Willett Family Estate Small Batch Bourbon Review

With a history dating back to 1936, Bardstown’s Willett Distillery has existed, survived, and thrived in several forms. And while the modern iteration produces a variety of brands including Old Bardstown, Rowan’s Creek, Noah’s Mill, and Willett Pot Still, the company is perhaps most revered for its Willett Family Estate (WFE) line of single barrel bourbon and rye whiskeys. Many of those single barrel bottlings were sourced from other, generally undisclosed distilleries and have become some of the most sought-after whiskeys in recent memory.

Willett itself began distilling again around 2012, this time under the leadership of the Kulsveen family, particularly the late Even and his son, Drew. In-house distillate has since made its way into the Willett Family Estate lineup, including both single barrels and a “Green Top” Small Batch Rye.

In late 2025, the company announced it would begin selling a Willett Family Estate Small Batch Bourbon, which features the same iconic metallic purple foil (hence the nickname “Purple Tops”) as its single barrel products. These cask strength batches will be composed of around 50 barrels each, with bourbons distilled at a barrel entry proof of 125. The minimum age statement is four years, though the brand says batches will pull from casks across a range of ages.

The first batch (and presumably most batches moving forward) will feature a blend of two different mash bills. Around 70% comes from a mash bill of 72% corn, 13% rye, and 15% malted barley, while the remaining 30% comes from a mash of 52% corn, 38% rye, and 10% malted barley. At launch, Willett Family Estate Small Batch Bourbon carries a suggested retail price of $67.

The batch reviewed here clocks in at 125 proof. Let’s see how it tastes.