KENTUCKY BOURBON DISTILLERY

WILLETTE DISTILLERY

MAY 23, 2012

If you want Dave to take charge of an event and come alive, it should involve beer, wine, rum or bourbon.  He does a fine job.  While I was checking out emails, Dave was quietly looking up information on his IPAD and calling for appointments.  He arranged for a private tour at a small batch bourbon distillery.    His aim is for the distilleries we did not visit when we completed the Bourbon Trail last fall.

Just outside of Bardstown, down the road from My Old Kentucky Home State Park and past Heaven Hills Distillery is Kentucky Bourbon Distillery home of Johnny Drum and Willet bourbon.  It was built after the repeal of Prohibition by Thompson and Johnny Willett and became the family distillery for over thirty years.    Their signature bourbons were Old Bardstown now produced by Heaven Hills and Johnny Drum marketed for overseas consumption.  During the 1970’s the brothers converted the distillery to produce alcohol for gasohol fuel and stopped making bourbon entirely.  Several grants fell through and other things happened causing the distillery to close and go into foreclosure.

In comes Evan Kulsveen, married to Willett’s daughter.  Evan took over the distillery and started producing spirits again.  The Kulsveen/Willetts have been in the spirit business since 1600’s in France producing Brandy.   The foreign market for American bourbon was beginning to boom, especially the Japanese market.  The old remaining Willett stock was bottled in classic looking packages and sold in Japan.  Even has not had much interest in developing an American market.  He has marketed his bourbon as “Small Batch Bourbon”.

Drew Kulsveen, son of Evan and Manager of the Distillery gave us an extensive tour.  It was fantastic.    Drew, his sister  Britt Chavanne and her husband Hunter Chavanne and Even comprise the business today. 

Dave and Drew discussing the chemistry (what else!) for alcohol!

He brought us into the main building and the first thing I thought was, It smells like a bakery.  We climbed to the second floor to view the fermenting vats.  You could feel the heat rising from the vats and the yeast did its work.   

 EMPTY VAT - HEAT/COOLING COILS  

The still was such a unique design. Even and Drew designed this still.  It was quite beautiful which inspired me to buy the bottle of bourbon that is in a replica for this still.

Next we crossed over to the barrel room.  They purchase their barrels from a company in Louisville

The barrel room…..I asked what they do with the used charred barrels.  Since this is a small batch distillery producing about 20 barrels a day, their market is breweries rather than the Scotch and Whiskey makers overseas.  He suggested trying a chocolate-coffee stout from one of these used barrels.  Imagine the richness in the taste.  (We’re beer drinkers too)

They rolled a barrel over and showed us how they filled the barrel with the liquid gold.

 The filling hose is original.  Kind of looks like a gas hose.  Dave was busy wiping the side of the barrel where the bourbon was spilling out.

The barrels are rolled over to the scale to be weighed.  Again this scale is the original scale of the distillery.  Whenever possible, if it works and is still efficient, it is used by this family.

The barrels are then stamped and taken over to the rick houses.

They have worked to keep the old buildings, reinforcing only when necessary for safety and modernization.  The vats and still are unique in their design. the reconditioned distillery building, is kept cool by some amazing belt-driven cast iron ceiling fans. The 1935 vintage gauging building has been beautifully restored to preserve the wood-grained character of the old structure. 

There are eight well-weathered, traditional rick-style warehouses at the property. These currently hold aging bourbon destined for the various labels and brands produced by the Kentucky Bourbon Distillers bottling operation. Slowly but surely they will be filled with new barrels distilled onsite by Kentucky’s newest…old distillery.

 Their bourbon is aged for 4 years and the first six barrels at 103 proof, on January 27, which would have been the 103rd birthday of Thompson Willett.  You can see the message on the barrel.  This one is a keeper - will probably never be openned.

 In the meantime,  the Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, is a bottling operation that produces a range of private labels, as well as their own brands, including Willett Pot Still Reserve, Johnny Drum, and Willett Family Estate.  Those first barrels from January will be quite a celebration.

A lake fed by a real limestone spring behind the distillery provides water for the process;  they are planning on building a B&B on the edge of the lake and utilizing old structures on the property as porches for guests. I believe they have seven springs on the property as well as access to the creek so there is plenty of room for growth.

We entered the tasting room and started off with White Dog which is really moonshine.  It is the initial pour off the barrel.  It was crystal clear and a hardy drink.  Then we tried the Willett Pot Still Reserve 94 Proof Bourbon.  I really like this one and it came in a decanter the shape of the still.

Rowans Creek is the creek behind the property which furnishes water for the distilling proces so we had Rowan's Creek Small Batch 100.1 proof and.... it too....was great so be bought it!  And..........we bought Dave a hat for doing such a good job of planning!!!

LIFE IS GOOD!