Louisville historic estate Oxmoor Farm offering new exclusive bourbon, historical tours

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A historic estate in Louisville is offering visitors a rare look inside the Kentucky bourbon industry.

Oxmoor Farm is a 227-year-old property near St. Matthews. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. It is home to five generations of Bullitt family legal scholars.

While the 400-acre farm offers tours and hosts special events, it's getting back to its bourbon roots.

"This feels like both a step back in time and a step back into nature," Tim Knittel, adjunct professor of bourbon studies at Midway University, said. "When you look at the four-word phrase on every bottle of bourbon, 'Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey,' when you go to a distiller they are going to explain to you how they make Kentucky bourbon straight whiskey. You come to Oxmoor Farm, we're going to tell you the story of why they use those four words."

The new Oxmoor Bourbon Company is introducing a new Bourbon-themed historical tour and tasting experience that honors the family's influence on Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey.

Oxmoor Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.jpg — Oxmoor Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey on May 13, 2024 in Louisville, Ky.

"This unique new experience is not a brand-focused Bourbon or distillery tour like you'll find elsewhere in Kentucky, this is a walk through the history of Bourbon and the events that made the spirit what it is today," Shirley Harmon, curator and historian at Oxmoor Farm, said. "For years, we've taken pride in our historical tours, demonstrating the significance of the history that sits quietly in Louisville's own backyard."

Tour participants will be able to exclusively purchase Oxmoor Bourbon. Guest will be able to see the original section of the family home, which was built in 1791, along with viewing the 10,000 book library.

"What we want people to do is to come here and understand having walked through the house, having heard about the history, this is why we make bourbon," said Rosser Lomax, Oxmoor Bourbon Company general manager. "What we are here to do is give someone the experience of learning about bourbon as a culture rather than bourbon as a product."

The fourth generation of the Bullitt family produced Oxmoor Kentucky Whiskey, which was one of the last Kentucky bourbons made legally in the U.S. before Prohibition took effect in 1920.

"Bourbon is a pillar of Kentucky culture, and we owe much of it to the work of one family of legal scholars over nearly three centuries of history," Knittel said. "We're confident that Bourbon lovers, history buffs and tourists alike can step into the past, enjoy a fine Kentucky Bourbon and get a sense for what life was like at the birth of Kentucky's signature industry."

The tours start in June and will focus on the culture that has shaped the bourbon industry. Bottles will be able to be purchased for $55.

To learn more about Oxmoor Bourbon Company, click here.

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