Willett Distillery

Willett Distillery (DSP-KY-78) is one of the most respected family-owned distilleries in Bardstown — founded in 1936 by Lambert and Mary Willett, and now stewarded by the Kulsveen family. After decades of carefully sourcing and bottling other Kentucky distillates, Willett resumed in-house distillation in 2012, and the bottles coming out of their own stills now are some of the most-traded in the bourbon world. The iconic pot-still bottle silhouette is the most-recognized shape on the bourbon shelf.

Willett rotates aggressively — what we have on the shelf this week may be different next week. The most-frequent expressions in our rotation include the Family Estate Small-Batch Bourbons, the Family Estate Ryes, the Pot Still Reserve (Willett's flagship), and the rotating Single Barrel picks at cask strength. Browse the in-stock list below for what's actually on the floor right now.

Willett's house style runs a high-rye-content bourbon mash distilled to a relatively low proof off the still — that lower distillation proof retains more grain character than the industry standard, and gives the spirit more aromatic weight to take into the barrel. Combined with the Bardstown climate and Willett's patient aging, the Family Estate Bourbons consistently drink older than their stated age.