BARDSTOWN, Ky. — The Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience is officially Whisky Magazine’s Global Whiskey Attraction of the Year.

As a bourbon educator at Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience, Susan Walton’s knowledge and enthusiasm are palpable.

“It’s just a wonderful family to work for and I love sharing bourbon with the rest of the country,” said Walton.

The bourbon advocate has always had a passion for where things are made and the level of craftsmanship that goes into how things are made.

“We began with a focus on education, sharing our quality products with people and just fostering that love of bourbon,” Walton explained.

As sales of Kentucky bourbon continue to skyrocket, this stay at home mom turned tour guide said the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience is attracting whiskey enthusiasts from across the country.

Unveiled last summer, the team at Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience, formerly the Heaven Hill’s Distillery’s Visitor Center, has been working hard at creating one of Kentucky’s finest tourism experiences.

The recently opened $19 million dollar tourist center offers interactive and educational exhibits and, of course, samples of bourbon.

“I love to see the experience through their eyes. I love to see when they’re discovering and enjoying,” added Walton.

Following a year of innovation, transformation and expansion, the family owned distillery was crowned the Global Visitor Attraction of the Year by the digital magazine.

“We’ve always enjoyed what we’re doing here. It’s nice that other people are seeing what we’re doing here and hopefully more people will come,” explains Walton.

For North Carolina visitor Stephanie Crosby, the world-class visitor experience completely reimagines the traditional whiskey tour.

“Bourbon is history in Kentucky and it’s neat to be able to see how the family has evolved and how the distillery has evolved over the years,” said Crosby.

In celebration of her 30th wedding anniversary, Crosby and her husband were looking for a well-rounded whiskey experience and took part in the one of a kind barrel sampling known as “You Do Bourbon”.

“It’s fun to go taste, but it’s also fun to see things you don’t see every day,” said Crosby

 Walton hopes more bourbon fans continue to pour in as the years go by.

Widow Jane 10 year old bourbon was also awarded World’s Best Small Batch Bourbon. Jeff Crowe, Director of Kentucky Visitor Experiences at Heaven Hill Distillery was named American Icon of Whiskey Visitor Attraction Manager of the Year.