MB Roland Distillery

Reviews 4

MA

Mark Lubin

I was in bourbon land and decided to ask some of the locals where the nearest distillery was so that I could stop by and experience some of the finest of the world renowned spirits. Upon asking this I was told, "Son, this is moonshine country." My interest was piqued. Not having much experience with drinking moonshine, other than a jar that I tried from the local corner store once, I decided to put on my adventurers hat and go to the MB Roland Distillery as recommended. I was very impressed by the old world charm that seemed to emanate from the country farm road that took me up to the beautiful old farm house, barn, and silos. Signs clearly led me to the front porch of the gift shop. Inside the shop I found a wonderfully kept showroom that contained MB Roland moonshine, glassware, and true southern Kentucky charm. The ladies that were working there were wonderful. I explained my interest to them and they began to educate me on the amazing diversity of moonshine. By the time I was done with my impromptu moonshine education I understood that I was standing in a very special place that was unlike anything that I had ever imagined before, the MB Roland Distillery was an authentic place, the charm was real, and the spirits they craft are amazing. I was allowed to sample in number of moonshines that they had on the shelf. I chose to start with the Kentucky Black Dog moonshine. I was instantly floored! I am not a scotch connoisseur by any stretch of the imagination, but I was immediately grasped by the smokey flavor that crossed my palate. It was a unique flavor that compared to the finest Isley scotch that I have ever tasted which is Lagavulin. There were also hints of bourbon all throughout and other unique and delicious flavors. Next I tried the True Kentucky Shine. Not having any reference to what moonshine should taste like prior to trying this libation I realized after trying it that I did now. The taste is unique and exceptional. Lastly I tried the Kentucky Apple Pie moonshine. I am not a sweet drink fan but I explained to the nice lady behind the counter that my wife enjoys a glass of Moscato wine on occasion and I was wondering if there was a moonshine that I could get for her that might be along that line. She recommended the Kentucky Apple Pie moonshine. Before she gave me a sample taste she gently shook the bottle and explained to me that she was mixing all of the delicious spice sediment that had settled onto the bottom of the bottle back into the drink. When I sipped the sample I knew that my wife would love it! Before leaving I also purchased a small tumbler glass that was sold in the shop with the MB Roland Distillery logo tastefully embossed on its side. When I was back home and able to take a closer look at the glass I found that it is very nice! It has the appearance of a hand blown piece of glassware which is almost unheard of now and days. The imperfections in the glass make it very beautiful. There are small air bubbles suspended in the glass base and faint dimpling on the bottom as well, which tells me that these glasses were carefully manufactured with care. After noticing this with their glassware I decided to inspect their bottles that are used for their product. The bottles have the same appeal to me as well. They are not a stamp cast production. Instead they remind me of something that you would find back in a long gone time. These bottles are nicely sealed by an elegant wood topped cork. I would strongly recommend going by the MB Roland Distillery to experience something very unique and charming, and if you have time take the tour. I was told They like to start at the top of the hour, so dont be late if you want to go!

EM

Emily Dreis

The people we were greeted by at the front doing the yard work were wonderful, however upon entering the gift shop we were treated horrible. We brought 2 small dogs in that we had asked about bringing in previously. Upon arriving we had decided to buy multiple Bottles of liquor, and were treated very poorly the entire time. The only attention the woman at the sample station was giving to anyone was to a man who seemed set on sampling every type of liquor. There were pauses in their conversations where we requested a sample and were told we could not start with the same one she had been pouring. We waited patiently for approximately 20 minutes while she carried on a nonsensical conversation with the man, completely ignoring our presence. Our dogs sat and waited patiently without disrupting or barking. Eventually we had to inform them we would just be leaving which seemed to be perfectly fine with the woman, to which she lost out on an easily 500 bill. The customer service is atrocious and had it not been for the lovely gardeners in the front our entire visit would have been a waste of time. The staff should be taught that customer service is the only way a small business will ever hope to stay afloat, especially with so much competition near by. The woman at the front should be trained to be more aware of other customers, and the potential ill effects that come with being unable to multitask. Talking to more than one customer at a time is essential if you only are staffed with one person. We were disappointed in her rude behavior towards us, which we felt was directed towards the fact we had pets with us. We were disappointed to not be able to purchase some Kentucky bourbon on our roadtrip, but would not give our business to a location who showed such hostility.

KE

Kelly Wiechard

Soooooo disappointing! Paid $400 to camp at the distillery for the eclipse---and yes, we had other options--- which bought us a 10x30 plot in the mosquito ridden yard between the back of a barn and a corn field. That included a gift basket with a supposed value of $75 that actually included a pair of inexpensive t-shirts, drink glasses and eclipse glasses with nary a drop of gifted bourbon in site. No freebies at the masheree either: we paid for all the tastings with the vendors that came in from other distilleries. Then just for fun, we had the option of paying an additional $100 per couple for a dinner that ended up being hamburgers, potatoes and squash although at least this time they threw in a couple of drink tickets. When I called ahead to ask if there was a place on the grounds we could park a trailer, I was rudely told no---in fact there were acres since we were leaving the morning of the eclipse--- then when I asked if they knew anywhere nearby we could park it , was told by Jennifer that her crystal ball was broken. Too bad, Jenn or it would have shown you more than a few unhappy campers back there about to travel back to various places around the country with a pretty sour impression of the experience. Sure wish wed just paid $50 to camp in your neighbors yard...or been one of the day trippers that only spent $25 a car to park there on eclipse day you all appeared to be catering to......

RO

Robert Schlamowitz

This is an unassuming business as you drive up to the main house. My wife and I got a personalized tour with Mike, who was as fun and friendly as they come. Small craft distillery tours are very different than the"the big boys" tours and Mike did a great job educationing us on the differences. Our tour lasted 45 minutes and we got some new insights into the craft. The tasting was a blast as we got to taste all their spirits utilizing very small sample cups. Just enough to whet your appetite for more and without getting you drunk. Gift shop has lots of inventory including souvenirs as well as spirits. Bourbon prices are a bit lofty but I cant get it in Florida, so.... Absolutely worth your time to visit.

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