Augusta Distillery: Kentucky Bourbon, Buckner’s and Visitor Guide
Augusta Distillery brings a working bourbon plant and a growing visitor programme to a historic factory in Augusta, Kentucky. The Ohio River setting is central to its identity, while its bottles cover both carefully selected mature stocks and the longer project of making and ageing spirit at its own site. Small Batch, Wheated Single Barrel and Buckner’s offer three useful starting points, provided their different ages and barrel strengths are kept separate.
Information checked on 27 October 2026.
At a glance
At a glance | Augusta Distillery |
|---|---|
Country | United States |
State and locality | Augusta, Bracken County, Kentucky |
Address | 207 Seminary Avenue, Augusta, KY 41002 |
Founded | 2018 |
Master distiller | Alex Castle |
Site | Converted late-nineteenth-century factory |
Still equipment | Two 35-foot Vendome copper column stills |
Principal styles | Kentucky straight bourbon, including wheated and single-barrel releases |
Visitor access | Bookable tours and tastings; experience-specific conditions apply |
Checked | 27 October 2026 |
In this guide
AI summary: key points
Founded in 2018, Augusta occupies a converted nineteenth-century factory at 207 Seminary Avenue. Alex Castle joined as its first master distiller in 2024.
The 2026 Small Batch and Wheated Single Barrel launches were described as averaging seven years old. Both are cask strength, with the exact ABV dependent on the batch or barrel.
Production tours and barrel experiences are available to adults aged 21 and over. Mature Buckner’s bottles should not be described as whiskey distilled in the newer Augusta plant.
Summarise this guide with AI
History and the development of the distillery
The company dates its foundation to 2018. Its project centres on bringing bourbon production and hospitality into a late-nineteenth-century factory in the river town of Augusta. That is the beginning of the present business, rather than a claim that a distillery has operated continuously inside the building since the nineteenth century.
In May 2024 Augusta appointed Alexandra “Alex” Castle as its first master distiller and director of distillery operations. She had previously worked at Wild Turkey and led whiskey production at Old Dominick in Memphis. The announcement placed the new plant’s first barrel production ahead of it, while the brand already sold mature bourbon.
This chronology explains the distinction between the distillery and its early range. Older bottles selected and released by Augusta are part of the business’s story, but their age cannot be used to date production at the present plant. The producer’s current material names its leadership without giving a complete public breakdown of ownership interests.
An Ohio River setting in Augusta
The visitor address is 207 Seminary Avenue, in Augusta, Kentucky. The converted brick factory, production extensions and river-town surroundings give the visit a different setting from an isolated rural warehouse complex. The official exterior photograph shows the actual Augusta premises; its pale, textured finish is the producer’s presentation of a modern photograph.
Augusta describes a seven-storey rickhouse with wooden framing and wooden racks, designed to hold around 30,000 barrels. Storage capacity is a description of the building, not a statement that every place is occupied or that all whiskey bottled under the brand was distilled nearby. Allow time for the town as well as the booked experience.
New production and selected mature stocks
A March 2026 producer release describes two 35-foot copper column stills made by Vendome and an annual capacity of approximately 14,000 barrels. Capacity should not be read as measured output. The expanding production operation sits alongside the selection, ageing and release of mature Kentucky bourbon.
Augusta’s launch range relied on older stocks. Its historic Buckner’s product material identifies Bardstown as the place of distillation. The exact source of every later release should be checked separately; the presence of a Kentucky address on a label does not identify a particular still or supplier.
The 2026 range also moves beyond a blanket single-barrel description. Small Batch combines no more than eight barrels, while Wheated Single Barrel keeps the identity of one barrel and uses wheat in place of rye. Both releases are unfiltered and cask strength. Those production descriptions are useful, but neither establishes a single fixed ABV for the whole range.
Core range and bottle guide
The representative bottles below illustrate Augusta’s current selection. Flavour descriptions paraphrase the producer’s notes. Images show particular labelled examples, so a photographed proof is not a universal specification.
Small Batch was introduced in March 2026 as an unfiltered, cask-strength Kentucky straight bourbon assembled from at most eight barrels. Wheated Single Barrel arrived alongside it, bringing a wheat-based secondary grain to the comparison. The launch describes both as averaging seven years of age. An average is not an exact seven-year age statement for every component or future release.
Buckner’s 13 Year Single Barrel is a useful contrast because it has an explicit age and an individual barrel identity. It belongs to the older, limited side of the portfolio. Check the barrel number and label when comparing bottles, especially when a retailer uses an image from a different release.
Augusta Small Batch Bourbon Augusta Wheated Single Barrel Bourbon Buckner’s 13 Year Single Barrel Bourbon
The tasting descriptions below paraphrase the producer’s notes. They are not Whisky Clan tasting scores.
Augusta Small Batch Bourbon
Style: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey
Age: Launch described as averaging 7 years; not a fixed age statement
Strength: Cask strength; varies by batch
Cask or maturation: Oak maturation; exact barrel specification not stated on the current product page
The official photograph shows batch 01 at 56.1% ABV. That example is not a fixed strength for every batch.
Nose: Vanilla and preserved cherry with brown sugar, toasted oak and baking spice.
Finish: Caramel and gentle spice, moving towards toast and corn sweetness.
Augusta Wheated Single Barrel Bourbon
Style: Wheated Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey
Age: Launch described as averaging 7 years; check the individual barrel
Strength: Cask strength; varies by barrel
Cask or maturation: Oak maturation; exact barrel specification not stated on the current product page
The official photograph shows an example at 61.1% ABV. Do not apply that strength to every single barrel.
Nose: Honeyed grain, fresh bread and vanilla with orchard fruit and toasted oak.
Finish: Creamy caramel and vanilla with soft spice and toast.
Buckner’s 13 Year Single Barrel Bourbon
Style: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey; limited single-barrel release
Age: 13 years
Strength: Cask strength; varies by barrel
Cask or maturation: New, charred American oak
Mature selected stock, not thirteen-year-old distillate from the newer Augusta plant. The pictured barrel 10 is labelled 63.65% ABV.
Nose: Mature wood and earthy grain with honey and vanilla.
Finish: Warm spice and caramel, with cream and a tea-like dryness.
Buckner’s and other limited bottles
The producer’s linked shop lists Buckner’s at 13, 15 and 17 years, alongside other Augusta releases. These are separate expressions. A 17-year listing does not make the standard Small Batch older, and the strength of one Buckner’s barrel should not be copied across other barrels.
For collectors, the most useful details are the full expression name, stated age, barrel number, proof and bottle size. Availability changes across the distillery, the linked online shop and individual retailers. An old page or a promotional photograph establishes a release’s existence, rather than guaranteeing that it can still be bought.
Tours, tasting and planning a visit
The advertised production tour takes about an hour and introduces the working distillery. Augusta also offers barrel-focused experiences and more extensive programmes for visitors who want to spend longer with the production team. Book the named experience and read its current inclusions before travelling.
Tours and tasting experiences are restricted to guests aged 21 and over. Younger visitors may enter designated public areas such as Buckner’s Landing. Pets are allowed in specified outdoor and hospitality areas, but not on tours or tastings. The producer recommends arriving 15 to 20 minutes early.
Accessibility arrangements vary by experience and route. Contact the team about step-free access, lifts and any particular mobility needs. Cocktails and flights may be available without a tour booking, but there is no full on-site restaurant. Use the current booking calendar for times and cancellation terms, and plan dining in the town separately.
Explore more regional distillery guides
These guides are suggestions for further reading. Check locations, travel distances and current bookings when planning a visit.
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Frequently asked questions
Where is Augusta Distillery?
It is at 207 Seminary Avenue in Augusta, Kentucky, beside the Ohio River. This is the Kentucky town, rather than another US city named Augusta.
Is all Augusta bourbon distilled at the Augusta plant?
No such claim should be made. The mature launch range predates the plant’s own production, and historical Buckner’s material identifies Bardstown distillation. Check the provenance of each release.
Are the two 2026 releases exactly seven years old?
The launch announcement says they average seven years old. That wording should be preserved rather than converted into a fixed seven-year age statement.
What strength is Buckner’s 13 Year?
It is bottled at cask strength and varies by barrel. Use the proof or ABV printed on the specific bottle; an online packshot may show another barrel.
Can children join a tasting or production tour?
The producer restricts its tours and tastings to adults aged 21 and over, while allowing younger visitors in designated public hospitality areas.
Sources and image credits
View sources and image credits
Producer announcement via the Kentucky Distillers’ Association: Alex Castle appointment, May 2024
Augusta Small Batch Bourbon: specifications and producer notes
Augusta Wheated Single Barrel Bourbon: specifications and producer notes
Featured image: Augusta Distillery.
Augusta Small Batch Bourbon image: Augusta Distillery.
Augusta Wheated Single Barrel Bourbon image: Augusta Distillery.
Buckner’s 13 Year Single Barrel Bourbon image: Augusta Distillery.
Research checked on 27 October 2026. Tour arrangements, releases and availability can change.
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