About Ole Smoky Barrelhouse
The Barrelhouse is the Ole Smoky location to choose when whiskey is what you came for. The official page says it is where Ole Smoky Whiskey is made the Tennessee way, and it is on the busy Parkway in Gatlinburg, so it slots easily into a walk through downtown.
What to expect
Tastings run on a walk-in basis with no reservation needed. The regular tasting is $5 per person with moonshine and whiskey samples and a $5 off coupon. The premium tasting is $8 and adds three more samples. The selection can vary, so what you try may differ from a friend's report.
The site has a line worth repeating for families: kids and dogs are always welcome, but you will have to do the tasting for them. That makes it one of the easier distilleries to visit as a mixed group.
No tour, but a tour nearby
The Barrelhouse page does not list tours. Ole Smoky points visitors to The Holler, also in Gatlinburg, for daily guided tours that finish with a 13-sample tasting. It helps to know that before you arrive expecting a still house walk-through.
Hours and location
The address is 650 Parkway, and the official site lists the Barrelhouse open daily from 10am to 11pm. Gatlinburg's free trolley runs along the Parkway, which makes it easy to ride in, taste, and ride back without hunting for a space in a downtown lot.
The Hooch Hop
This is one of the stops on Ole Smoky's East Tennessee Hooch Hop. Make a purchase at three distilleries, collect a stamp at each, and a completed passport earns a free t-shirt. Pair this stop with the Holler and the Pigeon Forge Barn, and you are halfway through a good weekend.
Making a day of it
Gatlinburg is built for walking, so a tasting here works best as one stop in a longer loop. Taste, then walk it off along the Parkway with a coffee or an ice cream. If the day is hot, the tasting room is also a cool place to duck out of the sun. Because the pours are small and the coupon is good in the shop, many visitors save their bottle purchase for the end of the trip so it travels home safely.
Plan the ride home
Tastings are for guests 21 and older, and every spirit here is strong enough to catch you out. Pick a designated driver before you walk in, or plan on a rideshare or the trolley back to your cabin or hotel. Pours are small, but five or six of them add up faster than you expect.
Good to know
- Tastings: 21+ with a valid ID.
- Walk-ins welcome, no reservations.
- Promotions are listed on the official page, so check it before you go.
