In a bourbon landscape increasingly dominated by scale, sourced whiskey, and polished visitor experiences, Whiskey Thief Distilling Co. continues to stand apart with a raw, authentic, and boldly independent experience. And in 2025, that approach paid off in a big way.
The Franklin County distillery is reporting 37% year-over-year revenue growth, a milestone that underscores the growing appetite for immersive, transparent bourbon experiences. Just as impressive, more than 110,000 visitors made their way to Whiskey Thief locations in 2025, signaling that bourbon fans are willing to travel for something truly different.
That “something” is what Whiskey Thief does best: letting guests taste and thieve bourbon straight from the barrel.
Whiskey Thief Distilling Co. holds a unique distinction as the first Kentucky distillery to offer every visitor a straight-from-the-barrel tasting and thieving experience. No dilution. No chill filtration. No intermediaries. Guests pull their own bourbon or rye directly from the barrel and bottle it themselves at full barrel strength, creating a one-of-a-kind expression that cannot be replicated.
That hands on model continues to resonate. In 2025, the distillery saw a 23% year-over-year increase in bottles thieved by guests, a clear indicator that visitors aren’t just tasting—they’re buying into the experience.
For more than a decade, Whiskey Thief has been quietly perfecting its craft on a 127-acre working farm in Franklin County, where much of the grain used in production is grown onsite. The distillery focuses on single barrel bourbons and whiskeys, emphasizing terroir, transparency, and individuality over mass production.
That farm based philosophy remains central to the brand’s identity, even as it grows. In October 2024, Whiskey Thief expanded its footprint with the opening of a Louisville tasting room, bringing its signature thieving experience to a wider audience while staying true to its roots.
Behind the scenes, Whiskey Thief’s growth is also reflected in its people. The company now employs more than 80 team members, a testament to both its operational expansion and its commitment to sustaining a hands on, guest driven experience.
In an era when many distilleries are chasing volume, Whiskey Thief Distilling Co. is proving that authenticity scales when it’s done right. By letting the whiskey speak for itself, straight from the barrel, the distillery has built not just a brand, but a loyal following of bourbon enthusiasts eager to get their hands dirty, their glasses full, and their bottles truly their own.
For Whiskey Thief, the future looks just as unfiltered as the whiskey in the barrel and that’s exactly how bourbon fans like it.
