Preservation Distillery + Farm is the place to taste bourbon made the slow way, in copper pot stills and batches of one to three barrels, on a 40-acre former tobacco farm about six minutes southwest of Court Square. Tours and tastings start at $24, the farm tour runs about an hour, and the longhorn cattle grazing beside the barns are nearly as popular as the whiskey. It is open seven days a week, from 9:30 a.m. even on Sundays, so it makes an easy first stop on almost any day of your trip.
The story behind Preservation
Preservation was founded by Marci Palatella, who started it with her husband and whom the distillery calls a “Pioneer in the Renaissance of Bourbon.” Visit Bardstown describes it as Kentucky’s first woman-owned craft distillery. As the distillery tells it, the family started it after years of frustration finding the intensely flavored barrels they wanted.
The land has older bourbon roots. It was once part of the Ritchie Land Trust, where a distiller named Wattie Boone worked around 1776, and Preservation’s website calls him “one of the first documented bourbon makers in what is now Bardstown.” His name now appears on one of the distillery’s labels. For how he fits into the bigger picture, read our history of bourbon in Nelson County.
Pot stills, micro batches and patience
Most big Kentucky distilleries run tall column stills around the clock. Preservation does the opposite. It bills itself as the “first and only 100% pot-distilled producer in Nelson County,” working in “micro 1-3 barrel batches” and aging for “a minimum of 6 to 7 years of slow maturation.” A detailed tour review lists two mash tuns, 16 closed fermenters and two 1,000-gallon copper hybrid stills (pot stills with a small column), with water drawn from a limestone well on the property.
What that means in your glass: batches this small vary from one to the next, so two bottles of the same label can taste noticeably different, which is half the fun of tasting here. Recent releases under the Preservation name include an estate wheated pot-distilled bourbon, bottled at cask strength and unfiltered. The distillery’s founder sums up the approach in one line on its site: “Pressure makes diamonds, patience makes great Whiskey.”
The full range includes Preservation Bourbon, Very Olde St. Nick, Rare Perfection, Cock of the Walk, Pure Antique, Old Man Winter and Wattie Boone.
The farm
This is a farm first in feel. Repurposed tobacco barns hold the tasting spaces, most of the land grows corn, and a small herd of longhorn cattle lives on about six acres, fed on the spent grain from the stills. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail listing sells it well: taste and buy “1-3 barrel batch rare vintage bottles at their reclaimed barnwood bar and gift shop, or just relax and sip whiskey on the patio overlooking Preservation’s pastoral farm.” On a clear fall afternoon, that patio with low hills on the horizon is one of the calmest seats in bourbon country. If farm visits are your thing, see our guide to farms and u-pick near Bardstown.
Tours and tastings
Preservation groups its experiences into three kinds, “Tour + Tastings,” “Tasting Only Experiences” and “VIP Private Experiences,” starting at $24. The tiers below come from a 2024 review, so confirm names and prices on the Preservation booking page when you book.
| Experience | What you do | Length | Price (last reported) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welcome to Preservation Farm | Walking tour of the farm and distillery, then 3-4 spirits | About 1 hour | $24 |
| Premium Cask Overproof Whiskey Experience | Tasting of 5 spirits plus a souvenir | About 1 hour | $45 |
| VIP Ancient Reserve Experience | Private tour, barrel-room tasting, luncheon and souvenir glass | About 1.5 hours | $154 |
Which one to pick: the $24 farm tour is the right first visit and one of the best-value tours in the Bardstown area. If you already love high-proof bourbon, the overproof tasting is where Preservation’s style shows most. The VIP experience, with lunch in the barrel room, suits a small celebration.
Hours and practical tips
Preservation is open Monday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail lists it as “Open 7 Days (Except Holidays).”
- Groups are small, so book ahead for Saturdays in October.
- Wear shoes that can handle gravel and grass. This is a farm walk, not a paved campus.
- Bring a government photo ID. Tastings are 21+.
- Military discounts are available.
- Budget time and money for the gift shop. Small-batch and vintage bottles sold here are often hard to find elsewhere, and our guide to buying bourbon in Bardstown covers getting them home.
Who will love it, and who won’t
Preservation suits people who have already seen a big distillery and want the opposite: a guide who knows every barrel, a tasting of whiskey you can’t buy at home, and a farm setting where the loudest thing is often the cattle. Couples like the patio. Collectors like the small-batch and vintage bottles. Photographers like the barns in low evening light, although the doors close at 5 p.m. (4 p.m. on Sundays), so come in the afternoon rather than at sunset.
It’s a weaker fit if you want to watch a giant column still, or if you’re traveling with someone who needs paved paths throughout. The tour moves between barns and fields, so call (502) 348-7779 before booking if mobility is a concern. And if you want a restaurant lunch on site, go elsewhere: only the VIP experience lists a luncheon. Plan to eat downtown or at one of the distillery kitchens nearby.
Getting there
Preservation is at 426 Sutherland Road, about two and a half miles and six minutes from Court Square, on the southwest side of town. Parking is on the farm. The last stretch is a rural road, so drive it in daylight if you’re new to the area, and settle the question of who’s driving back before the tasting starts.
Pair it with
Preservation’s early opening makes it the ideal first stop on a south-side loop. Start here at 9:30 a.m., continue to Willett about ten minutes away for a late-morning tour, and finish at the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience, which opens at 1 p.m. on Sundays. That order works on Sundays too, with one swap: Willett is closed, so fill the gap with Lux Row or lunch downtown. See the whole list side by side in the distillery tours guide.
Is it worth it?
Yes, particularly if you’ve already done a big-name tour and want something personal. Preservation is one of the few places near Bardstown where you can see pot distilling at a small scale, taste the difference, and do it in a barn with cattle in the next field. Expect a quieter, more hands-on hour than the large visitor centers offer, and come ready to buy a bottle you won’t see at home.
