Willett Distillery Tour Planner and Experience

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About the Willett Distillery Tour

  • Location: Bardstown, KY
  • Impression: A family run distillery experience with a first rate tasting experience and expanding campus.
  • Website: Tour Information (Requires Age Verification)
  • Cost: I paid $16 for the tour. 
  • Samples: They gave us the Willett's core product and then 2 samples you got to choose. I had the Noah's Mill and Rowan's Creek, both higher proof.
  • Perks: I received a Glencairn glass with Willett's name on it.

Experiment: Doing Your Own Tasting Party

A couple years ago, when I was just dipping my toe in the waters with whisky, some friends suggested we do a tasting event at one of our houses. Each person was to bring three bottles, a top shelf, mid-shelf and bottom-shelf that we liked. Then, with 4 people, we had 12 bottles to sample. And even better, if we bought something and didn't quite like it, we could make a trade (for a guy that had fun as a kid trading baseball cards, this is like next level stuff). When I got home from this tour, I actually traded my Kentucky Pure for the Barton's 1792 Small Batch. To me, it was a good trade because I had Johnny Drum from Willetts and during the tasting, I didn't give 1792 enough of a lingering taste. It's a great experience. If you want to take it a step further, do some pairing experimentation with either foods or chocolates. Makes for a nice relaxing evening and you can chat about what you like and don't like in each. Just make sure to keep the pours to just a taste and take time in-between. It'll make it a lot more fun, and safe for those that may have to drive home afterwards.

 

Takeaways

  • Probably my 3rd tour where I saw cats. I finally had to ask and they said it's because they are great mouse catchers (and apparently distillery cats are a world wide phenomenon). These kitties were soaking up the attention. 
  • Don't bring the Mercedes, unless it needs a bath. You'll be driving up a dirt road for this one.
  • I had my Willetts tour at 3:00 PM and Heaven Hill at 4:30 PM and even though I made it, I felt rushed at Willetts and that was a lot of alcohol within a short period. I could barely keep down the Heaven Hill, it was coming so fast.

 Next up, George Dickel Cascade Hollow Distillery (Tullahoma, TN)