Background

“I don’t actually like this very much, but people come over and think the bottle is cool, so they drink it.” - My father-in-law, unintentionally summarizing the essence of Willett Pot Still. Anyway, it's the holiday season, and once again, I find myself raiding my in-laws cabinets for whiskey that has been open for comically long periods. I kid you not; my mother-in-law STILL has that same bottle of Bulleit open from two years ago.

So, here we are with Willett Pot Still, a somewhat notorious offering from a legendary distillery. The prevailing rumor suggests that Willett Pot Still now exclusively employs Willett’s wheated mashbill, potentially explaining the absence of new wheated mashbill single barrels from Willett (something Jack Rose has noted at past tastings). The last time I tried Willett Pot Still was during a virtual whiskey club tasting amidst the COVID lockdown. A shout-out to the DMV’s Neighborhood Restaurant Group and their excellent spirits director, Nick Farrell, for keeping me sane during lockdown. It has now been over three years since I last tasted this, so it's time I stop resisting its alluring bottle design.

Willett Pot Still Reserve (NAS, 94 Proof)

Nose: Cola and orange peel, it has a classic bourbon sweetness on the nose. It’s delicate, and the sweetness is balanced nicely with that citrus note and a hint of cinnamon. That said, there’s also something akin to a damp wood that’s a little discordant.

Palate: That wet wood hangs around, unfortunately, but again it’s counter-balanced by a nice bit of candied orange citrus sweetness and a dash of baking spices. There isn’t a ton going on, and it’s a bit thin, but when you’re not getting that weird woody note it hits pretty nicely.

Finish: Flat cola, a dash of honey, a dash of cloves… and again it’s a weird wood note like balsa wood or some sort of particle board.

Sub-par (4/10)

Overall: My initial reaction was that this was simply a solid whiskey, and that it perhaps had a bit of a bum reputation. But the more I kept sipping it it just tasted a little ~off~. You get your classic entry level bourbon notes, it has a nice balance, but this off putting woodiness kept popping up like a band if one of the members was off rhythm. I asked how long the bottle had been open, in case that was it, but apparently it was maybe two months old and that’s it. It’s not terrible by any means, but it’ll probably be another three years before I check in again.