There are hallowed grounds in Kentucky Bourbon, and Willett is among the most revered. Last week I visited their family distillery outside Bardstown for something rare: selecting a 10-year barrel for Leon & Son.

With Master Distiller Drew Kulsveen — grandson of founder Thompson Willett — I tasted across mash bills and distillation lots, narrowing to a barrel that shows how profound barrel-proof bourbon can be. What we bottled is among the finest I’ve had, and I can’t stop thinking about it.

I returned not only with this extraordinary whiskey, but also with a deeper sense of Willett’s family legacy and their patient, exacting craft. Below, I share the story of the visit and the whiskey we chose. – Chris Leon

When we reached the distillery entrance, I explained to the larger-than-life greeter why I was there, and he sent me off with a simple mandate: “Pick a banger.” Challenge accepted. From there I was introduced to Drew Kulsveen, the third generation on the property, who would guide me through the process. He preferred that I taste immediately—fresh nose and palate—before being subjected to the scents of production and rickhouses (and, eventually, lunch).

So, in the order of my experience, I’ll explain the process of tasting, which whiskey we landed on, and why. And for the curious, more about the production process and history behind Willett.

PICKING OUR WHISKEY

Drew pulled an intentionally diverse set of six rare 10-year bourbon samples. 
⅔ of the samples were from their historic mashbill (72% Corn, 13% Rye, 15% Barley); ⅓ from a more wheated blend (65% Corn, 20% Wheat, 15% Barley). All of them have been raised in new, American oak from Independent Stave (Char #4, ‘alligator’ char) for a decade. At the end of the table, four distinct distillation lots were represented; and every sample was barrel proof and came from Rickhouse “I,” Floor 1:

Tasting (and picking our barrel!) at Willett.

The historic mash bill was represented by four barrels, across three lots:
Lot 15-H-05 — Barrel 13268
Lot 15-E-12 — Barrel 12585
Lot 15-E-04 — Barrels 12463 and 12474

And the wheated mash bill was represented by two barrels from the same lot:
Lot 15-D-23 — Barrel 12318
Lot 15-D-23 — Barrel 12313

Everything we tasted was excellent and, frankly, more distinct from one another then I could have imagined. The most common thread was actually within the lots themselves. I tasted each one multiple times.

I loved the immediacy of the wheated barrels, but kept getting pulled back by the power and length of the historic (corn-heavy) mash bill.

Both lots 15-H-05 (13268) and 15-E-12 (12585) showed sandalwood and white spice; but the two barrels from lot 15-E-04 were more exotic and richly textured. Those were the two I couldn’t stop returning to.

Unlike with wine, you eventually have to stop spitting spirits to taste them fully; alcohol overwhelms the finish when you spit. For the final decision, I narrowed the choices down to Barrels 12463 and 12474 (both from that lot 15-E-04), and I tasted them again. Without spitting.

Both of these were stunning; textured, heady bourbons with flavors of brûléed citrus and smoked toffee, with waves of deeply cooked warming spices. But, once I swallowed 12474, I knew it was our barrel. Those intense flavors only grew more profound seconds, even minutes, after tasting.

A second sip confirmed—this was unequivocally our whiskey.

This barrel did what the best wines do: it delivered not just a spectrum of flavors but a full sensory experience, that rare sip you taste for minutes and think about for days.

Barrel 12474 is truly that special. It’s our 10-year barrel-proof bourbon, and I couldn’t be more proud—or more excited—to have our name on the back label.

Willett Family Estate Rare Release ‘Leon & Son 10x10 tnb’ 10 Year Old Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Kentucky, USA #12474

Barrel: 12474 (Lot 15-E-04)
Age: 10 years
Mash bill: Historic, 72/13/15 (corn/rye/barley)
Rickhouse / Floor: I / 1
Style: Barrel Proof 

THE PROCESS

After the tasting, Drew toured us through the production process—from the fermenters where the “beer” is made for distillation, to the rickhouses, and finally the behind-the-scenes operations. We began in the historic still house, part of the original 1930s distillery, where the iconic two-story-tall pot still (modeled and patented by Thompson Willett) greets you — a sight to behold before you even step inside:

All the tanks were ripping when we arrived and I stuck my nose in the sour mash being made. Regardless of the tank's final destination, everything starts with Kentucky limestone water—spring-fed from a pond on the estate—which keeps the mash mineral-rich and iron-free.

They run a classic sour-mash regimen, folding a portion of spent stillage into each new cook for pH stability and a consistent house profile. Fermentations take roughly three to five days in stainless steel with a proprietary yeast, long enough to build ester character without tipping into volatility.

Distillation is a two-stage affair. Spirit is run through a copper/stainless column with a copper doubler and finished on a Vendome copper pot still modeled on Willett's original patented design. This combination lets them shape clean, aromatic hearts while keeping the textural weight that shows up so clearly in the glass.

From there, new-make goes into new, charred American oak from Independent Stave at Char #4 (“alligator” char). Those barrels find their home in the large, black rickhouses that dot the property.

Walking into one explains the mystique collectors have for them—which house has the magic, which floor tips humidity into perfection.

Despite the lack of active temperature control, the waves of angel’s share evaporation create a cool, breathing environment for the casks. Ours lived in the heart of Rickhouse I, on the lowest (coldest) floor, smack-dab in the middle of the massive warehouse. You couldn’t pick a darker, calmer setting. We also visited the oldest and smallest rickhouse (A, the interior of which is pictured above) which has been on the grounds for almost a 100 years.

From here, barrels are tasted and triaged: many will be blended, some will be held for age-stated releases, and a precious few—on days like ours—are singled out as standalone barrels when the whiskey announces itself. Barrel 12474 did exactly that.

THE HISTORY

A lot has been written about the dramatic history on Willett’s limestone hill. The Willett family has been in Kentucky since its statehood, and in the third generation they established Willett Distillery shortly after Prohibition—with the first barrels filled in 1937.

By the 1960s–70s, aged whiskey fell out of fashion. The stills at Willett went quiet in the early 1980s, though the grounds continued to warehouse and bottle whiskey. Thompson Willett’s son-in-law Even Kulsveen took ownership in 1984, building the Kentucky Bourbon Distillers portfolio (labels like Rowan’s Creek and Noah’s Mill) and selling existing stocks while the stills remained idle.

The modern era began in 2012, when distillation restarted and the family returned the site to full production. Today, Drew Kulsveen serves as Master Distiller and runs the business alongside his sister, Britt Kulsveen, the president of Willett Distillery.

Across the visit, there was a sense of pride in what’s taking place in Bardstown. Of course they’re proud of their fabled product. But what became clear is that the same pride extends to how they staff, their logistics (that pot-still whiskey is not easy to house or fill!), the network they work with and—speaking from gratitude—their hospitality.

I can’t wait to go back.

SHOP WILLETT