Can This Hated Bourbon Make a Comeback?! - NEW RECIPE

[@RJR2222]

Before I started drinking whiskey I gave a Willet pot Still to a friend for a house warming gift. After finding out how bad it is I called him up. He was very gracious saying the best whiskey is gifted whiskey. But he still has plenty for me when I come over.

[@SpicyRok7482]

HA!HA!HA!HA!HA!

[@Johnny_]

It’s at least a cool bottle he can have on the shelf for a while haha

[@PolPotsPieHole]

thats a real true friend right there

[@2ampipeonthepatio]

I can’t tell you just how much I enjoy your videos. Being a bourbon drinker, I find your channel to be just the “ Top Shelf” of bourbon channels! You guys are just so down to earth, easy going, unpretentious and relatable that I feel right at home. I feel like I’m talking with a couple of my buddies. Thanks guys!

[@JE-western-rider]

Also, our hosts have a touch of class that many other YT whiskey channel hosts lack. Maybe some like the rough humor. Maybe some like seeing a young man who tries to be both young and clueless and wise beyond his years...... There are a handful of whiskey reviewers that I trust and respect.

[@SpicyRok7482]

I like 'em TOO...BOTH of 'em.

[@worddeuce]

Your username is awesome, man.

[@markknister6272]

I bought the big bottle at COSTCO absolutely loved it!! Then I read several reviews on how bad it was - made me wonder about my bourbon taste. Now I wonder about others’ taste. 🤣🤣

[@JerboFotius]

I have had several bottles. I like it. Although it seems to not be very consistent. My first bottle was all cinnamon! And plenty of sweetness to me.

[@brandonross4742]

I loved my first bottle a lot! Not loving my second bottle so far.

[@CalminCali]

I’m a complete noob and have tasted only a handful of different bourbons. But I had a chance to go to a couple of tastings in KY knowing nothing about Willett other than that they were open and had availability when I was looking. The Pot Still I tasted there was the first bourbon I felt I really liked at first taste. Didn’t hesitate to buy a bottle, and only later saw the hate it was getting in the community. Really let me know right away that you can’t trust anyone else’s palate but your own.

[@SeniorChristawesome]

I find it so fascinating how all of our taste are so different. I have sampled many bourbon’s over these recent years getting into the hobby, and I absolutely love Willet. It reminds me of my grandmother’s fruitcake, I get fruitcake every time I drink it and I really enjoy it.

[@Frozen-Spirits-Alaska]

I would love to see you use the wand thing on 5 bottles you don't like. Maybe it will improve them.

[@Bourbonsouth47]

U can swirl a turd in the end it's still a turd

[@Doubie.]

It’s just a frother to make foamed milk with it’s only oxidizing what’s in the glass

[@JerboFotius]

@@Doubie. everyone I have seen trying that has been clearly surprised by the apparent difference the aerating (frother) makes. I'm also curious how that does with wine, basically speed breathing/decanting it.

[@rmbettac]

I actually like Pot Still for its unique leather and tobacco notes. The nicer Willetts are also great, too.

[@BourbonHawk69]

Saw another video a couple months ago or so on “It’s Bourbon Night” channel and they had the old bottle and the new distillate. A discernible difference in the bottles were that the wax seal was no longer gold but grey and that the barcode was no longer on the side but the bottom of the bottle. They felt the new distillate was far better than the old. Have yet to see the new stuff on shelves

[@waynefialo9492]

I love that you guys always admit that different people have different palates.

[@waynefialo9492]

PS the best Willet was like 2016 and prior.

[@who0icu812]

They don't have one

[@waynefialo9492]

@@who0icu812 pallette or best Willet?

[@joshuacase2845]

Willett's old stuff (Family Estate specifically) was sourced for a long time. Didn't start releasing their own juice under the Family Estate label until 6-8 years ago I believe.

[@bassiclymike]

I had a bottle a couple years ago, and I liked it. Haven't bought one since, because I'm just exploring lots of different bourbon, but I'd come back to it for sure. if you know someone artistic, have them make you an I Dream Of Jeannie bottle!

[@thunderstruck507]

Shocking to me. My bottle is insanely sweet. Has heavy brown sugar flavors like a good rum. It is by far the sweetest bourbon I have.

[@JokerMansBeats]

Buddy of mine brought some over a couple of months ago and i thought it was dam good. He brought it over again last weekend and it was just as good as i remembered. Im assuming it was from the newer bottles.

[@coreysstillbarking]

It has to be either wildly inconsistent or just incredibly polarizing. I've never had a bad pour of Pot Still though.

[@mojo6778]

MacGyver always had a swiss army pocket knife, paper clip, duct tape, a ball point pen and could fabricate anything he needed to get out of a jam. 😅

[@Zardnokalicious]

I bought a bottle of Willet Pot Still to give my son a few years ago, but when I found out how "hated" it was, I put the unopened pretty bottle on a shelf behind my own bar and gifted him a bottle of Four Roses SBS instead.

[@coreysstillbarking]

I do agree SBS is much better.

[@David-Drinks-Dusties]

Some quick history on Willett. Willett was founded in the mid 1930s, and then became Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (KBD) in the mid 1980s. KBD specialized in sourcing from various distilleries some of which are rumored to be Stitzel Weller, Brown Foreman, Heaven Hill, and even Buffalo Trace. In 2011 they started going by Willett again and started distilling shortly after.

[@AppealToHeaven]

I love Willett

[@who0icu812]

Older then that

[@DeanFondahn]

Bought a bottle at the distillery last April and agree with your evaluation. I have found it makes an excellent Manhattan. The sweetness of the vermouth balances the whiskey well.

[@giovannicerva5522]

Love your videos guys, appreciate the advice. Now I’m going to find a video on harvesting rubber trees

[@Clutch216]

When we were at the distillery last year, they did confirm they had changed the recipe. I told them I had a bottle from 2019 at home. They said they'd be curious to know if I could tell a difference between a 2022 bottle and the 2019 - so I bought a bottle. Wasn't a fan of either but the food at the distillery is delicious!

[@freburt2772]

Try it with ice. Opens up with some vanilla.

[@ThomasTVP]

This marker-y note is actually something that many people outside of the US GENERALLY associate with bourbon.

[@Drews320yqr]

I want a bad bourbon froth episode. Starting with Hudson’s

[@williamcornelison4721]

Thanks for the heads up. And also for all your shows that have help me put together my bar.

[@charlesdedich8364]

I just recently had the opportunity to purchase one. I had heard all the negative reviews. The bottle is just so cool and the bourbon inside wasn't bad to my surprise. I won't purchase again because there are alot better bourbons for alot less money.

[@JerboFotius]

Interesting. I like it (what I've had of it) and I like their Noah's Mill. Although I will definitely admit it's not the most consistent! I get sweetness and a lot of cinnamon myself

[@andrewmcneal683]

The tour at Willett is amazing. Pot still was the first sample we got and I hated it. But the Old Bardstown products and Johnny Drum are great products.

[@Alan_Campbell]

Visited Willet a couple months back and brought a bottle home with me. Admittedly, it was more for the unique look of the bottle but I still find it very drinkable. I'd put it in that smooth to easy-to-drink category and do drink it from time to time.

[@jerrymonahan8850]

It always shocks me how much people hate on Willett. I've always enjoyed it, and I always have a bottle around. Kurt may have hit on the reason, though. I normally add a couple Luxardo cherries and a touch of cherry juice to my Willett, so I sweeten it up. Maybe that's why I like it. Not my favorite, but still one of my go-tos.

[@littlejoe4107]

Love the magiver reference. Great video guys

[@AppealToHeaven]

I love Willett. Johnny Drum is my favorite but I rarely find it in STL

[@MrUwphotography]

Thanks for taking one for the team.

[@danrivera9084]

I bought a few of these like 6 years. The bottle looked cool and Noah's Mill is still one of my go-to bourbons. However, I was beyond disappointed and poured for a few other people that thought the same. Good in an Old Fashioned, but a bit pricey for a mixing bourbon.

[@OldFashionedWays]

great video. always love the honesty. keep them coming. cheers

[@hoobeydoobey1267]

Had Willet PS in southern MD last month. Liked it, bought two bottles of it.

[@A.Olinger]

I tried this a few weeks ago and I swear it had this funky smell. It was almost like a mold smell and once Trent said rum funk thats exactly what I was smelling. I was having a tough time describing it to my friends but once I smelled that I couldn't get past it.

[@haroldjohnson2041]

I been to Willet distillery several times over the last 4 years, I tasted several of the offerings, the Willet Pot still was made other places. history, now they make the Bourbon now and it is a wheat bourbon. I like it, it is just to expensive. I enjoy you videos.

[@kaidenkemp2519]

I fell victim to this Gimmick” bottle a few years ago as well… Luckily I found your channel and will be forever grateful for the ASW Heartwood recommendation. Hard to find here in California but well worth the hunt.

[@thomasaccuntius9946]

I have toured Willett Distillery several times and I have purchased bottles of the pot still bourbon there, along with Noahs Mill and Johnny Drem. Then the Pot Still was ok, but on a 3rd bottle I noticed, this isnt the same. I took this bottle to a bottle share party at a hotel I was staying at in Bardstown. I had met some people at breakfast and on a tour later at Makers and they invited me. So I took a new bottle of Pot Still, I think I was the only person who had any of it. So, yes it still is lousy, but at the distillery tasting it seemed ok. ???

[@whiskeybonded]

It not that it's BAD, it's just not great. If it wasn't for that dang bottle, nobody would be talking about it! 😂

[@williamsage4822]

When I was at Willet last year they said that the original pot still was a Rye. The new Pot still. They said they took out the rye and added more wheat.

[@iansammons2730]

Eventually I'll buy one of the 50ml mini's of this just to hang on a christmas tree or something... taste it, and then fill it with some random cheap whiskey and put it on a shelf. The bottle is so cool looking,

[@lrbtechie]

I can’t believe Trenton didn’t know about Mcgyver! 😂

[@adamsthoughtsonwhiskey]

A couple years ago I had a couple of these bottles that I was drinking from and I really liked one more than the other I have a brand new one that’s not even open yet on my shelf I might have to revisit that and check it out. I know I’m not a big fan of the rye at all, but I will have to try the potstill again

[@craiggoldstein2461]

Would love for you guys to try Very Old Barton again. I've been trying to find it but no where to be found in FLA.

[@scottbartlett2087]

I think it their own juice before 2019, so if your "old" bottle is 2019, it's not the sourced stuff, it's there's just like your newer bottle. I actually enjoy Willet Pot Still, I do have an older sourced bottle and also a newer bottle, actually little to no difference, people get in their own head when it comes to things, different batches/years/seasons of anything will have slight differences.

[@hunterrgntr]

Trent's description of this bottle just scares the heck out of me!

[@genericyoutubeuser1700]

Unless he has a bad bottle, he’s exaggerating. It’s not that bad, but it is overpriced. This should be $30 or less.

[@mikel5801]

I bought it mostly for the bottle. I started my new infinity bottle with it, in 3 months I've added like 6 different whiskies to it and to be honest right now it tastes great! Getting back to the origional Willett's that was in the bottle in the first place. In my opinion on a scale from 1 to 10 for me it's like a 3.5 there is nothing special about the flavor of this whiskey.

[@hollyjhj3732]

I didn't hate on Pot Still the way others did, but that being said, I haven't revisited it for a long time. My palette may have evolved since. Interesting as always, guys!

[@iDanky206]

I just tired this the other day at my buddies house. I didn’t get any of that cardboard taste but the Noah’s mill was one of my favorite bottles I’ve tried recently

[@benpriester6657]

I appreciate your honesty. I kmow we all have different pallets and I'd still like to try, if the opportunity presents itself.

[@Atooth82]

I'm a fan of it as is my wife! Went to Willet in May and she said it was one of her favorites out of the trail.

[@coreysstillbarking]

It's amazing how polarizing this bottle is. I'm a fan of it as well. I have several bottles that I prefer, but I still enjoy it every time I pour it.

[@JerboFotius]

I very much enjoyed the distillery too, and I like the Pot Still, and the rest of the samples I tried there. Left with a Pot Still bottle and Noah's Mill which I really liked! I got a LOT of cinnamon from the PS... 2nd bottle tasted different, but I did like it still. Not the greatest ever but def don't get the hate. I also believe I have a very different palate than some.

[@tomfeie2733]

Only bought 1 Pot Still.. 4 Year Willett Rye is fantastic in my opinion

[@whatsthepoint170]

A bourbon lacking sweetness sounds great for cocktails, Manhattan comes to mind. As a matter of fact, I’m gonna make one with my bottle

[@gschwigk]

I did a Willett blind recently with Rowan’s Creek, Pure Kentucky, Old Bardstown BiB and Pot Still…that was the order they came in for me. Pot Still was last for me and it’s the most or second most expensive bottle out of that list.

[@JE-western-rider]

In case, one might not have heard of Pure Kentucky, it is a product from the Willet Distillery and comes in at 109 proof. And yes, it has a place behind the bar.

[@dmitripress9853]

I'm really confused that on most KZbin channels this bottle really downgraded. My bourbon journey started after I tasted in Louisville KY this whiskey and purchased couple bottles. Both of them were really good. I have one bottle more (got as a gift last year) that not opened yet. Wondering if I'll agree with you after I taste it again. What I am really hate is a Willet 4 yrs. green neck rye ;-)

[@TheMrbaseball1975]

My wife bought this because she "Loved" how the bottle looked. She said, and I quote, "This bottle is so cute. I want it." Personaly, I like it, but not as an everyday pour.

[@stymiesnerdly771]

Use the undrinkable bourbon in a maple/bourbon turkey brine. I suppose it would work for chicken too. Better than making it a drain pour.

[@johng5710]

Why would you want to ruin a perfectly good turkey?

[@kirbyculp3449]

Peach cobbler?

[@leeknowlton7303]

Hey SLB can we get a Jim Beam drink through? Throw in Bakers 7, Single Barrel, Hardin's Creek etc. and your favorite Bookers. Would be interested to see if their newer products can distinguish themselves. (Please no flavored whiskies.)

[@daveapple205]

Oh well, look at it this way....the pot still shape of it would make a real cool forever bottle!

[@Farley5927]

Got this as a gift. Was so excited. Took it to a party and no one would drink it. It was awful.

[@UsernameQXZ]

A great bourbon and fresh off a Willet tour

[@Doubie.]

Willett didn’t fire up a pot still until 2012 it was originally sourced form what I think was heaven hill when they introduced the bottle to there lineup so the age should be around 10-11 years in the bottle

[@bdog5369]

"Acclimated to environment" AKA Trent took it out of the vehicle. 😂

[@WadeinWhiskey]

Went to Willet distillery recently with a very open mind. Unfortunately I liked everything there except the whiskey. I really wanted to like at least one of them.

[@belowaveragebourbon]

Never had it been debating on picking up a bottle

[@nicfromtexas]

It’s always been wild to me how much grief this bottle gets. For as many “Kentucky purists” as there are that bash on everything that isn’t the old way, they seem to forget that bourbon was born on a pot still and not a column still. The funky pot still notes are where it’s at 👌

[@matthewgabbard6415]

How bout the nail polish remover? Is that classic too?

[@citizenzero4272]

And a side note, it being overly disliked will keep it from jumping up in price on the secondary. Unlike Trace bottles that are good, but hyped. I.E. Blantons.

[@evanjohnrobasci7356]

I love scotch, so whenever I see Trent react to a bourbon the way that he reacted to scotch, I think "hey, maybe I'll like it a lot."

[@NotSoSilentE]

I not-so-affectionately refer to this stuff as "Willett Pot Swill"

[@POPPAsmurf-ic9vk]

I bought 2 because I read somewhere that it was a top 10 bottle an I tried it twice. Tasted like browning grass cuttings both times. Haven't touched the bottle in 2 years.

[@MrCook-fz8jp]

I'm really surprised by your tasting notes on the Willett Pot Still. My bottle is actually tasty. Not the best I've had but I get a vanilla black tea note. Very mild flavors. I only paid around $35 2 yrs ago for mine. Anyway, if you want to send me your bottles I'll compare to mine!!! Cheers!

[@josephfalls1585]

I bought a single shot of this same bourbon from a local liquor store. At first sip it was just okay. Half way through, I noticed the sourness. My wife and I agree that it may be good in a sour cocktail, but I can't justify spending that much for a mixer. I would love to have the bottle as it's a cool looking one,but I doubt I'll get one any time soon. I have other bottles I want to try first. Like all of the Wild Turkey expressions.

[@79champions]

I enjoy the pot still. Not my favorite, but it is good. Try it in a maple old fashioned.

[@jonathanedwards6880]

Most amusing part is Trenton not knowing who MacGuyver is...

[@FakingANerve]

Trenton doesn't know what MacGyver is?! OK... hold on... wait a minute... is Trenton's whole "I've never heard of that," "what was that word?" thing a bit??

[@WahWah91]

I purchased a bottle of Willett Pot Still Reserve in 2014 and I remember it being very sweet, almost like a dessert bourbon. The Willett distillery had only been open a short time and they were sourcing their juice from someone else. I really liked that bottle. I tried it again in a bar a couple of years ago, and it was totally different and terrible. I will stick to the Willett rye,

[@SpicyRok7482]

I like their rye too...even as it has surpassed $70.

[@TimJB89]

Both me and my fiancé really like Willet. Never got the hate. Especially because we don’t see the hype of any Four Roses products and we’ve tried multiple.

[@LeatherDaddy97]

The main issue with willet is their pricing.

[@sn1000k]

Even the standard yellow label four roses is tasty! For shame! I'm kidding but I do like it.

[@LeatherDaddy97]

@@sn1000k four roses has a very love or dont profile. I havent had anything from them ive loved either.

[@johng5710]

When I was just starting to get into bourbon, I bought a bottle of this and after giving it a few chances I ended up pouring it down the sink. It was just undrinkable to me. I didn't have enough experience yet to know what was really good, but even then I could tell what was really bad.

[@powerman2442]

I bought it recently because it finally came around in Ohio. I knew going into it that basically everyone agrees... it sucks. I just wanted to try it myself, to see how bad it was, and to add it to my collection. Also picked up the Willet 4 Year Rye, which isn't bad, but I'd rather save $20 and grab a Sagamore Cask Strength.

[@coreysstillbarking]

Sagamore Cask Strength > Willett 4 Year Estate

[@honker1307]

Poor Willet Pot Still cant get any love....😂😂😂

[@densonsmith2]

I'm pretty sure "chew on the end of a cedar board" was not what they were going for.

[@kevinmills7067]

Have they changed this in the past year? I just got a bottle of it tonight (8/16/2024) and what I am drinking doesn't match your review at all. Mine is super sweet. I was actually surprised by how sweet it is. Also has a very floral nose and palate to it. It can't be more different than what you describe (not sweet and oaky).

[@tobyhayes611]

I've got a bottle of Willet Pot StillI purchased 4 years ago, primarily because it is generally not available in my area. I haven't opened it and may not after watching this video.

[@christopherryan7654]

My son got me one. My expectations were low, but it wasn't that bad.

[@karlmeaner2624]

hmmmmmmm it would make a nice candleholder for a dining table

[@johnk7093]

Everytime I hear/watch a vid of someone "bashing" (you aren't bashing-just can't find another word for it) I go home and try my Willet.... and honestly its not a bad pour... I have had worse than this one.... so, tonight, going to have to pour another and revisit it yet again..

[@RubyAskew-cp9vm]

I would like to see more coffee wand videos actually lol

[@citizenzero4272]

I’ve only had Potstill in recent years. I have drank 3 and have 2 on the bar. I personally love it. But I smoke cigars and my flavor notes may be different.

[@stevenedwards5864]

Haha well I guess its a good thing i went straight to the 1.75L if its just a show piece. Picked one up today

[@chrisb5986]

As it turns out, there are some individuals of higher evolution and thinking that enjoy Willet Pot Still.

[@michaeldemasellis9038]

Might be an opportunity to try putting it in a honey barrel or maple barrel and do a finishing experiment.

[@dane5896]

I never heard that it was a wheated bourbon. A few articles say it's sourced bourbon from Heaven Hill. The company website doesn't say.

[@coryschunemann1395]

Not sure which version I have but I like the one I have, about 2 years old... It is better than Johnny Drum IMHO.

[@robertbooth3367]

Like probably 75% of Willet Pot Still bottle purchasers, bought this very early in my bourbon journey - mainly because of the cool bottle. Taken 4 years to almost get through it - giving samples to friends...but it will become an infinity bottle soon. Quite a few bottles getting low, so there might be a massive bottle kill in the near future to jump start the infinity. Debating whether to leave any of the Willet juice in there at all for posterity or start completely afresh. Thanks for the update - don't see any more pot still bottles in the future

[@zackyarbrough38]

Willett outsourced till 2012 when the pot still came on line at Willett

[@billturner4427]

Great stuff

[@kritter10]

What is your opinion of Templeton Rye Whiskey aged 4 years?

[@jonathansantana6239]

Hey Kurt & Trent, could you guys please review Punchers Chance 90 proof bourbon. If I find another bottle I ll send it in if you guys can't find it. It is delicious

[@4LeafWhiskey]

Lol! I agree with Trent when he asked why you were excited. I was underwhelmed with Willet. When I heard Pot Still, I expected Pot Still spice like you get with an Irish Single Pot Still. I didn’t get any spice, it was just bland.

[@haroldjohnson2041]

well you all like Four Roses, I been to the Four Roses Distillery and the bottling places had many tastes, I do not like any of them, conclusion, everyone has different tastes. the People at Four Roses are really nice, I can not say that about the Woodford Distillery.

[@davidsimpson8912]

Never had it thanks to your reviews and now I never will unless you all recommend it ever down the road… I’m an exclusive SLB recommendations bourbon buyer.. so thanks and you’ve never steered me wrong….