© Shutterstock

All bottled up - Various bourbon whiskeys made by Jim Beam are seen on display in the T. Jeremiah Beam home at the Beam distillery in Clermont, Kentucky.

© Reuters

The Kentucky Bourbon Trail - The impressive Frazier History Museum in Louisville is the official starting point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour.

© Shutterstock

A distilling heritage - The Heaven Hill Distillery at Bardstown. Heaven Hill is a brand of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey, with a selection of super-premium bourbon products.

© Shutterstock

Hitting the trail - The tour start sign at Maker's Mark Distillery in Loretto, along the Bourbon Trail.

© Shutterstock

A time-honored tradition - Original copper stills at Maker's Mark Distillery. Maker's Mark has been in operation since 1954.

© Shutterstock

Bourbon means business - The visitor center of Alltech Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company in Lexington.

© Shutterstock

A cultural experience - The interior of Alltech Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company's visitor center.

© Shutterstock

Drink of distinction - A bottle of Maker's Mark Whisky. The first bottle of Maker's Mark was bottled in 1958 and featured the brand's distinctive dipped red wax seal.

© Shutterstock

Wild Turkey choice - Barrels of Wild Turkey Bourbon, Russell's Reserve Rye, American Honey, and Rare Breed on display at the Lawrenceburg Distillery.

© Shutterstock

Four Roses Distillery - The entrance sign to Four Roses Distillery, on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

© Shutterstock

A special lineup - Woodford Reserve Bourbon bottles on display inside the distillery's visitor center.

© Shutterstock

Heat of the moment - Handcrafted roasted bourbon barrels are used to age coffee, a Kentucky tradition.

© Shutterstock

Iconic premises - The visitor center of Woodford Reserve Bourbon Distillery in Versailles. Woodford Reserve is a brand of premium small batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon.

© Shutterstock

Bottled for the world - Bottles of Jim Beam Bourbon make their way down a conveyor belt inside the bottling plant at the Jim Beam Bourbon Distillery in Clermont.

© Getty Images

Don't spill a drop - Bourbon emptying from a freshly opened barrel along the production line.

© Shutterstock

An extraordinary whiskey - Examples of limited edition Pappy Van Winkle's family Reserve from the Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery in Frankfort.

© Reuters

Unusual architecture -

The Spanish mission-style architecture of the Four Roses Distillery. Located at Lawrenceburg, the building dates back to 1910.

© Getty Images

Age concern - Newly filled Woodford Reserve bourbon barrels ready to be transported to the warehouse for aging.

© Shutterstock

Distilled with distinction -

The Woodford Reserve Distillery near Versailles produces Woodford Reserve, a brand of premium small batch Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey.

© Getty Images

A fulfilling industry - Empty glass bottles lined up on the bottling line to be filled with whiskey.

© Shutterstock

Filled to the top - Maker's Mark bottles are filled with bourbon on the production line at the Maker's Mark Distillery plant in Loretto.

© Reuters

Seals of approval - Black walnut bourbon barrel bungs are used to seal the barrel after being filled with bourbon for aging.

© Reuters

For the connoisseur - Very rare bottles of Belmont and Cascade Kentucky bourbon.

© Reuters

Roll call - Shortly before sunrise, freshly filled barrels of Woodford Reserve are rolled along the barrel rail to be placed in warehouses at the Woodford Reserve Distillery, near Versailles.

© BrunoPress

An expert at work - Master Distiller Elmer T. Lee makes his rounds and partakes of some tasting at the Buffalo Trace Distillery, near Frankfort.

© BrunoPress

Drinking in history -

Touring the Woodford Reserve Distillery is to experience a Kentucky history lesson.

© Getty Images

Open to visitors - The attractive visitor center of the Woodford Reserve Distillery in Versailles.

© Shutterstock

The Kentucky Bourbon Festival -

The most rewarding way to get a taste for whiskey is to visit the annual Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown, the  "Bourbon Capital of the World."

See also: The best whiskey cocktails you just have to try

© Shutterstock