We all know Pappy and the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection are always highly sought after, but there’s another purveyor of holy-grailed whiskeys worth studying that just landed in North Dakota for the first time: Willett Distillery.
Located in Bardstown, Ky. — the bourbon capital of the world — the Willett Distillery has been going strong since 1936. Even when the brand ceased production for nearly 30 years, it trudged forward and gained considerable fame as an independent bottler that packaged and released other distilleries’ products under the Willett name. Nowadays, the distillery is back to making its own distillate again.
The company does not identify specifically where in Kentucky its products are distilled, although it has been suggested that most of their products have been distilled by the Heaven Hill Distillery, which has its company headquarters located close to Willett Distillery. The two companies are located about a half mile from each other along the same road in Bardstown, Kentucky. The distillery also owns a few brands that don’t cite Willett as the producer, and instead go by pseudonyms like Old Bardstown Distilling Company and Noah’s Mill Distilling Company. The company works in mysterious ways, but that’s only added to its allure.
Happy Harry’s has patiently waited for Willett Distillery to land in North Dakota for many years and the time has finally come!
Now available at all locations:
Willet Pot Still Reserve – 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.
Willet Family Estate 4-year Rye – The nose is beautiful layering of brandied cherry over a mildly tart cherry and it opens up over time. The palate is robust rye with dark cherry, burnt vanilla, and spices for days. It’s a delicious rye with a weighty mouthfeel.
Noah’s Mill – One of the most lush and rich Whiskeys on the market. The nose is walnuts, prunes, and floral notes. The palate mimics the nose with walnuts, prunes, spices, intertwined with lavender and balanced with the perfect amount of acid, that leads you down a path of lingering burnt caramel.
Rowan’s Creek – Bringing your nose to the glass and your olfactory is treated to caramel and vanilla layered on herbal and floralnotes. The mouthfeel starts oily but finishes dry. On the palate you are treated to sweet caramel, vanilla, dusted in floral notes… finishing notes of oak and a lingering spiciness.
Johnny Drum Private Stock – The nose is sour apple, vanilla, and oak. The palate is a snowball rolling over fruits, vanilla, and spices, mixing them all together into a well-balanced and complex Whiskey.
Pure Kentucky – Aptly named, because when you think of Kentucky, you think Bourbon. The nose is toffee, fruit, eucalyptus and oak. The palate is cinnamon, toffee, caramel, pepper, oak, and spices.
Kentucky Vintage – Amber, with a golden cast. Medium-bodied. Buttery, smooth texture. Attractive in its viscosity and warmth of the palate. Nicely balanced by whiffs of campfire scents, soft fruit notes, and a light streak of fragrance.
Old Bardstown Estate Bottled – Nose is sweet, herbal, citrus. The palate is herbaceous, sweet fruit, vanilla, on a layer of oak and earthiness that goes on like a champion marathon runner.
Old Bardstown 90 Proof – The nose, caramel, oak, vanilla, and just a hint of floral notes. The palate follows with more of the same. A softer style Bourbon, this is a great gateway dram to converting someone to becoming a Bourbon drinker.
Cheers!
