Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Willett Pot Still Reserve Single Barrel









Bourbon Review #9: Willett Pot Still Reserve - Single Barrel 
Category: Grey Zone 

Price: $45



Availability: Year Round, Everywhere

Proof: 94, 47% abv

Mashbill: No statement- Standard

Age: 8-10 Years 

Distillery: K.B.D. (Kentucky Bourbon Distillers LTD.) Bardstown, KY




     The KBD (Kentucky Bourbon Distillers) Company is currently producing bourbons such as Pure Kentucky XO, Willett, Noah’s Mill, Rowan’s Creek, Old Bardstown, Johnny Drum and Kentucky Vintage. While many of these bourbons are getting great reviews, I get the impression that casual bourbon customers are not taking the KBD Company very seriously.

     There are several misconceptions regarding KBD. These include: 1. KBD is a new Company. 2. KBD is a large, decentralized, corporate company. 3. KBD won’t release the sourcing locations for their bourbon; therefore, they must be hiding something. I will try to shed some light on these misconceptions in the previous listed order.

     1. Folks think KBD is a new company due to the facelift that it is undergoing. KBD also recently placed some new brands on the market. What most folks don’t realize, is that KBD’s is a small, family owned operation. It’s roots are rich regarding Kentucky Straight Bourbon with a heritage dating back to the late 1800’s. If you have the time and the interest, I would recommend reading the history of the Willet Company at the following link.

http://www.kentuckybourbonwhiskey.com/willett-story.html

     2. KBD has and will continue to source bourbon from other distilleries until their own juice is aged and market ready. This does not label them as a decentralized company. Though they source from several KY Distilleries, they are centrally located in Bardstown, KY. This has always been the location of the old Willett Distillery.

     3. Serious bourbon consumers want to know everything about the bourbon that they purchase. Most Distilleries make great efforts to inform their customers about every aspect of the distillation and aging process. KBD’s (Old Willett) distillery has been out of commission for decades. The current generation of the Willett family has been working very hard to restore the old Willett Distillery to its full operating potential.

     By legal contract, KBD cannot release the distilleries that they source their bourbon from. They have nothing to hide. It’s just a legal stipulation for situations regarding any company sourcing bourbon from other non-related companies. Does this mean that the current lineups of KBD brands are sub par? Not in the least! Because KBD is a small, family owned business, they can be very selective of the bourbon that they source. Heaven Hill is located just a mile down the road from KBD. Logically, this would make for a convenient sourcing location. Although this is likely true, other distilleries remain anonymous.    

     On January 18th 2012, members of the Willett family and company employees fired up the stills in an effort to once again produce KBD juice for the world. Bourbon takes a minimum of four years of aging before its fully matured and ready to be bottled. This means that we won’t likely see KBD juice on the market until 2016 at the earliest. In the mean time, don’t be afraid to pick up their brands. Jim Murray gave Willett Pot Still Family Reserve Single Barrel a 95 out of 100 rating. Jason Pile has also given their products consistently high ratings.  


                                    The newly renovated Willett Distillery in Bardstown, KY.

     







     Overall: Willett Single Barrel is another great example of single barrel bourbon. I’m starting to notice a pattern with these nicer expressions of single barrels. I think they make for some of the most balanced bourbons on the market. This may be due to the fact that more control is applied when dealing with the juice of a single barrel.

     The flavors in this expression are warm, soft, round, rich and buttery. There is a hearty presence of sweet dry corn that serves to round out the mix. I would say that the corn dominates the rye, while remaining very balanced. This is a beautiful expression of bourbon. Perhaps it’s a little more than I would like to spend for a ”go-to” bourbon. That’s why I have marked it in my “gray zone” category. Nonetheless, it’s a very nice expression, and it’s got me curious to try some of the other KBD offerings! The Colonel gives it a solid 8 out of 10.  



  






No comments:

Post a Comment