Willett Pot Still Reserve Cask Strength Bourbon
The Stats
- Distillery: Willett Distillery
- Location: Bardstown, Kentucky
- Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Age: No age statement
- Proof: 120 (60% ABV), Fall 2026
- Mash Bill: 65% Corn, 20% Wheat, 15% Barley
- Barrel Entry Proof: 115
- Release: Seasonal, spring and fall
- MSRP: $67
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Willett Pot Still is a bottle you can recognize from across the room. Whether you like the shape or wonder where you’re supposed to put it, the packaging tends to start the conversation. The new cask strength release gives us another reason to talk about it.
More proof can make a familiar bourbon more interesting. It can also make its shortcomings harder to ignore. We poured the new release, gave it time to open up in the glass, and worked through the aroma and taste. Then we brought out the original to see how the two compared.
The Whiskey Behind the Bottle
Thompson Willett established Willett Distillery in 1936, building on a whiskey-making tradition passed down through his father and grandfather. The family connection is still part of the brand, right down to the bottle: Even Kulsveen designed its distinctive shape to replicate Willett’s patented pot still, built by Vendome Copper and Brass.
But the important detail for this review is what’s inside. It's made with Willett’s own distillate at its Bardstown distillery. Pot Still Reserve uses a wheated mash bill of 65% corn, 20% wheat, and 15% barley, with a barrel entry proof of 115.
The cask strength version is bottled without proofing it down. Our batch landed at 120 proof, compared with the standard version’s 94. Willett plans to release it around the spring and fall equinoxes, with proof varying by batch.
No age statement appears, and the suggested retail price is $67.
Tasting Notes
Aroma
The nose opened with orange zest, brown sugar, malt, and a hint of toast. It was pleasant, but not much mature oak came through.
As it opened up, we found honey bread, mint, and a zesty orange tea character, along with some plant-like, possibly floral notes. For a wheated bourbon, this wasn’t quite the nose we expected.
Taste
The first sip was funky, spicy, and bready, with pepper lingering at the back of the palate. Caramel and honey followed, but little of the fruit from the nose.
As it opened up, Arthur found toasted oak and a little cherry, while Scott leaned toward honey bread and maple sweetness. Arthur enjoyed the unusual profile; Scott wanted richer, more defined flavors. Spice remained dominant, and the mouthfeel was average.
Finish
Pepper and cinnamon led the finish, with a little herbal character carrying over from the nose. It felt sharp for a wheated bourbon and, to us, drank a little hotter than its 120 proof suggested.
Artfully Bourbon Rating
6 / 10 - Above Average
This one split us. Arthur enjoyed the funkiness and unusual character, even without especially rich flavors. Scott kept waiting for more depth, but time in the glass never quite brought it together for him. It still tasted young and sharp.
The extra proof gave Pot Still more personality. Whether that personality was enough to earn a spot on the shelf was where we disagreed.
Buy or Skip:
Conditional Buy
If you enjoy a funky, spicy bourbon with honey, bread, and herbal notes, this batch is worth considering at around $65–$70. If you’re looking for rich sweetness, mature oak, or a softer wheated profile, skip it.
We preferred the cask strength to the thinner 94-proof original. For roughly $10 more, it offered enough additional character to be our choice between the two.
This recommendation applies to the 120-proof batch we reviewed. Future batches may deliver a different experience.
Where Does It Rank?
We score every whiskey we review on the same 10-point scale, making it easy to compare bottles across styles, distilleries, and price points. Explore our complete whiskey rankings to see how every bottle stacks up.
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