Willett Distillery
by Alek Olson
In a world saturated with craft, boutique, and limited products, it can be difficult to sift through the endless list of options and single out those who are not only masters of their craft but have proven their talents over the course of history. Right now, the whiskey industry is booming as if we had just passed the repeal of Prohibition in 1933. It is great news for whiskey connoisseurs across the globe but makes it harder to sift through the never-ending string of new products and brands launching throughout the years. I like to compare it to candy at the gas station — there are just too many options!
Among the many brands fighting for the “whiskey hunters” yearning eyes, Willett has captured their attention in a new way. Is it the presentation? The Scarcity? The Story? The Experience? I do not think any of those options can be singled out to stand alone — I believe it is a calculated mixture of all the above that has captured whiskey buyers by storm.
The Willett family has been involved in producing bourbon since the 19th century, but the Willett Distilling Company did not produce its first barrel in Bardstown, KY until 1937 while under the leadership of Lambert Willett and his sons — primarily his son, Thompson WIllett. Thompson led the company to great success in its day, but the economy made it difficult to use the materials they needed to stay in business, so in the 1070s, they shifted to creating ethanol which was a short-lived pivot and resulted in fully shutting down the distillery's production. During this tumultuous time, Thompson eventually sold the business to his daughter and son-in-law, Martha, and Evan Kulsveen. The Kulsveens purchased the property in 1984 and renamed the company Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (KBD), which continued distilling their previous recipes until they had stopped distilling altogether. This is the pivot that brought them the fame and success they enjoy today.
In 2006, what the Kulsveen family focused on and became experts in was sourcing barrels of bourbon to age at their facility, blend, and bottle. This evolution and focus is what led them to produce products that are scarce, expensive, and highly collectible such as the Willett Family Estate series - commonly known as “Green Top” or “Purple Top.” Green Top is their caskstrength Willett Family Estate Rye whiskey, and the Purple Top is KBDs cask-strength Willett Family Estate Bourbon.
It was not until 2012 when Evan Kuslveens son, Drew, now Master Distiller at Willett Distillery, filled the first barrel of whiskey that was distilled at the Willett Distillery and has been producing nothing but phenomenal products since then. Currently, there are 12 products produced at the distillery (visit kentuckybourbonwhiskey.com to see the full list), including Pot Still, Rowans Creek, Noah's Mill, and the Family Estate series, but true collectors are specifically after the Purple Top.
There is a lot of speculation in the whiskey world on what age statement of the Willett Family Estate was first distilled at the Willett Distillery, but it is widely accepted that the 9-Year Willett Family Estate Bourbon is the first of the Family Estate Series to be fully produced at the distillery. In every industry that we cover in this magazine, there are endless lists of blogs, forums, Facebook groups, etc. that will stop at nothing to find the most unique, rare, aged, and interesting products out there, but in the whiskey community, Willett seems to be at its peak within these groups. In fact, there is a shared and somewhat public Google sheet with nearly 10,000 records (and counting) of all Family Estate bottles that have been found by collectors all across the country!
The story of Willett and the dedication to the craft that the Kulsveen family has shown is what will continue to grow the whiskey industry for many years to come! As unique as their story is, they are not alone in the pursuit to bring the highest quality products to the market in the whiskey space.
My challenge to you is to not just focus on hunting down rare and often overpriced bottles but show these distilleries some love by purchasing their regular-release products, because they might just surprise you! Next time you are in Bardstown, KY, don't forget to pay the good people at Willett Distillery a visit, book a tour, enjoy a meal and a pour at The Bar at Willett, and do not take opportunities like it for granted!
Learn more about the Willett Distillery by visiting kentuckybourbonwhiskey.com.
