Willett Pot Still Reserve

Willett Pot Still Reserve. Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, Bardstown, Kentucky — the most recognizable bottle in American bourbon, shaped like the copper pot still that distilled it, a single barrel Kentucky straight bourbon aged 8 to 10 years from a family that has been making whiskey in Bardstown since the 1930s — Gold Medal for taste and Double Gold Medal for design at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2008.

The bottle is no accident. When Kentucky Bourbon Distillers designed the Pot Still Reserve, the bottle's shape was a deliberate reference to the copper pot still used at the Willett Distilling Company — the vessel where the family's whiskey tradition was built. Every bottle is sealed with a label identifying the individual aging barrel, the bottle number within that barrel's series, and the total bottles produced from the barrel. No two bottles are identical, because no two barrels are.

The Willett family's connection to bourbon runs from John David Willett, who began distilling in Louisville during Reconstruction, through his son A. Lambert Willett, through Lambert and his son Thompson's founding of the Willett Distilling Company on the outskirts of Bardstown. The company's name later changed to Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, but the family tradition continued: Even Kulsveen, who built the modern KBD operation, is Thompson Willett's son-in-law; Drew Kulsveen, the current Master Distiller, is Even's son. Five generations of the same family's bourbon knowledge in a single bottle.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Brown sugar, molasses, caramel, and delicate floral notes — the single barrel's individual character asserting itself. Refined and inviting.
• Palate: Creamy and graceful — balanced vanilla, cinnamon, caramel, butterscotch, and a hint of mild coffee alongside light spice. Accessible and complex simultaneously.
• Finish: Mint, spice, and earthy wood character in a clean, satisfying close. The Gold Medal finish that won at San Francisco in 2008.

Specs

• Distillery: Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, Bardstown, Kentucky
• Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Single Barrel
• Age: 8–10 years
• Mash Bill: Wheated bourbon (corn, wheat, malted barley)
• Awards: Gold Medal for taste, Double Gold Medal for design — San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2008
• Size: 750ml

Browse the full Willett collection at Wooden Cork.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the Willett family's history? John David Willett began distilling in Louisville during Reconstruction. His son Lambert and Lambert's son Thompson founded the Willett Distilling Company in Bardstown in the 1930s. The company became Kentucky Bourbon Distillers; Even Kulsveen (Thompson's son-in-law) rebuilt the operation in 1984; his son Drew Kulsveen is the current Master Distiller. Five generations of the same Bardstown family.
• What does each bottle label document? Every Pot Still Reserve bottle is labeled with the specific aging barrel number, the bottle's number within that barrel's series, and the total bottles produced from that barrel. Since each barrel is bottled individually, every label documents a unique, unrepeatable barrel selection.
• Is the bottle really shaped like a pot still? Yes — the distinctive Pot Still Reserve bottle was specifically designed to resemble the copper pot still used at the Willett Distilling Company. The Double Gold Medal for design at the 2008 San Francisco World Spirits Competition recognized it as among the most distinctive bottle designs in American spirits.
• What makes Willett Pot Still Reserve a wheated bourbon? Pot Still Reserve uses wheat as the secondary grain instead of rye — producing a softer, rounder, creamier character than high-rye bourbons. The wheat contributes the creaminess and floral character that defines the Pot Still Reserve profile and distinguishes it from Willett's own-distilled higher-rye Family Estate expressions.