 10% malted barley and is a blend of three barrels that make up the final whisky target flavor profile. Aged for four years in level 4 char barrels and bottled at 45% abv (90% proof).

Barrel House Select was the best whiskey in the line-up. Notes of caramel and vanilla and a little spice from the wood with a short finish. This whiskey might be sourced from another undisclosed distillery because the text on the label states: “Distilled in Kentucky, Bottled & Crafted by Barrel House Distilling Company in Lexington, Kentucky.”

What I liked about the experience at Barrel House 🙂

• Jeff does a great job taking you through the history of the distillery and the production process. It was the most private experience of all tours on this trip.
• The Elkhorn Tavern gets some points for the rustic and laid-back theme. A great place to enjoy a bourbon or cocktail with friends.

What I did not like about the experience at Barrel House 🙁

The guided tasting at the end of the tour does not have a tasting room. I would have liked to have tasting glassware (instead of tiny tasting cups) and maybe a place to sit.

A “No-frills” experience, but Jeff does a good job explaining the whiskey-making process and even smelling the low wines for those of us who like to understand every aspect of the production process.

Score: 3/5 ⭐

See what the Bourbon Trail’s all about: click here to plan your visit. If you’re interested in visiting this distillery, check the available tours here. Or check other distillery reviews here.