In 1768, the son of Irish immigrants traveled from Pennsylvania to Kentucky in search of salt.  What William Bard found was the town that would bear his name.

Seven generations later, William’s great-great-great-great grandson, Tom  has returned to Bardstown to carry on the family name and to establish his own legacy of being the first Bard to go into the bourbon business in the Bourbon Capital of the World. “At least as far as I know I’m the first,” says Tom, who, along with his wife Kim, has been operating a tasting room on Third Street to showcase the bourbon the couple produces at their distillery in Muhlenberg County in Western Kentucky.

The current tasting room is open daily, but will soon be replaced by a newer, larger, more improved one located two doors down from Hurst Drugs. When asked when that would be, Kim says, “just as soon as the inspectors show up to give their final stamp of approval.”

The new tasting room will be triple the size of the current one, allowing the couple who are both distillers to offer an attraction befitting Bardstown’s status. “The additional space will allow us to showcase all 10 of our award-winning products under our two separate lines,” explains Tom.

Those two lines are the Muhlenberg, which includes two bourbons as well as flavored whiskeys and cream liqueurs, and the all-bourbon Cinder & Smoke whose eponymous spirit was named one of Forbes Magazine’s Best New Bourbons of 2025.

As the flagship bourbon, Cinder & Smoke, according to the couple, “defines the beginning and end of the life cycle of our spirits.” To arrive at its distinctive flavor profile, they use barrels with a number four char, which allows the heavier char to interact more robustly with the spirit. “It’s smooth up until the last sip when it ends with a smoky finish that defines, but doesn’t linger,” says Tom.

As distinctive and memorable as it is, Cinder & Smoke isn’t the only Bard product that has a passionate fan base. “Fans will drive across the country to get a bottle of our Limited Edition John Prine, Muhlenberg Bourbon,” says Kim.

Yes, that John Prine.  Though born in Illinois, Prine’s parents were from Muhlenberg County, and he became a Kentucky folk hero with his recording of Paradise, about the devastation that strip mining for coal caused in the region. The concluding lyrics have Prine requesting, “When I die, let my ashes float down the Green River/Let my soul roll on up to the Rochester Dam.”

The Limited Edition John Prine, Muhlenberg Bourbon will be sold at the new tasting room, and part of the proceeds will be donated to Prine’s foundation, Hello in There, which provides funds for everything from flood relief to music lessons for underprivileged children.

The new tasting room’s larger space will also let them do some things they have not been able to do in the temporary space, according to Kim. “It will allow us to hold special events and create craft cocktails for our guests,” she says, adding that they plan for the tasting room to be a stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail by next summer. Although they will continue to operate out of Muhlenberg County, the couple intend to have a strong presence in the Bardstown community – both by welcoming guests to their new venture, and through their membership in organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce and Bardstown Main Street.

“We just love being in Bardstown,” says Kim, “not only because of our direct ties to it, but because the people have been so welcoming.” How could you not welcome an engaging, adventurous couple who met when she was a NASCAR racer and he was her crew chief.  Now that’s something to ask them about over a glass of Cinder & Smoke at the new tasting room. 

 Oh, and don’t forget to ask Tom about his great-great-great-great grandfather and the pioneering spirit he inherited from him.