Distillery: Willett Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky | Batch: 26C13
Mashbill: 65% Corn, 20% Wheat, 15% Malted Barley
Barrel Entry Proof: 115
Proof: 188.8 (natural cask strength; varies by batch)
Age: No age statement (distributor reports 4–6 years)
Filtration: Non-chill filtered
MSRP: $67 / 750mL
Willett Pot Still Reserve may be the most recognizable bottle on the bourbon shelf. The decanter, conceived by the late Even Kulsveen, is an exact replica of the patented Willett pot still built by Vendome Copper and Brass, and I suspect more of these bottles have been bought as gifts, bar decor, and future lamp bases than for what is actually inside them. The whiskey itself has always been a tougher sell. For years, the 94-proof Pot Still Reserve has been one of bourbon’s more polarizing pours, regularly knocked as thin, young, and more notable for its packaging than its contents.
So when Willett announced a cask-strength version this fall, the obvious question was this: can cask strength rescue bourbon’s most famous bottle from its own reputation? The early reviews are split. Some reviewers find that the extra proof finally gives Pot Still some real personality; others find it still young and short on depth.
A little history explains why opinions about “Willett Pot Still” are all over the map. Pot Still Reserve debuted in 2008, before Willett was distilling again, so the original whiskey was sourced. Willett resumed distilling at its Bardstown estate in 2012, the expression moved from single barrel to small batch around 2015, and today’s Pot Still Reserve is Willett’s own distillate. A Pot Still review from 2010 and one from 2026 may not be describing the same whiskey at all.
The new Pot Still Reserve Cask Strength was announced in September 2026 and is planned as a twice-a-year release timed to the spring and fall equinoxes. It uses Willett’s wheated mash bill of 65% corn, 20% wheat, and 15% malted barley. That is a lot more barley than most bourbons carry, and it may have something to do with the bready, herbal side of the Willett house style. The whiskey enters the barrel at 115 proof and is bottled at whatever strength the batch comes out at, with the proof printed on each bottle. This one is 118.8; such a random proof indicates a true cask strength bourbon. There is no age statement, but Willett’s distributor describes it as 4 to 6 years old in new #4-char American oak. And despite the name, this is not pot-still-only whiskey: it is twice distilled, first through a column still and then through a copper pot still modeled after Willett’s original. MSRP is $67 but I got my bottle at closer to $60.
The cask-strength bottle also gets a purple neck sticker. Willett fans know what purple means; it is the color of the Willett Family Estate “purple tops,” including the black bottle purple top which was also a wheated bourbon. Putting it on a Pot Still Reserve is either a promise or a dare.
My bottle is Batch 26C13 at 118.8 proof. Most of the early coverage concerns a 120-proof bottling, and I could not find a review of this batch number anywhere, so consider these notes a batch-level data point.
The color is a decent amber, about right given its purported 4-to-6-year age. On the swirl is a nice thick film and legs, showing off the oiliness of this cask strength bourbon.
On the nose is vanilla and baked cinnamon rolls, the classic wheated bourbon welcome mat.
On the palate, the cinnamon rolls become more like honey buns, joined by orange zest, black pepper, cardamom, and earthy floral notes, with some oak underneath. That earthy, floral streak is the Willett funk, and it is what keeps this from tasting like just another sweet wheater. My one knock is depth. This could use more age to develop more depth of character. But let’s be realistic: with more age, the price point would never be anywhere near $60.
On the finish, baking spices, clove, and oak really drive things, and they linger.
Verdict
Is this better than the 94-proof regular version? Absolutely.
Is it as good as Maker’s Mark finished with the right mix of staves, like The Stewards Release? That really depends on your taste. The Maker’s wood-finishing releases get their extra layers from the staves; this is a straightforward wheated bourbon. I would put it in the same conversation as Weller Full Proof, but with that earthy, floral funk Willett is known for.
The youth shows, and more barrel time would add depth, but it would also take this bottle well out of the $60 neighborhood. As it stands, this is a lot of flavorful, full-proof wheated bourbon for the money.
So, can cask strength rescue Pot Still Reserve? I will answer it this way: I have a 1.75 of the lower-proof Willett Pot Still that I have never had a desire to finish. This bottle will be lucky to survive the weekend.