The Bardstown Kentucky area has continued to grow and expand its reputation as a bourbon destination. Not only are there more lodging choices in the area, but a visit to the T.W. Samuels Distillery will soon be another bourbon quest.
Historical and educational
The original T.W. Samuels Distillery will be now known as the Old Samuels Distillery in Deatsville, Kentucky. The distillery is located Northwest of the city of Bardstown and will be a walk into bourbon history. The plans for this location include a museum, a tasting room, a restaurant, and a group of private cottages. The original distillery, T. W. Samuels & Son, was built in 1844 and lasted up to prohibition. When prohibition ended, Taylor William Samuels built a new distillery near the original site and operated it up to the early 1950s.
The family business
T. W. Samuels and his son William both passed away in 1898. T. W.’s grandson Leslie Samuels inherited the distillery upon his father and grandfather’s passing. A portion of the distillery was destroyed by fire in 1909, including warehouses storing nine thousand barrels of whiskey. Leslie continued to manage the distillery until 1920. When prohibition ended in 1933, Leslie’s son T. William (Bill) Samuels Sr. tried in vain to get his father to change the family recipe. Leslie did not want the change and continued to distill and distribute T. W. Samuels Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
The Maker’s Mark connection
The T.W. Samuels Distillery stopped producing whiskey in 1952, but the plant continued to bottle water, and the warehouses continued to age whiskey. Bill Samuels Senior did not like the T.W. Samuels bourbon recipe and, as previously mentioned, tried to get his father to change it. A few years later, he created the iconic Maker’s Mark brand. The T.W. Samuels Distillery grounds continue to age Heaven Hill and Maker’s Mark products. When viewing the attached video, note the unique design of the rickhouses.
The beauty of these historic sites
As I wrote previously about the abandoned Old Crow Distillery, I truly enjoy the sad but majestic beauty of these old distilleries. I cannot wait for a visit to the T. W. Samuels Distillery.