Review #3: Willett Pot Still Reserve

Intro:

We found this bourbon thanks to a well-timed recommendation from our server at a steak house a few years ago. We were sitting outside in the warm summer evening and simply asked, “what would you recommend for an after-dinner sipping bourbon.” He came back with the Pot Still Reserve and we’ve been big fans ever since.

In short, it is a medium body bourbon that has a balanced flavor profile of sweet and spice.

If nothing else, the bottle alone is one of the coolest designs you can find. Not only is it in the shape of a pot still, but the dimensions of the bottle are proportionate to the original stills used. Quite distinctive when sitting on your shelf.

The Backstory:

Willett is a private, family owned distillery founded in 1936 and carries the namesake of founder Thomas Willett. The distillery was built on the Willett family farm and less than a year later, their first barrel was put into storage in Warehouse A. Warehouse A still stands today on the beautiful distillery grounds. The company stopped distilling bourbon altogether in the 1970s and early 1980s, but was resurrected when Even Kulsveen purchased the distillery in 1984 and renamed it Kentucky Bourbon Distillers. Even though Willett is a smaller distillery, they have a fairly expansive line of bourbons and rye. More to come on those in future reviews.

In 2008, Willett introduced Pot Still Reserve. Each bottle is Kentucky Straight Bourbon with 47% alcohol by volume (94 Proof). It is a small batch blend, but does not have an aging statement on the bottle. Given that other small batch blends at Willett use less than 12 barrels, it is safe to assume this follows a similar profile.

Willett Distillery

Tasting Notes:

According to Willett: The nose is “vanilla lemon cake.” The palate is a balance of caramel, vanilla, spices and citrus. I’m not sure if they made the opulent bottle to match the Whiskey or vice versa.

According to Him: That first sip hits the back of the palate and lingers for a little bit. I get a bit of the lemon and vanilla scents. The second sip hits about the same and lingers on the tongue. That’s where the spices come into play. It’s almost like with every additional sip, you get a prolonged hug. I get a little citrus on the back-end, but it is mostly the nice combination of sweet (Vanilla, Caramel, and Corn) and spice (Peppery). To top it off I get a little bit of an oaky finish.

According to Her: On the nose, you can tell it is sweet and oaky, but I also got hints of caramel and pepper. The first sip has some light heat that hit the middle of my tongue. It doesn’t burn at first but you can feel the heat building. I taste hints of corn, caramel, chocolate, and it has a smooth, nutty finish. In looking at my glass, I saw that this bourbon has some nice legs on it. After the initial sip, it goes down really smooth, almost sweet.

Willett really is a great sipping bourbon. One of my favorites at this mid-range price range. I like my bourbons smooth, with a hint of spice, a little sweet, with notes of caramel and a nutty finish.

The Rating:

We both think this is a really good bourbon, especially when you factor in a price for a 750mL bottle in the mid $40 range (depending on where you are it might be higher). For that price you get a bourbon that holds its own and has a fuller body flavor than many of its competitors at the same price (read Basil Hayden). We’ve never mixed this bourbon, though we’ve been told you can. Just never saw the point of diluting something that is really great on its own. Adding a little water helps to open up the sweetness of the flavors.

4 out of 5 Glasses. We are putting it up on that top shelf. This is the first bottle in our series of reviews going up there. It’s the combination of taste, price, and beauty that gets it up there.