All Fired Up
About
Barrels
Visitor Center
All Fired Up
About
Barrels
Our friendly tour guide will give you a behind-the-scenes look at how we craft barrels.
Address: 711B E Main St, Lebanon, KY 40033
Phone: (270) 402-8009
Kentucky Cooperage Visitor Center is located across the road from Kentucky Cooperage. Tours start and end at the Visitor Center.
We were in KY doing the bourbon trail and many of the distillers mentioned getting barrels from this place. As we had a morning open, we decided to... read more book a tour and are so happy we did. The tour is through the working barrel factory, so it is loud and can be a little hard to hear, but it is very worth the effort. They show you every part of the barrel making process they are allowed to (the little bit they don't show they describe very well). It is incredibly interesting. The highlight of the show was the burning of the barrels, it is so much more impressive in person than any video would imply. The tour guide was tremendous. Very personable, very upbeat and very, very knowledgeable about every part of the process. I don't think there was a question he couldn't answer and it was obvious he loved talking about making barrels. He was sincerely invested in making sure you had a good time. If you have time, it is a great way to tie together all the distillery tours.
We were in KY doing the bourbon trail and many of the distillers mentioned getting barrels from this place. As we had a morning open, we decided to... read more book a tour and are so happy we did. The tour is through the working barrel factory, so it is loud and can be a little hard to hear, but it is very worth the effort. They show you every part of the barrel making process they are allowed to (the little bit they don't show they describe very well). It is incredibly interesting. The highlight of the show was the burning of the barrels, it is so much more impressive in person than any video would imply. The tour guide was tremendous. Very personable, very upbeat and very, very knowledgeable about every part of the process. I don't think there was a question he couldn't answer and it was obvious he loved talking about making barrels. He was sincerely invested in making sure you had a good time. If you have time, it is a great way to tie together all the distillery tours.
One of our favorite experiences of our entire KY trip! So cool to see how these barrels are made and the craftsmanship involved.
Before or after you visit a dust, you should learn about the barrels. The tour is is very interesting and fun. You can watch the cooperage process from... read more beginning to end. The barrel charring process is particularly interesting. No photographs are allowed on the tour.
This was a highlight of our bourbon trip. Definitely worth seeing. They have tours at 9, 10:30 and 1pm on weekdays only. Also a nice gift shop but wish they... read more had even more barrel related items - like an actual barrel or at least heads and staves.
It’s a must see if you’re doing any part of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail !! Great tour, so informative, don’t pass this place without stopping.
My husband and I are slowly doing the Bourbon Trail over a period of years and decided to see how the barrels were made. What an interesting and informative... read more tour. We saw the video then the tour. We saw how the staves were chosen and fitted in a circle, bound with hoops and the top and bottom added. Then the charring process which determines the flavor. We smelled like an outdoor charcoal barbeque for a while. So interesting how the barrels are recycled and used for other spirits and even shipped elsewhere in the world. All around a good learning experience.
My husband and I are slowly doing the Bourbon Trail over a period of years and decided to see how the barrels were made. What an interesting and informative... read more tour. We saw the video then the tour. We saw how the staves were chosen and fitted in a circle, bound with hoops and the top and bottom added. Then the charring process which determines the flavor. We smelled like an outdoor charcoal barbeque for a while. So interesting how the barrels are recycled and used for other spirits and even shipped elsewhere in the world. All around a good learning experience. …
Our lady tour guide was excellent. The movie, the information, the plant tour - ALL were amazing. The mechanization and hand labor that goes into each barrel is beyond wonderful... read more - it all starts here - bourbon & wine lovers! This greatly enhances one's experience...More
Our lady tour guide was excellent. The movie, the information, the plant tour - ALL were amazing. The mechanization and hand labor that goes into each barrel is beyond wonderful... read more - it all starts here - bourbon & wine lovers! This greatly enhances one's experience and understanding of the bourbon industry. Take this tour while on the Bourbon Trail! …
This was one of the most interesting and informative tours we've tried on the bourbon trail. Although it didn't end with a bourbon tasting, it was very interesting to... read more see how the bourbon barrels are made. On this tour, you'll be right there in the...More