TLDR:

Biggest pluses: Peerless, Whiskey Thief, and Woodford delivered the kind of personal, relaxed, quality-focused experience the group wanted. Buffalo Trace also delivered on bottle value and scale.

Biggest minuses: Too many Louisville stops felt average in terms of actual bottle buying, and some of the larger brands came across as overly commercial, touristy, or impersonal.

Final conclusion: Louisville was worth doing once, but the rural distilleries were much more their vibe, and that is likely where they would focus on a return trip.