By Kevin Gibson

Pursuit Spirits has its new whiskey experience up and running in Louisville, and it’s a fine addition to bourbon country.

The hands-on, intimate bottling course – which the brand refers to as The Whole Shebang – puts visitors in charge of tasting, pulling bourbon from the barrel using a whiskey thief, bottling, corking and labeling, all in one experience. But it’s probably the interaction with the Bourbon Pursuit team that most makes the experience memorable.

From the outset during my visit, a small gathering of visitors huddled for a tasting of Pursuit United spirits and a thorough history of the brand and its team. From there, the group were seated for the main, unguided tasting. The experience featured small samples (roughly half an ounce) of eight whiskeys – six bourbon, two rye – for the purpose of finding the one that best pleases one’s palate.

Each of the bourbons was the same blend, but finished in varying barrels from several distilleries which previously held a variety of mashbills and carried varying levels of char, leading to a variety of flavor profiles. Each one is coded to signify varying characteristics.

While the coding system proved confusing (for me, at least), the proof is in the tasting – let’s face it, your palate knows what it likes. As this experience took place at 9:30 a.m., my palate was in the mood for a sweeter experience, which led me to the barrel coded as 8CD-A-03. But it wasn’t an easy decision, and that’s part of the fun. It opens room for discussion and comparison with your fellow visitors.

I was paired up with a couple from Virginia – I was the only Louisville native in the entire group – named Kevin and Hayley Barber. Kevin is a knowledgeable whiskey fan, while Hayley was not a fan of whiskey at all. Well, at least until she got into the process. Kevin exhibited great joy as he watched his wife slowly reveal an affinity for rye.

And while you taste and talk about the flavors, the Pursuit Spirits team – including founders Kenny Coleman and Ryan Cecil of the popular Bourbon Pursuit podcast – walks around answering questions, chatting and offering tips. It’s truly a laid-bare experience that pulls one into the brand. And it happens in the brand’s bare-bones space that features a few dozen barrels, a bottling station and a small rack of swag.

When you’ve made your choice, you grab one of the empty bottles on the table and head to your barrel of choice, where you’ll use a copper whiskey thief to (in my case, awkwardly) fill your bottle. You then proceed to a corking machine, then a labeling machine, before adding a “private selection” sticker where you can pencil in the barrel number and your name.

And then you get to take the bottle home to share – or not. That’s up to you.

Kevin Barber called the experience “personable and exciting.” I’d call it a win if you’re a bourbon fan already and a potentially eye-opening experience if not.

Pursuit Spirits also has a downtown Louisville attraction in the works. It is expected to open in 2024. The tasting and bottling experience, as well as the brand offices, is located at 1700 Mellwood Avenue. Find out more at https://pursuitspirits.com/.