Heaven Hill's new distillery at Heaven Hill Springs in Bardstown is the most consequential American whiskey opening in years: the first barrel was filled in April 2025, and the site is built for 150,000 barrels a year around Vendome copper stills. For the visitor, the way in is the Heritage Rising Tour, which trade press reporting prices at USD 55. The tour provides transport to Heaven Hill Springs with behind-the-scenes access and a tasting, which is exactly the combination a working distillery visit should offer: the place, the process, and the glass at the end.

The official Heaven Hill visitor page carries the current booking details and should be read before any trip, since tour formats at a new site settle over the first seasons. What the reporting verifies is the shape of the day: a guided route through the new distillery rather than the old visitor centre alone. That matters because Heaven Hill Springs is a production story, not a museum piece, and the tour is priced to be reachable rather than exclusive.

The second stop: Willett

Down the road in Bardstown sits Willett Distillery at 1869 Loretto Road, independently family owned and operating tours year-round of 45 minutes to an hour, according to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail's own press material. A note on the geography, stated plainly: Willett is a Bardstown distillery, a short drive from Springfield, Kentucky, not a Springfield distillery. Pair the Heritage Rising Tour with Willett's tasting room and the day covers both ends of the Bardstown ledger: the industry's biggest new bet and one of its most independent family operations. Verify times on both official sites before you go.