What KBD bourbon should I try?

[drunkenjayhawk]

If its older KBD products you like, cut out the middle man and buy Heaven Hill products. Since until recently KBD are a NPD. I cannot understand the whole Willett thing, I mean its just older aged Heaven Hill and MGP rye for 3-5 times the price.... But to try true KBD products I hear the 2-4 year rye they actually MADE themselves is good.

[smokinjoe]

If its older KBD products you like, cut out the middle man and buy Heaven Hill products.

I'm sorry, but that is a severe oversimplification of KBD/Willett's whiskey stocks, and offerings. It's always been the easy way out to say, "just buy HH", but that is a very presumptive statement. If there has been any NDP that has had its hands in everybody's stills, it's KBD.

[barrel_proofer]

I can't offer any recommendations other that to stay away from Corner Creek. I bought a bottle of this about six months ago and without question it was the worst bottle of bourbon I've had in the last five years.

[Paddy]

I'd go with Vintage 17...

[squire]

I'm sorry, but that is a severe oversimplification of KBD/Willett's whiskey stocks, and offerings. It's always been the easy way out to say, "just buy HH", but that is a very presumptive statement. . . . .

That is exactly, word for word, the advise I was give by the manager of Toddys liquor store in Bardstown over 20 years ago. Being one who doesn't parrot second hand information my friends and I conducted blind tastings comparing then available Willet products against Heaven Hill brands and, yeah, the guy knew what he was talking about.

To say that Willet also sourced from other distillers is . . . what . . . a complement? It just reinforces the fact they bought, bottled and sold other peoples stuff and tried to justify the jacked up price by claiming it was their own. That is disingenuous. True, it was theirs (they bought it) and true they produced it (bottled and sold) but the truth stops there. Witness the latest debacle, "Willet Pot Still Reserve", another sourced product. When outed on the internet they changed the story to, well, actually we named that one after the bottle.

Such attitudes are an insult to the intelligence of informed consumers.

[smokinjoe]

That is exactly, word for word, the advise I was give by the manager of Toddys liquor store in Bardstown over 20 years ago. Being one who doesn't parrot second hand information my friends and I conducted blind tastings comparing then available Willet products against Heaven Hill brands and, yeah, the guy knew what he was talking about.

To say that Willet also sourced from other distillers is . . . what . . . a complement? It just reinforces the fact they bought, bottled and sold other peoples stuff and tried to justify the jacked up price by claiming it was their own. That is disingenuous. True, it was theirs (they bought it) and true they produced it (bottled and sold) but the truth stops there. Witness the latest debacle, "Willet Pot Still Reserve", another sourced product. When outed on the internet they changed the story to, well, actually we named that one after the bottle.

Such attitudes are an insult to the intelligence of informed consumers.

Yeah, if ya heard it in a liquor store, it must be true! But, y'all Confirmed it 20 years ago! Sold!!!

I'll let your rant in paragraph 2 just stand on its own......whatever that is...

To the original OP question, I have had some very good Noah's Mills over the years (current one purchased a couple weeks ago included). I'd recommend that one.

[fishnbowljoe]

I hate to use the old line from Forrest Gump, but it seems appropriate in regards to KBD/Willetts bottlings. "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."

I've had a few different things from KBD/Willetts that have been great. I've also had some that, for lack of a better term, have been "less than stellar". The wheated 10 yr old Willetts that Binny's did, and the Vintage 17 wheater were both exceptional. I also bought a couple of bottles of Old Bardstown 101 proof that were very good. On the flip side, I tasted a Noah's Mills that one semi-local store (no longer in business) had that was good, but the bottle I bought wasn't all that great. The same can be said for a couple of other Willett's that I've bought. Samples I tasted were good, but the bottles I bought were just mediocre at best. It's all a big crap shoot if you ask me. Are you a gambler? Do you feel lucky? Well, do ya' punk? (A little Clint Eastwood humor there.) I'm not much of gambler, so I've pretty much all but given up on uncertainties.

Also, and FWIW, we all know that most of Willetts (older?) distillate came from HH. I can say with a fairly reasonable amount of certainty that they have also used "juice" from Brown Forman and Buffalo Trace. Y'all can take that for what it's worth.

After a few years of trials and tribulations, I've finally become pretty comfortable with what I know I like. Maybe I'm getting a bit persnickety in my old age, but other than taking a occasional flyer on something new or different, I'm fairly contented to stick with what I consider to be things that I feel are tried and true. To me, Willetts just doesn't fit that mold.

Cheers! Joe

Edited August 15, 2015 by fishnbowljoe

[mbroo5880i]

I have had both WFE Bourbon and Rye that were stellar. In fact, some are among my favorites. However, I have found most KBD products (e.g., Johnny Drum, Rowan Creek, Pot Still) to be average at best and not a good value for the price. I have never tried the older Noah's Mill but I understand it was very good. This said, I think it is good to try things for yourself and make up your own mind. The only one I would say you should definitely avoid is Willet Pot Still.

[PaulO]

I didn't know Corner Creek was KBD. Once a few years ago, a store in Bloomington got a huge shipment and sold it cheap (like $10 a 750ml). I bought a couple. It was sort of bland, nothing good or bad about it. Then, I was flabbergasted to start seeing the same thing for like $35-$40. I tried some Kentucky Vintage. It was just ok, not a repeat purchase for the price. I didn't pour Old Bardstown down the drain, but I didn't think it was very good. I was telling myself "this is the stuff that wasn't good enough to be become Evan Williams". I totally understand the idea of wanting to try everything. Anymore, my opinion is pretty close to Fishnbowljoe and Squire on this.

[smokinjoe]

Well, it sounds like we have a real mystery on our hands. We know that they have purchased whiskey from distilleries other than HH. And, have been for years. How do we know? Because, there are multiple first hand reports of people seeing these barrels there. So, if all the KBD selections are just HH whiskey (good, bad, expensive, or otherwise), where did all this other whiskey go?!?! In the river?

Listen, I ain't arguing the point that HH whiskey has and is being used at KBD/Willett. It's just my opinion that saying their whiskey is just HH whiskey is not accurate. If you want to say its " mostly" accurate, I'll even go along with that. But, let's sharpen the lines a bit.

[amg]

I can say with near certainty that a bottle of WFE bourbon I had was Brown-Forman. It tasted like barrel proof Old Forester. It was great.

I can also say that Willett Pot Still Reserve and Corner Creek are two of the worst bourbons I've had at any price.

[Quintilian]

I have had good luck with Johnny Drum PS. Old Bardstown Estate was decent. I had high hopes for Pure Kentucky, but the bottle I tried was monumentally bland and overpriced.