For a lot of guys who’ve been chasing whiskey for the last twenty or thirty years, the name Willett carries serious weight. It’s one of those distilleries that never needed flashy marketing—just rock-solid liquid in the bottle and a family story that feels honest. So when word got out that Willett Family Estate was dropping a brand-new Small Batch Bourbon, a lot of us sat up and paid attention.
This isn’t some limited-edition unicorn that disappears the day it hits the shelf. Willett says this one is joining the regular lineup for good. That alone makes it different from most of the hype-driven releases we see these days.
The man behind it is Drew Kulsveen, fifth-generation master distiller and the guy who grew up inside those rickhouses. He put this bourbon together using two of the distillery’s own mash bills—the recipes they’ve been guarding like family secrets.
About 70 percent of every batch comes from a sweeter, corn-heavy recipe: 72 percent corn, 13 percent rye, and 15 percent malted barley. The other 30 percent or so is a high-rye mash bill—52 percent corn, 38 percent rye, and 10 percent barley—that brings spice and backbone to the party. Every barrel going into the blend started life at 125 proof, and nothing gets watered down before bottling. What you pour is straight cask strength, so the proof will bounce around a little from batch to batch. That’s part of the fun.
Each small batch is built from roughly 50 barrels, all aged at least four years. Four years might not sound ancient in a world full of 12- and 18-year-old bottles, but when the whiskey is this concentrated and the oak is doing its job, four years in Kentucky heat is plenty.
Drew has been clear that this release is about carrying on what his dad started. Even G. Kulsveen—the man everybody just called “Even”—took over the place back in 1984 when bourbon wasn’t exactly the hottest thing going. A lot of historic distilleries were shutting down or selling out, but Even kept the lights on by bottling sourced whiskey under the Kentucky Bourbon Distillers name. He had a nose you could trust. Collectors still hunt the old KBD-era bottles he picked.
In 2012 the family brought the Willett name back to the front gate and fired the stills up again. The first house-distilled Willett whiskeys started showing up around 2015, and the reputation has only grown since then. The distillery is still 100 percent family-owned, no big corporation in sight, and they also put out Noah’s Mill, Rowan’s Creek, Old Bardstown, and Johnny Drum for the folks who’ve been drinking those labels for decades.
Drew put it best in the announcement: “Willett Family Estate Small Batch Bourbon represents the next step in our family’s journey. From our family’s Thanksgiving table to yours, our values of gratitude, grit, and hospitality are intentionally poured into every barrel and every single bottle we put on the table. It’s important to celebrate those we hold most dear over a shared pour, while remembering our most favorite stories about those who aren’t at the table.”
That quote hits home for a lot of us. A good bourbon isn’t just something you drink—it’s what you pour when the kids are grown, the old man isn’t around anymore, and the stories start flowing. This one feels built for exactly those nights.
As of right now, bottles are already heading out to stores across the country. Supply is limited—Willett isn’t Heaven Hill or Buffalo Trace when it comes to volume—so if you spot one, you’ll probably want to grab it quick. The distillery hasn’t released an official suggested retail price yet, but early word from a few stores that have posted it is running in the ballpark you’d expect from a cask-strength Willett Family Estate offering.
If you’ve got a buddy who’s been riding the Willett train since the purple-top days, or if you just want something new to crack open around the firepit with the guys who’ve been through it all with you, keep an eye out. This one feels like the start of something the whiskey world is going to be talking about for years.
Raise a glass to Even, pour one for the people at your table, and save a spot on the shelf. The next chapter of Willett just showed up.
