Willett Family Estate Small Batch Rye – Review

While Willett has a storied history in distilling, legend has it the distillery starts its history with Edward Willett who went to London in 1674 to apprentice with Daniel Mason to learn the pewter trade. This is where the original mark of the Willett Distillery was born. John David Willett, born in 1841 after the family moved to Nelson County, Kentucky in 1792, was one-third owner and Master Distiller at Moore, Willett & Frenke Distillery. He went on to become Master Distiller at four other distilleries in Kentucky[1].

 

The Willett Distillery was founded in 1909 in Bardstown by Aloysius Lambert Thompson Willett. In 1936, after the repeal of prohibition, the family started the build of the distillery on the family farm. The distillery and their bar is a must visit while in Bardstown, Kentucky. Willett Family Estate Bottled Rye was introduced in 2008 and has become a must have rye in any collection.