Willett Family Estate Small Batch Bourbon

Willett Family Estate Small Batch Bourbon. Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, Bardstown, Kentucky — a blend of two classic Willett family mash bills, each distilled, aged, and mingled under the guidance of Master Distiller Drew Kulsveen, entering barrels at 125 proof and maturing in new charred American oak — warm vanilla, caramel, and brown sugar on the nose with sweet corn, butterscotch, and cinnamon on the palate and a long, complex finish of oak, pepper, and toffee.

The Small Batch Bourbon sits between the core accessible expressions (Old Bardstown, Speakeasy) and the single barrel Family Estate program in the Willett/KBD lineup. It solves the consistency question of the single barrel program by mingling two complementary mash bills into a bourbon that bridges richness and structure in a repeatable expression. The two mash bills are specific: a high-corn 72/13/15 (corn/rye/malted barley) that provides the sweetness and caramel foundation, and a high-rye 52/38/10 that provides the structure, spice, and complexity.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Warm vanilla, caramel, and brown sugar with subtle baking spice and oak char.
• Palate: Sweet corn, butterscotch, and honey gliding into cinnamon, nutmeg, and toasted rye.
• Finish: Long, warming, and complex with lingering hints of oak, pepper, and toffee.

Specs

• Distillery: Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, Bardstown, Kentucky
• Master Distiller: Drew Kulsveen
• Mash Bill 1: 72% corn, 13% rye, 15% malted barley
• Mash Bill 2: 52% corn, 38% rye, 10% malted barley
• Barrel Entry Proof: 125
• Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Small Batch
• Size: 750ml

Browse the full bourbon collection at Wooden Cork.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Why blend two mash bills? The 72% corn mash delivers sweetness and caramel foundation; the 38% rye mash delivers structure and spice. Blending creates a bourbon with more layers and balance than either component achieves alone.
• How does Small Batch Bourbon relate to the Family Estate single barrel program? Family Estate is single barrel, cask strength, individually labeled by barrel number. Small Batch Bourbon is a mingled, consistent expression selected by Drew Kulsveen for a specific profile. The Small Batch is the accessible everyday Willett bourbon; Family Estate is for barrel-specific character and cask strength intensity.
• Who is Drew Kulsveen? Master Distiller at Kentucky Bourbon Distillers and son of Even Kulsveen, who rebuilt the KBD operation in 1984. Drew represents the fifth generation of the Willett family’s bourbon tradition in Bardstown.