Bardstown rightfully claims the title of the Bourbon Capital of the World, and it’s easy to see why. Many of my favorite producers are in Bardstown and its surrounding communities, with more than 30 distilleries within a short 45-minute drive from downtown. In the past two years, my wife and I have visited all the major producers several times, but two distilleries remained on my must-see list. One of them was Preservation Distillery + Farm, which I was eager to explore due to its reputation for natural beauty and the production of several award-winning bourbons I was already familiar with.
Background
Jen and I were excited for a beautiful week ahead in central Kentucky and had planned a couple of days along the Bourbon Trail to rekindle our love for the area. On Wednesday, we arrived at Preservation and were warmly greeted by two young ladies at the reception just inside the front doors. Their friendly demeanor indicated that we were in for an enjoyable hour exploring this small craft distillery and sampling their products.
Kate soon joined us as our tour guide. Although all tours on Wednesday were booked, my wife and I were the only ones scheduled for the late morning slot. While I typically enjoy tours with other visitors, having a private tour on this lovely spring day felt particularly special. The sky was a perfect blue, the air was clean and crisp, and the dogwoods and redbuds were just beginning to bloom. It was an ideal way to spend a day away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Kate began by sharing the history of Preservation Distillery. I was already familiar with owner Marci Palatella, recognized as the first female founder of a distillery in Kentucky. Today, only a few other distilleries can claim a similar distinction with female leadership. Marci established Preservation in Bardstown in 2015 after purchasing the 40-acre farm where the distillery is located, and production began in 2017. However, she was already a veteran of the bourbon industry, having started to source, bottle, and export Kentucky bourbons under various labels in the 1980s.
Production
Preservation is one of the few Kentucky distilleries that exclusively use pot stills for production. While pot distillation limits the volume of product processed, the team believes that the resulting impact on quality is evident in the bottles that reach consumers.
Production is extremely limited, currently filling about six barrels per day. In comparison to some of their larger neighbors such as Heaven Hill and Bardstown Bourbon, Preservation operates at a capacity that is less than one percent of that.
Their only rickhouse is off-site and about five minutes away. They plan to add a second rickhouse for storage within the next year or two. Bottling and labeling also take place there, managed by staff from their main production facility.
Tasting
Since their production began in 2017, most of their labels prior to now were sourced from other distilleries. Many of their own labels are just now becoming available as they reach the nine-year mark since production started. Based on the ones I tasted this week, they are off to an impressive start.
It’s worth noting that their mash bills are proprietary. They did disclose which products were high-rye or wheated, as well as one that was a four-grain blend, but the proportions of each grain remain confidential. I started with Wattie Boone and quickly moved through Old Man Winter, Cock of the Walk, and their Preservation Pot-Distilled Bourbon and Rye labels. Kate did a fantastic job introducing each label, providing a brief history of the product and highlighting what sets it apart from other bourbons and ryes. It was clear she loves her job and is committed to creating a positive visitor experience.
We concluded our tasting with Very Olde St. Nick Winter Maple. This bourbon and rye blend is finished for a minimum of three months in maple-infused French oak barrels. While I enjoy maple syrup, I have found many other maple-finished products from other distilleries to be overly sweet. That wasn’t the case here; I clearly detected maple, oak, and orange notes without feeling overwhelmed. My wife, who usually prefers bold red wines over bourbon, declared this one of her favorites.
Preservation has recently received numerous prestigious accolades. Whiskey University named them a premier distillery and tourist destination in the U.S. last year. Garden & Gun recognized them as a standout small Southern bourbon producer. Their biggest achievement to date is being named Best of Class and top overall bourbon in the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition for their Pure Antique 20-Year label, an event featuring over 6,000 entries from more than 50 countries.
Conclusion
I am often asked how to begin planning a trip to Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail. My standard advice is to start with a large distillery, include a small craft producer, and expand from there. I use the same strategy when planning my trips to California’s wine country, blending a few small wineries with large, well-known labels. Preservation Distillery would be an excellent choice for a small craft distillery to pair with a larger stop like Maker’s Mark, Bardstown Bourbon, or Jim Beam in the area. While you won’t tour rickhouses or see highly automated bottling lines at Preservation, the intimacy and natural beauty of the grounds more than compensate for these minor absences. And if you are wondering about the “+ Farm” significance, you can peer over the fence just outside the production facilities at the 33 head of longhorn cattle that were lazily grazing on Wednesday morning during our visit.
Mark Meade is the author of The Bourbon Journey, a travel guide that highlights our iconic bourbon distilleries and the experience of bourbon tourism. This column serves as a natural extension of the book. All rights reserved. For questions or comments, contact the author at mark@kentuckyjourney.com.
