The Bard Distillery in Graham, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky is one of our favorite stops along the Bourbon Trail. We first visited last year, meeting owners Tom and Kim Bard and learning about their fascinating life stories. Recently, The Bard followed a trend among other distilleries by opening a beautiful new satellite tasting room in downtown Bardstown. Over the holiday weekend, Tom and Kim were there signing bottles, prompting us to take a day trip to Bardstown to catch up with them and enjoy a leisurely lunch at one of the excellent local dining spots.
Their new tasting room, located at 212 N Third Street, is a beautiful, historic space, well-stocked with their spirits and a lot of branded, bourbon-themed merchandise. This marked our third visit with Tom and Kim, making it feel like a homecoming. We were joined by our friends Jay and Angie Ballard, owners of Bourbon Barrel Cottages and Tours, who had also accompanied us on our first trip to the distillery in Graham. The location is conveniently situated within blocks of many of our favorite downtown spots, including Mammy’s Kitchen and the Old Talbott Tavern, making it easy to combine a tasting with lunch or dinner.
I would be remiss not to mention the quality of their spirits. I am a big fan of their flagship product, Cinder & Smoke, a high-rye bourbon. I was a bit saddened to learn they had sold out of their 10-year Founder’s Select, which I had purchased and had them sign during our previous visit. That bottle sat proudly in my collection until I donated it last year to an American Heart Association endeavor, a charity I am fully dedicated to. However, that disappointment quickly vanished when I tried their Muhlenberg You Got Gold Bourbon. This 5-year-old high-rye Kentucky Straight Bourbon is a tribute to the life and music of John Prine. It is bottled at 101.0 proof, a play on Prine’s birthday of 10/10. Perhaps I was a little biased as a fellow fan of John Prine, who passed away a couple of years ago, but I thought this bourbon was terrific.
While we were tasting, Tom informed us that Forbes Magazine named this bottle one of 2025’s best new bourbons in the country. I later learned that it also took home a Double Gold at the John Barleycorn Awards. A good portion of proceeds from the sale of this product, of which only 7,000 bottles were produced, benefit The Hello In There Foundation. Established by Prine’s family, its mission “aims to identify and collaborate with individuals and communities to offer support for people who are marginalized, discriminated against or, for any reason, are otherwise forgotten.”
The downtown location is open seven days a week: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 p.m. until 6 p.m. on Sunday. Kim and Tom are often present as they establish themselves in this new location. Kim is wonderful to talk to and has many stories to share; be sure to ask her about her time as a NASCAR driver, competing in the Busch series. If the Bard family name sounds familiar, it should: Tom is a direct descendant of William Bard, who, along with his brother David, founded Bardstown—now known as the Bourbon Capital of the World—in 1780. Welcome home, Tom.
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.
