10/05/23
By Rebecca Herman McBrayer

Before closing the books on the 2023 Kentucky Bourbon Festival, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the VIP experience. There were three VIP options to select from: Bourbon Enthusiast ($495), The Flask Force ($595), and The Decanter Club ($1195). After reviewing the benefits versus costs of each, we determined that The Flask Force was the best fit for us.

At a minimum, I highly recommend getting a ticket that includes a one-hour early entry.  While there are still many people in line to get in and then at the distiller tents who are selling special offerings, it is still a much lighter feeling than when the main gates open.  For us, it also meant we left the festival at 5PM each day versus 6PM because six hours is about our limit.

The next fantastic benefit is the access to the the VIP Penthouse Tent. When it was warm and air-conditioning sounded good, we would he’d to the tent.  There were tables, chairs, and sofas for relaxing and visiting with other bourbon fans.  There were also quite a few tables and chairs outdoors to eat, drink, and visit.

We expected “small bites” to be offered throughout the day. In all honesty, the bites might have been small but they were plentiful and there was a large variety each day. Each bite was an amazing quality – fantastic work by the catering company. We never had to eat elsewhere and most days we were so full from our meal in the VIP tent that we opted not to go out for dinner in the evening. 

For beverages, the ice cold bottled water was incredibly welcomed! If you are at a bourbon festival and it is warm, you must stay hydrated. If cocktails are more your style, the VIP tent also had a daily cocktail awaiting you upon arrival – or anytime you wanted it. There were three stations for bourbon.  They each had neat pours and one had cocktails.  One of them had a wheel that you could spin to determine your pour, which could have been a Pappy. Another had rare pours scheduled throughout the day.  This provided an opportunity to not only taste something not readily available but also to have a meet-and-greet with the master distiller and/or brand ambassador. 

The VIP tent included complimentary bottle lockers, which are essential if you plan to buy any bourbon on site.  The VIP area also had upgraded portable restrooms.

The VIP Pass also included a ticket for the Opening Night Bourbon in the Air event. We absolutely loved that event and more details are in the “Day 1” post. 

Finally, there is the “swag” that was part of The Flask Force VIP Pass. 

2023 Bardstown Bourbon Company single barrel KBF bottle – signed by hall of fame master distiller, Steve Nally.

Glencairn “Skye” cut crystal whiskey tumbler.

Limited edition 2023 Flask Force tee shirt.

Collectable 2023 Flask Force credential and lanyard.

A Jacob Bromwell pewter flask – unfortunately, there was a snag in the delivery and it is supposed to be mailed to us at some point.

Also included in the swag bag was a collectible coin set and some special KBF coffee.

All in all, we loved The Flask Force experience.  It was the perfect fit for us. In a sea of 40,000 people, it is very nice to feel a wee bit special. We hope that the Kentucky Bourbon Festival continues to add levels of VIP options and that we have the opportunity to acquire the coveted tickets for 2024.

Cheers,
Rebecca