If Kentucky is the heart of American bourbon, then Bardstown is the warm, viscous thump that keeps it beating. And tucked within the famous "Bourbon Capital of the World" lies one of the state's most impressive gems: 1792 Distillery, home of the multi-award-winning 1792 Bourbon and a legacy steeped in character and Kentucky charm.
Barton 1792 Distillery was established in 1879 and continues today as the oldest fully-operating Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky. Situated on 196 acres, the Distillery boasts 29 barrel aging warehouses and 22 other dwellings including an impressive still house.
Whether you're a bourbon beginner or a seasoned sipper, 1792 offers a story worth knowing, and definitely a dram worth pouring.
A Quick Pour on History: Why "1792"?
The distillery's name is a nod to the year Kentucky officially became a state, a reminder that bourbon and local pride run deeply there. Founded in Bardstown in 1792, the distillery has long played a role in shaping the identity of Kentucky whiskey.
Today, under the ownership of Sazerac, 1792 stands as one of the region's most respected distilleries, known for bold, full-flavoured bourbon built on traditional methods, and just a pinch of modern flair.
Welcome to Bardstown, the Bourbon Capital of the World
If you've never been to Bardstown, picture a town where everyone knows the mash temperature of their favourite distillery and where bourbon is basically a second language. You can't drive more than a few minutes without seeing a rickhouse looming like some sort of whiskey cathedral.
1792 fits into this landscape beautifully. It's not the flashiest distillery in Bardstown, but it has that quiet and confident energy. The kind of place that doesn't need neon lights, because what's happening inside the barrels is what counts.
Behind the Scenes
Behind the historic walls of Barton is a finely tuned mix of tradition and machinery transforming grain into bold Kentucky bourbon. High-rye corn, rye, and malted barley are milled, cooked, and moved into the distillery's classic outdoor fermenters to build rich flavour.
The distillery has 18 stainless steel fermenters, many placed outside the building with terroir playing her beautiful sonnet. They rely on stainless steel fermenters because they are durable, corrosion-resistant, easy to clean, and relatively low-cost.
A towering 55-foot Vendome copper still then refines the spirit, while both coal and gas-fired boilers keep the steam flowing. Nearby, new wooden rickhouses rise across the Bardstown landscape, ready to shape decades of slow, oak-driven maturation for Barton 1792's signature whiskey.
Copper is great at stripping out unwanted compounds, so you end up with a cleaner, brighter distillate. It's not the flashy pot-still setup you'll find in the Scottish world, but it's classic Kentucky bourbon know-how at its best.
Rickhouse Magic
Like all serious bourbon operations, aging happens in towering rickhouses that heat up, cool down, breathe, expand, and do all the dramatic things barrels like to do in Kentucky's wild weather. This is where those deep caramels, spicy edges, and rich fruit notes develop.
A Brief Breakdown of our Whisky Wayfarers, Chapter 1: 1792 12-Year-Old Bottling
Welcome Whisky Wayfarers.
Twelve years is a serious stretch to let anything rest, but in the world of bourbon whiskey, time has a way of turning good into unforgettable.
This 12-year-old release starts with their signature high-rye mashbill, then settles in for more than a decade inside deeply charred American white oak. The result? A richly matured Kentucky bourbon that rewards every moment of patience with layers of depth, character, and pure sipping satisfaction.
As our inaugural Whisky Wayfarers release, it offers tremendous value for money, and this is only a small snapshot of what's to come. If you seek what lies beyond the obvious, if you're driven by curiosity, if you think you've got what it takes to join our Whisky Wayfarers family, we'd love to have you.
Join our community of collectors, dreamers, distillers and drinkers. This is just the beginning. You'll want to buckle up and settle in, because this ride is about to get seriously wild!
Learn more about Whisky Wayfarers HERE.
In Conclusion: A Bourbon with Backbone
At the end of the day, 1792 Distillery feels a bit like that friend who doesn't try to impress you, yet somehow always does. There's no shouting for attention, no outlandish marketing stunts, just solid Kentucky tenacity, delivered with a quiet confidence that speaks louder than any billboard ever could.
The more time you spend with 1792, the more you realise just how much character, history, and genuine heart sits inside each bottle. It's bourbon with backbone, a bit of spice, and enough story to keep the conversation going, long after the glasses are empty.
