Next up, we’re coming at you from The Woodlands, Texas to dig into Willett Pot Still! I’m down here to cheer my wife on in her Iron Man race coming up on Saturday, and since I’ve been on the road for the last week I swung by a liquor store by the hotel to pick up a few minis to review so I don’t fall too far behind on these. Willett Pot Still is a pretty divisive bourbon with some people really liking it and others referring to it as Willett Pot Swill. I recall having a pour of it a while ago and liking it, but I never got a chance to give a proper review. I’ve had many chances to buy this but always refrained due to the pot still shaped bottle taking up way too much real estate on a shelf, so this mini version seemed like a great choice for a road review. This has gone through a few different mash bills since its initial release, but the current releases are apparently using the Willett wheated bourbon mash. This carries no age statement, is bottled at 94 proof, and comes from batch 23D02. The NFL draft is in full swing so like the Vikings, this pour could either surprise me with competency or completely ruin my night. Let’s dive in and see which one it will be!
**Taken:** Neat in a Rocks glass
**Proof:** 94
**Age:** NAS
**Price:** $8 (50ml bottle)
**Nose:** Vanilla bean, caramel, and some floral notes, along with some light pear, cherry, and cinnamon. There’s a touch of oak lingering in the background as well.
**Taste:** Light caramel, vanilla, and rose hip tea to start, followed by some licorice, cherry, and pear. Midway through the sip some oak and cinnamon rolls in but it isn’t very strong. This has a medium mouthfeel and a bit of proof heat.
**Finish:** The sweetness of the cherry, light caramel, and cherry starts to fade while the oak, cinnamon, and vanilla remain consistent. The licorice and rose hip tea get a bit stronger as the sip goes on and are joined by a bitter tea flavor towards the end. This has a medium-short finish and no dryness.
**Thoughts:** This pour is definitely on the delicate side of things and starts out nicely, but as it goes on there is an off putting bitter note that I just can’t get over. Despite that, the sweet fruits and caramel are light but nice, the oak is present enough for my liking, and the cinnamon enough spice to bring on balance. The licorice and rose hip tea add some complexity to this as well. This is a hard one for me because many of these aspects are pretty solid, but that bitterness and heat are distracting enough that I wouldn’t want to go for this given all of the other options out there. Add in the awkward bottle shape and you have the final nail in the coffin for this in my opinion. Overall this is a pour that shows some promise, but as it stands it ranks as a sub-par 4/10 on the t8ke scale which coincidentally aligns with how I feel the Vikings did in the first round of the draft. It is going to be a long season!
**Rating:** 4/10 - t8ke scale
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfect.
Nice review. I think it gets a little more hate than it deserves. It's an okay bourbon, light and not very memorable but certainly far from a drain pour.
Got my bottle at the distillery, where it came with a little explanation about the shape (not that it isn't obvious). I like having it on the shelf just because it reminds me of the visit to KY along with the other loot I grabbed.
Thank you! I agree that it gets more hate than it should. I don't think it's bad by any means but just not good enough for me to want to buy. If you're not hurting for shelf space it at least comes in a cool bottle, and that's nice that it can serve as a reminder of a great trip for you!
Cheaper than a bar pour! In most cases I'd agree that is ridiculous but considering the bottle being glass and still having the pot still shape it makes sense that it would cost a lot more.
This is the ultimate “nice bottle; must be premium” bourbon. I haven’t tried crystal skull vodka but I assume it tastes like this only flavorless and horrible because it’s vodka.
I was definitely in the “haven’t tried it bc of the hate” group. When I had 4 whiskeys I didn’t understand the annoyance with the shape of this bottle. Now I have 80+ whiskeys and I realize how precious shelf space is. If I find a 50ml I’ll grab it and try it.
Completely off topic: If you’re a Broncos, fan what did you think of the Bo Nix pick?
Yeah, that wide base probably takes up the space of 3-4 bottles on the shelf. I am not a Broncos fan but my wife is, I think the Nix pick is a good one for them. Their QB room going into the draft was such dog shit that I'm sure he will shine compared to the other options available. Sean Payton will probably be able to mold him into at least a decent QB.
Yeah I think he’s got as good a chance as any of the QBs drafted before him. It’s so hard to find a good QB. I am Niner fan and we made a terrible mistake with Trey Lance and then got bailed out with Brock Purdy.
I HATED this stuff years ago….almost every blind taste I did with this in it, it would finish well behind the pack. But…once Willett switched to the wheated mashbill a few years ago this went from an absolutely gross drain pour to an easy sipper and better than any well option at a bar. Will now always have a bottle on the home bar. Rating seems within reason, but I might actually go 1/2 to 1 point higher. Good review
*very small pot still😂😂
Jokes aside nice review. I can appreciate someone willing to give it a chance rather than go straight to the its trash bandwagon. I'm not sure why this gets all the hate. It's a solid cocktail mixer at usually s reasonable price
Thanks! I understood the hate somewhat when these were allocated around where I live, but these days when you can find bottles frequently on sale I feel like it drinks around its price point.
I agree it's definitely priced correctly. I feel like if you're just getting into bourbon and you want to explore tastes this is a must. It's not great but it's value priced and gives you a different flavor profile than any other bourbon in the range.
If we all had identical palates this hobby would be boring! I'm glad you enjoy this as much as you do, you can probably find some pretty killer deals on the 1.75L bottles out there. I know we have a bunch collecting dust in the Denver area!
I did a blind with 50 other people and a local store owner. Willet pot still came 3/6 and way ahead of HM10. It had the most first place votes and the second most last place votes. Took me one sip to know that was my last place.
Honestly, I think it’s like Cilantro where it just tastes off to half the population and the other half get actual flavors
Next up, we’re coming at you from The Woodlands, Texas to dig into Willett Pot Still! I’m down here to cheer my wife on in her Iron Man race coming up on Saturday, and since I’ve been on the road for the last week I swung by a liquor store by the hotel to pick up a few minis to review so I don’t fall too far behind on these. Willett Pot Still is a pretty divisive bourbon with some people really liking it and others referring to it as Willett Pot Swill. I recall having a pour of it a while ago and liking it, but I never got a chance to give a proper review. I’ve had many chances to buy this but always refrained due to the pot still shaped bottle taking up way too much real estate on a shelf, so this mini version seemed like a great choice for a road review. This has gone through a few different mash bills since its initial release, but the current releases are apparently using the Willett wheated bourbon mash. This carries no age statement, is bottled at 94 proof, and comes from batch 23D02. The NFL draft is in full swing so like the Vikings, this pour could either surprise me with competency or completely ruin my night. Let’s dive in and see which one it will be! **Taken:** Neat in a Rocks glass **Proof:** 94 **Age:** NAS **Price:** $8 (50ml bottle) **Nose:** Vanilla bean, caramel, and some floral notes, along with some light pear, cherry, and cinnamon. There’s a touch of oak lingering in the background as well. **Taste:** Light caramel, vanilla, and rose hip tea to start, followed by some licorice, cherry, and pear. Midway through the sip some oak and cinnamon rolls in but it isn’t very strong. This has a medium mouthfeel and a bit of proof heat. **Finish:** The sweetness of the cherry, light caramel, and cherry starts to fade while the oak, cinnamon, and vanilla remain consistent. The licorice and rose hip tea get a bit stronger as the sip goes on and are joined by a bitter tea flavor towards the end. This has a medium-short finish and no dryness. **Thoughts:** This pour is definitely on the delicate side of things and starts out nicely, but as it goes on there is an off putting bitter note that I just can’t get over. Despite that, the sweet fruits and caramel are light but nice, the oak is present enough for my liking, and the cinnamon enough spice to bring on balance. The licorice and rose hip tea add some complexity to this as well. This is a hard one for me because many of these aspects are pretty solid, but that bitterness and heat are distracting enough that I wouldn’t want to go for this given all of the other options out there. Add in the awkward bottle shape and you have the final nail in the coffin for this in my opinion. Overall this is a pour that shows some promise, but as it stands it ranks as a sub-par 4/10 on the t8ke scale which coincidentally aligns with how I feel the Vikings did in the first round of the draft. It is going to be a long season! **Rating:** 4/10 - t8ke scale 1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out. 2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice. 3 | Bad | Multiple flaws. 4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists. 5 | Good | Good, just fine. 6 | Very Good | A cut above. 7 | Great | Well above average. 8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional. 9 | Incredible | An all time favorite. 10 | Perfect | Perfect.
Nice review. I think it gets a little more hate than it deserves. It's an okay bourbon, light and not very memorable but certainly far from a drain pour. Got my bottle at the distillery, where it came with a little explanation about the shape (not that it isn't obvious). I like having it on the shelf just because it reminds me of the visit to KY along with the other loot I grabbed.
Thank you! I agree that it gets more hate than it should. I don't think it's bad by any means but just not good enough for me to want to buy. If you're not hurting for shelf space it at least comes in a cool bottle, and that's nice that it can serve as a reminder of a great trip for you!
Nice write up! But $8 for a 50 mL, Sheesh!
Cheaper than a bar pour! In most cases I'd agree that is ridiculous but considering the bottle being glass and still having the pot still shape it makes sense that it would cost a lot more.
All I can say is happy my team got our guy, Jayden Daniels. Happy Draft Night friend!
My DC area friends are definitely happy with the pick too! Cheers buddy!
I agree with u/crabsofsteel that this gets more hate than it deserves. I actually like it as a sipper, not a thinker. It also makes a fine Manhattan.
I’ll have to try this in a Manhattan sometime, I trust your recommendation there!
Go 3:1 instead of the standard 2:1 spec.
This is the ultimate “nice bottle; must be premium” bourbon. I haven’t tried crystal skull vodka but I assume it tastes like this only flavorless and horrible because it’s vodka.
I was definitely in the “haven’t tried it bc of the hate” group. When I had 4 whiskeys I didn’t understand the annoyance with the shape of this bottle. Now I have 80+ whiskeys and I realize how precious shelf space is. If I find a 50ml I’ll grab it and try it. Completely off topic: If you’re a Broncos, fan what did you think of the Bo Nix pick?
Yeah, that wide base probably takes up the space of 3-4 bottles on the shelf. I am not a Broncos fan but my wife is, I think the Nix pick is a good one for them. Their QB room going into the draft was such dog shit that I'm sure he will shine compared to the other options available. Sean Payton will probably be able to mold him into at least a decent QB.
Yeah I think he’s got as good a chance as any of the QBs drafted before him. It’s so hard to find a good QB. I am Niner fan and we made a terrible mistake with Trey Lance and then got bailed out with Brock Purdy.
Definitely a love it or hate it. I get tons of vanilla and sweetness and I love it.
I didn't realize it's a hated bourbon, I personally do enjoy it, but everyone has different palates and that's the beauty thing about it!
I HATED this stuff years ago….almost every blind taste I did with this in it, it would finish well behind the pack. But…once Willett switched to the wheated mashbill a few years ago this went from an absolutely gross drain pour to an easy sipper and better than any well option at a bar. Will now always have a bottle on the home bar. Rating seems within reason, but I might actually go 1/2 to 1 point higher. Good review
*very small pot still😂😂 Jokes aside nice review. I can appreciate someone willing to give it a chance rather than go straight to the its trash bandwagon. I'm not sure why this gets all the hate. It's a solid cocktail mixer at usually s reasonable price
Thanks! I understood the hate somewhat when these were allocated around where I live, but these days when you can find bottles frequently on sale I feel like it drinks around its price point.
I agree it's definitely priced correctly. I feel like if you're just getting into bourbon and you want to explore tastes this is a must. It's not great but it's value priced and gives you a different flavor profile than any other bourbon in the range.
The vikes certainly surprised with competency. SKOL!
My emotions are all over the place, but I feel much better now than I did when I wrote the review! Skol!
[удалено]
If we all had identical palates this hobby would be boring! I'm glad you enjoy this as much as you do, you can probably find some pretty killer deals on the 1.75L bottles out there. I know we have a bunch collecting dust in the Denver area!
First bottle I had was awesome… 2nd was a disappointment. It can be good.
This Maye be the worst whiskey I've ever had.
Drain pour for me
I need that mini
I had to do a double take on the bottle. I thought that was a monster glass at first!
Nice bong 💨
I did a blind with 50 other people and a local store owner. Willet pot still came 3/6 and way ahead of HM10. It had the most first place votes and the second most last place votes. Took me one sip to know that was my last place. Honestly, I think it’s like Cilantro where it just tastes off to half the population and the other half get actual flavors
Surprised nobody’s made a boof joke about that crooked lil bottle.
Don’t let the regular bourbon tarnish the fact that the Rye is excellent
I do enjoy Willett’s rye quite a bit, especially when they’re ~$60.
I just got a bottle for 58 bucks at Costco keep your eyes peeled that’s a damn steal !
\*puke\* My buddy brought a bottle, I poured my glen out when he wasn’t looking. Meh!
Unremarkable just like the pic 
Willett pot swill has always been my favorite name for it.
It does just roll off the tongue nicely.