Willet Pot Still

[FlyBill]

What's Willet PS going for these days?  I see a lot of hate for it on some of the FB groups, but think that guys are talking it down so other's won't buy it.  I've had plenty of it and like it.  Not as much as other allocated bourbon's, such as Elmer and Weller, but it's pretty good and the bottle is awesome any bourbon collector!  

[bayouredd]

While it is around the proof I like best for sipping, it isn't the one I grab when I want neat. It did make me think that I wanted to chase some wheated bourbons though. It is also the one that I have tried that truly opens up with a splash of water. My wife likes it this way. I like it with a bit of honey & a small squeeze of lemon.

 

It goes for $36 down here and has been pretty easy to find...

[Clueby]

6 minutes ago, bayouredd said:

While it is around the proof I like best for sipping, it isn't the one I grab when I want neat. It did make me think that I wanted to chase some wheated bourbons though. It is also the one that I have tried that truly opens up with a splash of water. My wife likes it this way. I like it with a bit of honey & a small squeeze of lemon.

 

It goes for $36 down here and has been pretty easy to find...

Willett PS is not a wheated bourbon...so not sure I follow what you are saying. While it's not as good as it was when it was a single barrel it's still a perfectly fine bourbon. It's nothing exceptional but nothing wrong with it either.  It doesn't deserve some of t he hate it seems to get. AFAIK it's all still sourced but imagine it will someday transition to their own distillate. Thed bottle is awesome, if a bit of a shelf hog. I've got a 1.75L sitting on the bar now and that thing is HUGE.

[Saul_cooperstein]

Fine bourbon but takes up too much space because of bottle design. 

[Radioyada]

Not one I will purchase again, as there are far too many better choices for my taste buds around the same price range and lower.  I could not tell you any of the prices around me as I never pay this bottle any attention.  Give me good juice over a cool bottle design any day.

[bayouredd]

1 hour ago, Clueby said:

Willett PS is not a wheated bourbon...so not sure I follow what you are saying.

WOW!!! This makes my searches even more interesting. I was told by a liquor store guy it was, when I told him that there was a flavor on the backend that I couldn't place. I was then informed that the Makers bunch & Larceny also was. Makers has been my goto whiskey sour mixer forever so the chase was on.

 

The misinformation has put the Weller line on my chase list, but I think they will stay there... Thanx...

[FlyBill]

47 minutes ago, bayouredd said:

WOW!!! This makes my searches even more interesting. I was told by a liquor store guy it was, when I told him that there was a flavor on the backend that I couldn't place. I was then informed that the Makers bunch & Larceny also was. Makers has been my goto whiskey sour mixer forever so the chase was on.

 

The misinformation has put the Weller line on my chase list, but I think they will stay there... Thanx...

Weller is great if you can find it.  Out here I can relatively easily find the 107 Antique and sometimes the Special Reserve.  I shop at about 10 different local liquor stores including the one that I work in.  Weller 12 has been impossible this year for me, although a few friends have found it and I unsuccessfully tried to buy a bottle off of a bar that I frequent!

 

The Weller 107 Antique is great for mixed drinks.  I frequently use it for Old Fashions and Manhattan's.  Been meaning to try some whiskey sours, but haven't done it yet.  

 

Larceny is good as well!  It's the replacement for Old Fitzgerald.  I'm fortunate to have some older bottles of Old Fitzgerald, since I found them in a few spots that didn't know what they had.  Very reasonably priced and fun to test against the Larceny, Maker's Mark and other wheated bourbon's.

[Clueby]

1 hour ago, bayouredd said:

WOW!!! This makes my searches even more interesting. I was told by a liquor store guy it was, when I told him that there was a flavor on the backend that I couldn't place. I was then informed that the Makers bunch & Larceny also was. Makers has been my goto whiskey sour mixer forever so the chase was on.

 

The misinformation has put the Weller line on my chase list, but I think they will stay there... Thanx...

All Maker's products are wheated.  Larceny is wheated.  Old Fitz is wheated.  Larceny is essentially the replacement for Old Fitz but to me they don't taste alike.  I don't like Larceny..all I get is acetone.  I really like Old Fitzgerald BIB..it has a great spearmint finish. I can still get Old Fitz in Illinois.  The Weller line is my favorite wheated bourbon.  Special Reserve is decent.  Makes a good summer sipper over ice.  I also use it to blend with OGD114 to make Grandpa Weller's Four Grain.  WA107 is my favorite all around bourbon.  A bit of that old leather, and spicy and sweet at the same time with a cinnamon red-hots finish.  PS selections of it can be outstanding.  I admit I have never tried it in a mixed drink..only neat of some water.  Weller 12 is graceful, woody version of a wheater.  William Larue Weller BTAC is the pinnacle of all things wheated to my taste buds.  Don't overypay for the Weller line.  They get jacked up in price all the time.  WSR should be ~$20 or under, WA107 should be less than $30 and W12 should be less than $40.  There are a few other wheated bourbons out there but those are the major players.

[flahute]

4 hours ago, FlyBill said:

What's Willet PS going for these days?  I see a lot of hate for it on some of the FB groups, but think that guys are talking it down so other's won't buy it.  I've had plenty of it and like it.  Not as much as other allocated bourbon's, such as Elmer and Weller, but it's pretty good and the bottle is awesome any bourbon collector!  

I’m pretty sure that nobody is talking it down so others won’t buy it. 

It gets talked down because it’s a very average bourbon that has become overhyped by some because it’s allocated and because it’s from the same company that produces WFE which everybody wants but only a few can get. 

Now you add in that the sourcing for it is inconsistent so you have no idea if it will taste the same from bottle to bottle. 

[Richnimrod]

^^^^ What Steve said!    Plus, the note up thread about the bottle being such a HOG for shelf space by Clueby, means my one and only (ever) bottle won't be replaced.

[lcpfratn]

^^^^ What Steve said!    Plus, the note up thread about the bottle being such a HOG for shelf space by Clueby, means my one and only (ever) bottle won't be replaced.

All of this plus it's overpriced for what it is. If it was great bourbon, and priced reasonably, I could ignore the shelf hog aspect...although it is a cool looking bottle.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Bobje]

I enjoy just about all Willett products, even if they come in an elegant bottle. The decanter is worth $10 on its own. 

 

What Clueby is talking about is very interesting — Old Fitzgerald over Larceny. My understanding was that Heaven Hill was basically taking the same Old Fitz wheated juice and putting it in a more contemporary, higher-priced branded presentation, with Larceny. And they’re not putting a dime into marketing for Old Fitzgerald. I certainly agree with Clueby on the taste of Larceny — acetone dominant. But it’s very interesting that Old Fitz may be better, and I love the idea of blending  it with Old Grand Dad 114 for a four grain! 

 

[Clueby]

1 hour ago, Bobje said:

I enjoy just about all Willett products, even if they come in an elegant bottle. The decanter is worth $10 on its own. 

 

What Clueby is talking about is very interesting — Old Fitzgerald over Larceny. My understanding was that Heaven Hill was basically taking the same Old Fitz wheated juice and putting it in a more contemporary, higher-priced branded presentation, with Larceny. And they’re not putting a dime into marketing for Old Fitzgerald. I certainly agree with Clueby on the taste of Larceny — acetone dominant. But it’s very interesting that Old Fitz may be better, and I love the idea of blending  it with Old Grand Dad 114 for a four grain! 

 

I actually use Weller Special Reserve to blend with OGD114. Haven't tried using OF. I've heard that Larceny is basically just rebranded OF as well..but I've done sbs and they were very different. None of the spearmint finish in Larceny. None..or at least a lot less of...the acetone in OF.  Sorry OP about the thread derailment. 

 

Re other Willett products..I enjoy their own distilled rye. I did NOT enjoy their own distilled bourbon in Old Bardstown. To me that is the worst tasting bourbon I have ever purchased.

[PaulO]

1 hour ago, Clueby said:

 ...

 

Re other Willett products..I enjoy their own distilled rye. I did NOT enjoy their own distilled bourbon in Old Bardstown. To me that is the worst tasting bourbon I have ever purchased.

I thought the sourced version of Old Bardstown was awful.

I used to really enjoy the WFE Rye sourced from MGP in Indiana.  That was before availability and prices went crazy.

Willett must sell a huge volume of Pot Still.  I see it in practically every liquor store.  When I talk bourbon to employees; I've been offered it many times (like it's some kind of unicorn).  The real irony is - it is NOT distilled in a pot still!  

[Clueby]

9 hours ago, PaulO said:

I thought the sourced version of Old Bardstown was awful.

I used to really enjoy the WFE Rye sourced from MGP in Indiana.  That was before availability and prices went crazy.

Willett must sell a huge volume of Pot Still.  I see it in practically every liquor store.  When I talk bourbon to employees; I've been offered it many times (like it's some kind of unicorn).  The real irony is - it is NOT distilled in a pot still!  

I thought the sourced version of OB was better than awful.  I thought the new Willett distilled version was worse than awful.

Around here WPS is mostly a unicorn.  I was at a lottery recently where a 1.75L of it was picked ahead of BTAC.  Not by ME!

[FlyBill]

31 minutes ago, Clueby said:

I thought the sourced version of OB was better than awful.  I thought the new Willett distilled version was worse than awful.

Around here WPS is mostly a unicorn.  I was at a lottery recently where a 1.75L of it was picked ahead of BTAC.  Not by ME!

Wow!  Someone missed out choosing WPS over any of the BTAC series.  I've recently had WLW and GTS!  If I come across a Stagg I'm grabbing it!

[DonutsNBourbon]

1 hour ago, Clueby said:

I thought the sourced version of OB was better than awful.  I thought the new Willett distilled version was worse than awful.

Around here WPS is mostly a unicorn.  I was at a lottery recently where a 1.75L of it was picked ahead of BTAC.  Not by ME!

that's pure craziness....  WPS can be found decently easily around these parts, I'm actually struggling to finish a bottle I purchased when I first started drinking Bourbon.  It was recommended to me by a liquor store clerk.... last time I listened to them!  pretty bottle though...

[Clueby]

If I could have gotten to the guy in time..I'd have told him to pick the GTS and I will go home and get my WPS and trade him!

[PaulO]

To be clear, the Old Bardstown I tried was bought in Louisville around 2005 or so.  It tasted like bitter orange peel and eucalyptus; both versions, the 90 and the 101 proof.  I have to guess there is variability between different batches.  Oddly, that's another brand I've seen stocked far and wide in the last couple years.

  I wasn't exaggerating about Pot Still being in many stores.  If you all come to Indy area; many of the chain liquor stores have it behind the counter but in plain view.    

[alcoholica]

On 1/31/2018 at 12:35 AM, PaulO said:

I thought the sourced version of Old Bardstown was awful.

I used to really enjoy the WFE Rye sourced from MGP in Indiana.  That was before availability and prices went crazy.

Willett must sell a huge volume of Pot Still.  I see it in practically every liquor store.  When I talk bourbon to employees; I've been offered it many times (like it's some kind of unicorn).  The real irony is - it is NOT distilled in a pot still!  

I was under the impression that they did a finishing distillation through their pot still

 

 

I actually like WPS. Maybe it's the bottle I've got, but it's a nice cinnamon bomb. On a side note, I've recently heard that they're moving away from the bottle due to freight costs.

[smokinjoe]

3 hours ago, alcoholica said:

I was under the impression that they did a finishing distillation through their pot still

 

 

I actually like WPS. Maybe it's the bottle I've got, but it's a nice cinnamon bomb. On a side note, I've recently heard that they're moving away from the bottle due to freight costs.

Where’d you hear that?  Im assuming the bottle change means going to a more standard configured bottle.  Did they say what the savings may be?  

Edited February 16, 2018 by smokinjoe

[alcoholica]

1 hour ago, smokinjoe said:

Where’d you hear that?  Im assuming the bottle change means going to a more standard configured bottle.  Did they say what the savings may be?  

Liquor store manager at Lucky's Market (Colorado based grocer). Not sure what current bottle design they'll go with or if it'll be new. I guess more bottles per pallet type of deal.

[Richnimrod]

25 minutes ago, alcoholica said:

Liquor store manager at Lucky's Market (Colorado based grocer). Not sure what current bottle design they'll go with or if it'll be new. I guess more bottles per pallet type of deal.

...And, Liquor Store Manager's always  have the straight skinny..... 

[0895]

Oh!  I found it online. 

Edited February 16, 2018 by 0895

[0895]

On a serious note, I will say that the newer batches of WPS have not impressed me much.  I think the last bottle I drank was from 2015.

I swear most of the KBD/Willett/whatever you wanna call it standard releases all taste like the same juice to me, just watered down to different proofs.

They all seem to have a cinnamon component, a vegetal/plant/garden component, and some sort of nutty characteristic that I commonly find in Beam and Heaven Hill juice....hmmm.