The world's best-selling bourbon brand with eight generations of Beam family distilling. A large campus near Bardstown with multiple experience options, from casual tastings to the premium Knob Creek deep-dive.
Jim Beam is bourbon royalty, eight generations of the Beam family have been making whiskey on this ground. The Clermont campus is large, well-maintained, and offers the most variety of any distillery on the trail in terms of experience options.
Note for 2026 visits: Main-line distillation at Clermont is paused for 2026 as Beam rebalances with the market and invests in the site, so you won't see mash cooking or new spirit running through the main stills on a standard tour this year. Everything else runs as normal: tours, tastings, the Knob Creek bottling experience, rackhouse visits, the Fred B. Noe Craft Distillery, and The Kitchen Table restaurant all continue to operate. The campus also goes quiet from roughly mid-July to mid-August every year for annual maintenance, with tours still running. It's still a worthwhile stop, and knowing this ahead of time means no surprises.
The standard tour is solid but not distinctive. Where Jim Beam shines is in their premium experiences: the Knob Creek Cookhouse pairing (bourbon + BBQ), the Fred B. Noe experience at the newer facility, and the deep-dive tastings that let you explore across the Beam portfolio (Knob Creek, Basil Hayden, Baker's, Booker's).
Plan to eat here. The on-site restaurant is a genuine highlight, not just gift shop snacks. The food is well-prepared and the bourbon pairings are thoughtfully curated. It's one of the few distilleries where the dining experience is worth building into your schedule rather than rushing through to the next stop.
For first-time visitors, Jim Beam is a reliable stop. For repeat visitors, the premium experiences offer enough depth to justify a return trip.
The standard campus tour through the historic stillhouse and aging warehouses. Main-line distilling is paused for 2026, so the stills won't be running, but the tour is well-organized with a solid tasting at the end. A reliable choice if you haven't visited before.
Focused on their premium Knob Creek line. Deeper tasting, smaller groups, and a more sophisticated experience than the standard tour. Worth the upgrade if you enjoy bolder, full-flavored bourbon.
Bourbon tasting paired with BBQ from their on-site Cookhouse. A fun group activity that combines two of Kentucky's specialties.
Jim Beam is easy to book. Standard tours have availability at 1 week or less, and walk-ups are common. The premium experiences fill up a bit faster, book 1–2 weeks ahead for weekends.
The campus is between Louisville and Bardstown, so it fits naturally into the drive between the two on Day 1 or Day 2 of a trip.
Large gift shop with the full Beam portfolio. Standard bottles at MSRP. They often have distillery-exclusive Knob Creek single barrel picks and limited Booker's releases. The gift shop is more extensive than most, merchandise, home bar accessories, and a wide bottle selection.
Jim Beam delivers exactly what you'd expect from the world's biggest bourbon brand, a polished, reliable experience with plenty of options. The standard tour is fine but unremarkable. The Knob Creek Experience and BBQ pairing elevate it. Best as a stop between Louisville and Bardstown rather than a destination in itself. If you're pressed for time, the craft distilleries in Bardstown offer more memorable per-minute experiences.
Address: 526 Happy Hollow Rd, Clermont, KY 40110
Hours: Open Monday through Sunday, 9 AM – 5:30 PM. Check the distillery's site for current hours.
Parking: Free, large lot.
Kids: Allowed on tours.
Best educational tasting in Bardstown.
Modern craft facility.
National Historic Landmark campus.
Historic Bardstown dining.
James B. Beam Distilling Co. is featured in our 3-Day Bourbon Trail Itinerary. See the full day-by-day route for how it fits with nearby stops.