Limestone Branch is the small, easygoing distillery on the Marion County bourbon run, about 28 miles and 35 to 45 minutes southeast of Court Square in Lebanon. Its hook is family: Steve Beam, of the Beam distilling clan, revived the old Yellowstone Bourbon brand here, and the tour tells that story up close. It is open Tuesday through Saturday, walk-ins are welcome, and distilling has been paused since May 1, 2026, so expect a quiet still house but a full tasting. Pair it with Maker’s Mark and you have one of the best bourbon days you can take from Bardstown.
Why stop here
After Maker’s Mark’s landscaped farm, Limestone Branch feels refreshingly plain. It bills itself as an intimate, no-frills craft distillery, and that is exactly the appeal: smaller groups, more time with the guide and a family history that ties straight back to the biggest names in bourbon. Kentucky Bourbon Trail’s regional planner calls Yellowstone “an 1872 family brand revived by Steve Beam” and describes the distillery as the place “where the Beam family’s craft continues in small-batch form.”
If you have already toured Jim Beam in Clermont or Heaven Hill in Bardstown (where every master distiller since 1935 has been a Beam), this is the third corner of the family triangle, and the most personal one. Our history of bourbon in Nelson County traces the Beams from Jacob’s first barrels around 1795 through today.
What they make
The lineup is short, which suits a tasting.
- Yellowstone Bourbon, which the distillery says has been “pouring steady since 1872.”
- Minor Case Straight Rye, finished in cream sherry casks.
- Bowling & Burch Gin, a good pour for anyone in your group who has had enough brown spirits.
Limestone Branch lists a Double Platinum at the ASCOT Awards and a USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice win for Best Craft Whiskey Distillery on its homepage. It is also one of the seven distilleries behind the Bardstown Collection, the town’s shared limited release, next due on November 19, 2026.
The 2026 production pause
Limestone Branch and Lux Row in Bardstown are both owned by MGP, which stopped distilling at both sites on May 1, 2026 for at least 12 months. MGP’s CEO pointed to an oversupplied American whiskey market. The visitor centers stayed open with tours, tastings and retail, so the practical change for you is that the stills are idle during the tour. The story, the tasting and the shop are unchanged. The same applies at Lux Row Distillers in town.
Tours, tastings and the lounge
The visit page offers two ways in: an in-depth tour of the distillery with its history, or a guided tasting if you want to skip straight to the pours. “Reservations are appreciated, but walk-ins are always welcome.” Prices sit in the booking system, so check there or call (270) 699-9004.
Two spaces are worth knowing:
- The Minor’s Lounge pours Glencairn glasses and cocktails and has a patio built for sunsets and cigars. You can visit the bar without a tour reservation during open hours.
- The Tasting Lodge hosts private events and group experiences.
Tastings are 21+ with photo ID.
Hours and when to go
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Sunday and Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday to Saturday | 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
The Tuesday-to-Saturday schedule is the constraint to plan around. Since Maker’s Mark runs most days, a Marion County day works best Tuesday through Saturday. Mid-to-late September brings Lebanon’s Ham Days festival (September 19 to 27 in 2026), billed as one of the oldest festivals in the state; it is fun, but expect traffic and busy restaurants in town.
Getting there from Court Square
Routing puts Limestone Branch at 27.7 miles and a 34-minute minimum; allow 35 to 45 minutes on the two-lane roads through Marion County farmland. From Maker’s Mark, it is a short hop farther southeast, so the natural order is Maker’s Mark in the morning and Limestone Branch in the afternoon. Heading home, you can loop back through Springfield (Lincoln Homestead State Park is on that side) or return the way you came.
Two tastings and 55-plus miles of country road add up. Choose a designated driver or book a driver; our guide to bourbon tours and transportation lists companies that run Marion County routes.
Pair it with
Lebanon rewards an extra hour. The Lebanon National Cemetery, designated in 1867, began with the scattered remains of Union soldiers from the area; the grounds are open sunrise to sunset. The Kentucky Cooperage, which Lebanon tourism says makes most of the state’s bourbon barrels, appears on the Bourbon Trail’s regional list, but confirm its tour days directly before you go.
Our Loretto and Lebanon day trip puts all of this in order, including the Loretto Motherhouse, and our Maker’s Mark guide covers the morning half. For a longer stay, Marion County is Day 2 of the three-day Bourbon Trail itinerary.
Following the Beam family on one trip
Limestone Branch is one of three places near Bardstown where you can trace the Beam name through a single long weekend. At Jim Beam in Clermont, 15.5 miles northwest of Court Square, the family’s best-known brand tells the big-company version: Jacob Beam’s first barrels around 1795, David M. Beam’s move to Nelson County in 1854 and the rebuild at Clermont after Prohibition. At the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience in Bardstown, the story is the Beam master distillers who have run Heaven Hill’s stills for the Shapira family since 1935. Limestone Branch is the small-batch chapter, with Yellowstone revived by Steve Beam.
Do all three and you get the family’s arc from frontier farm whiskey to the craft revival, plus the tasting notes to go with it. Start with our Jim Beam guide and the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience.
Tips for your visit
- Arrive by 3:30 p.m. if you want the full tour. The distillery closes at 5, and a tour, a tasting and a look at the shop take time.
- Go on a weekday for the most personal experience. A small distillery feels smaller still on a quiet Wednesday, and your guide will have time for questions about the Beam family.
- Try the rye. Minor Case, finished in cream sherry casks, is the bottle that sets Limestone Branch apart from the bourbon-heavy stops around Bardstown.
- Save the Minor’s Lounge for last. The patio and a Glencairn pour make a relaxed end to a Marion County day, with a non-drinking driver ready for the road home.
- Call ahead for groups. Walk-ins are welcome, but a big group arriving unannounced on an October Saturday may wait. Phone (270) 699-9004.
Who it suits
Limestone Branch is at its best for travelers who have already done one or two big-campus tours and want a contrast: a small room, a short lineup and a family story told by someone with time to tell it. First-timers doing only one Marion County stop should choose Maker’s Mark. Anyone with a free afternoon in Lebanon should add this one.
Is Limestone Branch worth it?
Yes, as the second stop of a Marion County day. Do not drive 45 minutes for it alone unless Yellowstone is your bourbon; do fit it in after Maker’s Mark, when a smaller, quieter room with a good story and an unhurried tasting feels exactly right. The walk-in policy makes it forgiving if lunch runs long.
