Kentucky Bourbon Distillers
Encyclopedia
Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (KBD), Ltd., also known as the Willett Distilling Company, is a private family-owned and -operated company that markets bourbon
and rye whiskey. The company is located on the outskirts of Bardstown, Kentucky
on a site that began as a farm owned by the family. As a relatively large
independent bottling company
, KBD has been called "the big daddy of Bourbon and Rye Bottling". Most brands bottled by KBD are in the premium category and range from 6 to 17 years of aging maturity, with some of its bottlings being aged as long as 23 years. The company has remained under family ownership and operation at the same location since it was created in 1935 as the Willett Distilling Company, and the company often still uses that name. As of October 2011, the company employs about 14 people – four family members and 8–12 line workers.
In addition to marketing a number of its own brands, KBD also operates as a contract bottler for various brands that are owned and marketed by others.
Most (perhaps all) of the brands that are owned by KBD do not actually identify KBD as the producing company on their labels. Instead the company does business under various fictitious company names
. These other business names often correspond to the bottling brand names (such as the Old Bardstown Distilling Company for the Old Bardstown bourbon brand and the Noah's Mill Distilling Company for the Noah's Mill bourbon brand).
Although the company has the word distillers in its name (and similarly uses "distilling company" and "distillery" in the various company names that it prints on labels), KBD has not actually been operating as a distillery in recent history (at least in the period between the early 1980s and May 2009). However, there are reports that KBD has been refurbishing and enhancing its prior distillery plant, and may soon resume distillery operations — supporting both column still
and pot still
distillation processes. The company does not identify where in Kentucky its products are actually distilled, although it has been suggested that some of their products have been distilled by the Heaven Hill Distillery
, which has its company headquarters located close to KBD. The two companies are located about a half mile from each other along the same road in Bardstown, Kentucky
.
Starting at the age of 15 with a five-year stint at at the Mattingly Moore Distillery, his son A. Lambert Willett (born in 1883) picked up his father's profession. Lambert Willett then worked for the Max Selliger & Co. Distillery for twenty years – eventually becoming one-third owner and superintendent of the plant. A. L. "Thompson" Willett, Lambert’s son (born in 1909), also joined him at the plant as assistant superintendent. Lambert Willett later purchased a farm and, together with his sons and especially led by Thompson Willett, founded the Willett Distilling Company on the site. Thompson and Lambert Willett used John David Willett's bourbon recipes as the basis of the whiskey that they would distill there and brand as Old Bardstown.
The construction of the Willett Distilling Company began in the Spring of 1935 (soon after the 1933 repeal of alcohol prohibition in the United States
), and the company produced its first batch of 300 bushels (about 30 barrels) on March 17, 1936. Five years after founding the Willett Distilling Company, Lambert Willett left Max Selliger & Co. to pursue the family business full time. Lambert Willett and at least four of his sons held substantial positions of responsibility at the company. Lambert Willett died in 1970.
A. L. "Thompson" Willett, the son of Lambert Willett, was the president of the Willett Distilling Company. At one time, he was also the president of the Kentucky Distillers Association, and he also held a number of other positions of prominence in the community. Thompson Willett's daughter Martha Harriet Willett and other members of her generation of the family worked for the company as well, and in 1972 she married Even G. Kulsveen of Hamar, Norway, who would later purchase the company.
During the 1970s energy crisis
, the company switched from producing whiskey to producing ethanol for gasohol fuel. This strategy soon failed when fuel prices returned to lower levels, and the distilling facilities were completely shut down in the early 1980s.
Kulsveen purchased the company and the property on July 1, 1984, and renamed the company to Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (KBD), Ltd., registered distillery number DSP-KY-78. For some time, KBD continued to produce bourbon from the aging barrels that the Willett distillery had produced before they had stopped distilling. As time moved on, KBD increasingly began to purchase its bourbon from other distilleries and operate as an independent bottling company
and to restock its barrel aging facilities with purchased barrels. Kulsveen and his wife continue to operate the facility to this day, and the next generation of the family, including their son E. A. "Drew" Kuslveen, their daughter K. M.-B. "Britt" Chavanne and her husband Hunter Chavanne, are also now involved in the company. Drew Kulsveen manages production, and Britt and Hunter Chavanne cover sales and marketing.
KBD also bottles and ages a number of brands under contract, including the bottling for such brands as:
The company also occasionally releases various limited-edition special bottlings (often bottled under variations of the Willett brand name) for individual distributors.
The Beverage Testing Institute
rated Corner Creek bourbon at 92 in a 2010 tasting and Black Maple Hill rye at 95 in a 2008 tasting. Both of these ratings are in the range of 90-95, which the Institute refers to as "exceptional".
Malt Advocate Magazine rated Willett Family Reserve 22 year old rye at 96 "a classic" (Vol. 18, #1), Willett Family Reserve 25 year old bourbon at 95 "a classic" (Vol. 18, #1), Willett Family Reserve 23 year old rye at 94 "outstanding" (Vol. 17, #2), Vintage 17 year old bourbon at 92 "outstanding" (Vol. 15, #2), Rowan's Creek 12 year old bourbon at 92 "outstanding" (Vol. 14, #2), Vintage 21 year old rye at 91 "outstanding" (Vol. 15, #4), and Willett Pot Still Reserve at 90 "outstanding" (Vol. 17, #2).
In the 2011 edition of the Whisky Bible by Jim Murray
, a Willett Aged 17 Years Barrel Proof was named a "World Whisky of the Year" (10-17 Years Single Barrel).
Bourbon whiskey
Bourbon is a type of American whiskey – a barrel-aged distilled spirit made primarily from corn. The name of the spirit derives from its historical association with an area known as Old Bourbon, around what is now Bourbon County, Kentucky . It has been produced since the 18th century...
and rye whiskey. The company is located on the outskirts of Bardstown, Kentucky
Bardstown, Kentucky
As of the census of 2010, there were 11,700 people, 4,712 households, and 2,949 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 5,113 housing units at an average density of...
on a site that began as a farm owned by the family. As a relatively large
independent bottling company
Independent Bottlers
It has become customary for distilleries to sell barrels of whisky to blenders and independent bottlers as a means of making additional income. In fact, some distilleries exist solely to serve independent bottlers, and do not market any brands themselves....
, KBD has been called "the big daddy of Bourbon and Rye Bottling". Most brands bottled by KBD are in the premium category and range from 6 to 17 years of aging maturity, with some of its bottlings being aged as long as 23 years. The company has remained under family ownership and operation at the same location since it was created in 1935 as the Willett Distilling Company, and the company often still uses that name. As of October 2011, the company employs about 14 people – four family members and 8–12 line workers.
In addition to marketing a number of its own brands, KBD also operates as a contract bottler for various brands that are owned and marketed by others.
Most (perhaps all) of the brands that are owned by KBD do not actually identify KBD as the producing company on their labels. Instead the company does business under various fictitious company names
Doing business as
The phrase "doing business as" is a legal term used in the United States, meaning that the trade name, or fictitious business name, under which the business or operation is conducted and presented to the world is not the legal name of the legal person who actually own it and are responsible for it...
. These other business names often correspond to the bottling brand names (such as the Old Bardstown Distilling Company for the Old Bardstown bourbon brand and the Noah's Mill Distilling Company for the Noah's Mill bourbon brand).
Although the company has the word distillers in its name (and similarly uses "distilling company" and "distillery" in the various company names that it prints on labels), KBD has not actually been operating as a distillery in recent history (at least in the period between the early 1980s and May 2009). However, there are reports that KBD has been refurbishing and enhancing its prior distillery plant, and may soon resume distillery operations — supporting both column still
Column still
A column still, also called a continuous still, patent still or Coffey still, is a variety of still consisting of two columns invented in 1826 by Robert Stein, a Clackmannanshire distiller, and it was first used at the Cameron Bridge Grain Distillery in Fife, Scotland. The design was enhanced and...
and pot still
Pot still
A pot still is a type of still used in distilling spirits such as whisky or brandy. Heat is applied directly to the pot containing the wash or wine . This is called a batch distillation ....
distillation processes. The company does not identify where in Kentucky its products are actually distilled, although it has been suggested that some of their products have been distilled by the Heaven Hill Distillery
Heaven Hill
Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc., is a private family-owned and operated distillery company headquartered in Bardstown, Kentucky that produces and markets the Heaven Hill brand of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and a variety of other distilled spirits. Its current distillery facility, called the...
, which has its company headquarters located close to KBD. The two companies are located about a half mile from each other along the same road in Bardstown, Kentucky
Bardstown, Kentucky
As of the census of 2010, there were 11,700 people, 4,712 households, and 2,949 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 5,113 housing units at an average density of...
.
Company history
KBD began as the Willett Distilling Company. John David Willett (born in 1841) had been the master distiller for the Moore, Willett & Frenke Distillery, which he had formed with his brother-in-law Thomas S. Moore of Bardstown, and a Mr. Frenke of Louisville. In 1876, Willett fell ill and sold his interest in the company. The resulting company became the Mattingly Moore Distillery. John David Willett would, however, live on for another 38 years after this transaction. He died in 1914.Starting at the age of 15 with a five-year stint at at the Mattingly Moore Distillery, his son A. Lambert Willett (born in 1883) picked up his father's profession. Lambert Willett then worked for the Max Selliger & Co. Distillery for twenty years – eventually becoming one-third owner and superintendent of the plant. A. L. "Thompson" Willett, Lambert’s son (born in 1909), also joined him at the plant as assistant superintendent. Lambert Willett later purchased a farm and, together with his sons and especially led by Thompson Willett, founded the Willett Distilling Company on the site. Thompson and Lambert Willett used John David Willett's bourbon recipes as the basis of the whiskey that they would distill there and brand as Old Bardstown.
The construction of the Willett Distilling Company began in the Spring of 1935 (soon after the 1933 repeal of alcohol prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
), and the company produced its first batch of 300 bushels (about 30 barrels) on March 17, 1936. Five years after founding the Willett Distilling Company, Lambert Willett left Max Selliger & Co. to pursue the family business full time. Lambert Willett and at least four of his sons held substantial positions of responsibility at the company. Lambert Willett died in 1970.
A. L. "Thompson" Willett, the son of Lambert Willett, was the president of the Willett Distilling Company. At one time, he was also the president of the Kentucky Distillers Association, and he also held a number of other positions of prominence in the community. Thompson Willett's daughter Martha Harriet Willett and other members of her generation of the family worked for the company as well, and in 1972 she married Even G. Kulsveen of Hamar, Norway, who would later purchase the company.
During the 1970s energy crisis
1970s energy crisis
The 1970s energy crisis was a period in which the major industrial countries of the world, particularly the United States, faced substantial shortages, both perceived and real, of petroleum...
, the company switched from producing whiskey to producing ethanol for gasohol fuel. This strategy soon failed when fuel prices returned to lower levels, and the distilling facilities were completely shut down in the early 1980s.
Kulsveen purchased the company and the property on July 1, 1984, and renamed the company to Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (KBD), Ltd., registered distillery number DSP-KY-78. For some time, KBD continued to produce bourbon from the aging barrels that the Willett distillery had produced before they had stopped distilling. As time moved on, KBD increasingly began to purchase its bourbon from other distilleries and operate as an independent bottling company
Independent Bottlers
It has become customary for distilleries to sell barrels of whisky to blenders and independent bottlers as a means of making additional income. In fact, some distilleries exist solely to serve independent bottlers, and do not market any brands themselves....
and to restock its barrel aging facilities with purchased barrels. Kulsveen and his wife continue to operate the facility to this day, and the next generation of the family, including their son E. A. "Drew" Kuslveen, their daughter K. M.-B. "Britt" Chavanne and her husband Hunter Chavanne, are also now involved in the company. Drew Kulsveen manages production, and Britt and Hunter Chavanne cover sales and marketing.
Products
The brands owned and marketed by KBD include the following:- General market brands:
- Johnny DrumJohnny DrumJohnny Drum Bourbon is a Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey produced in Bardstown, Kentucky by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, Ltd. . It is sold in glass in 16 oz pint bottles, glass 750 ml bottles, glass 1-liter bottles and plastic 1.75L bottles....
bourbon (Black label 40-43% abvAlcohol by volumeAlcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
, Private Stock label 50.5% abvAlcohol by volumeAlcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
, various ages including 4, 8, 12, and 15 years) - Old Bardstown bourbon (Black label 43% abvAlcohol by volumeAlcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
, 6 year aging; Gold label 40% abvAlcohol by volumeAlcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
, 6 year aging; Estate Bottled label 50.5% abvAlcohol by volumeAlcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
, approximately 10 year aging) – the original Willett Distillery brand, first batch distilled 1936 - VintageVintage BourbonVintage Bourbon is a bourbon produced in Bardstown, Kentucky by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers . The brand is one of several small batch bourbon offerings by KBD – the others include Kentucky Vintage, Noah's Mill, Rowan's Creek and Pure Kentucky XO....
bourbon and rye (47% abvAlcohol by volumeAlcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
, various ages including 17, 21, and 23 years)
- Johnny Drum
- Single barrelSingle barrel bourbonSingle barrel whiskey is a term that describes a premium class of whisky in which each bottle comes from an individual aging barrel, instead of being created by blending together the contents of various barrels to provide uniformity of color and taste.The term is most commonly associated with...
brands:- Willett Family Estate bourbon and rye (varying abvAlcohol by volumeAlcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
and aging, limited distribution) - Willett Pot Still ReserveWillett Pot Still ReserveWillett Pot Still Reserve Bourbon is a bourbon whiskey produced in Bardstown, Kentucky by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, Ltd. . It is a Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey introduced in 2008 and bottled at 47% abv, with 8-10 year aging. It is sold in glass 750ml and 1-liter bottles...
bourbon (47% abvAlcohol by volumeAlcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
, 6-7 year aging) – introduced 2008; bottled in a decorative decanter that received a double gold award for packaging design at the 2008 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. (Although the product has the term pot stillPot stillA pot still is a type of still used in distilling spirits such as whisky or brandy. Heat is applied directly to the pot containing the wash or wine . This is called a batch distillation ....
in its name, it has been reported that part of the distillation process for the product was performed using the more common column stillColumn stillA column still, also called a continuous still, patent still or Coffey still, is a variety of still consisting of two columns invented in 1826 by Robert Stein, a Clackmannanshire distiller, and it was first used at the Cameron Bridge Grain Distillery in Fife, Scotland. The design was enhanced and...
distillation method — with a pot still used only for the doubler stage.)
- Willett Family Estate bourbon and rye (varying abv
- Small batchSmall batchSmall batch whiskey is a term usually referring to bourbon or rye whiskey, and denotes a whiskey produced by mixing the contents of a relatively small number of selected barrels....
(at most 12 barrels per batch) collection:- Kentucky Vintage bourbon (45% abvAlcohol by volumeAlcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
, 17 year aging) - Noah's MillNoah's MillNoah's Mill is a bourbon produced in Bardstown, Kentucky by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers . The bourbon is aged in charred oak barrels until mature at 15 years old...
bourbon (57.15% abvAlcohol by volumeAlcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
, 15 year aging) - Pure Kentucky XO bourbon (53.5% abvAlcohol by volumeAlcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
, 12 year aging) - Rowan's CreekRowan's CreekRowan's Creek is a bourbon produced in Bardstown, Kentucky by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers . It is named for the creek which runs through the grounds of the site's former distillery. The creek, in turn, is named after John Rowan, a stateman in Kentucky during the late 1700's and early 1800's, whose...
bourbon (50.05% abvAlcohol by volumeAlcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
, 12 year aging) – the best-selling brand produced by the company, available in 27 states as of October 2011.
- Kentucky Vintage bourbon (45% abv
- Limited availability brands:
- Corner Creek bourbon (44.3% abvAlcohol by volumeAlcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
, 8 year aging) - Kentucky Pride bourbon (45% abvAlcohol by volumeAlcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
, 10 year aging)
- Corner Creek bourbon (44.3% abv
KBD also bottles and ages a number of brands under contract, including the bottling for such brands as:
- Black Maple Hill small batchSmall batchSmall batch whiskey is a term usually referring to bourbon or rye whiskey, and denotes a whiskey produced by mixing the contents of a relatively small number of selected barrels....
bourbon and rye (46.6% abvAlcohol by volumeAlcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
, 14 year aging, for CVI Brands) - Classic Cask small batchSmall batchSmall batch whiskey is a term usually referring to bourbon or rye whiskey, and denotes a whiskey produced by mixing the contents of a relatively small number of selected barrels....
bourbon and rye (17-21 year aging, for Spirit Imports) - Conecuh RidgeConecuh Ridge WhiskeyConecuh Ridge Whiskey, officially marketed as Clyde May's Conecuh Ridge Alabama Style Whiskey, is a recreation of a high-quality aged moonshine whiskey which was produced illegally in Alabama during the mid to late 20th century. In 2004 it was designated the official "State Spirit" of Alabama by...
small batchSmall batchSmall batch whiskey is a term usually referring to bourbon or rye whiskey, and denotes a whiskey produced by mixing the contents of a relatively small number of selected barrels....
whiskey "distilled from bourbon mash" (45% abvAlcohol by volumeAlcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
, approximately 4 year aging, for Spirits Acquisition Corp.) – Note that under U.S. regulations a whiskey "distilled from bourbon mash" is similar to a bourbon, but is aged in used oak barrels rather than in new ones. - Michter's small batchSmall batchSmall batch whiskey is a term usually referring to bourbon or rye whiskey, and denotes a whiskey produced by mixing the contents of a relatively small number of selected barrels....
and single barrelSingle barrel bourbonSingle barrel whiskey is a term that describes a premium class of whisky in which each bottle comes from an individual aging barrel, instead of being created by blending together the contents of various barrels to provide uniformity of color and taste.The term is most commonly associated with...
bourbon, rye, and bourbon-like unblended American whiskeyAmerican whiskeyAmerican whiskey is a distilled beverage produced in the United States from a fermented mash of cereal grain.The production and labeling of American whiskey are governed by Title 27 of the U.S...
(various abvAlcohol by volumeAlcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
and ages, for Chatham Imports) - Old Pogue small batchSmall batchSmall batch whiskey is a term usually referring to bourbon or rye whiskey, and denotes a whiskey produced by mixing the contents of a relatively small number of selected barrels....
bourbon (45.5% abvAlcohol by volumeAlcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
, 9 year aging, for the Pogue family)
The company also occasionally releases various limited-edition special bottlings (often bottled under variations of the Willett brand name) for individual distributors.
Awards
Many of the company's brands have received awards at the annual San Francisco World Spirits Competition. These include Johnny Drum Private Stock (double gold medal, 2010), Willett Pot Still Reserve (gold medal and double gold medal for packaging, 2009), Kentucky Vintage (double gold medal, 2005), Noah's Mill (gold medal, 2005; double gold medal, 2011), Pure Kentucky XO (double gold medal, 2005), and Rowan's Creek (gold medal, 2005; gold medal, 2011).The Beverage Testing Institute
Beverage Testing Institute
The Beverage Testing Institute is a marketing service company that provides reviews for spirits, wines, and beers. It uses numerical scores and publishes books of its test results.-Reviews:...
rated Corner Creek bourbon at 92 in a 2010 tasting and Black Maple Hill rye at 95 in a 2008 tasting. Both of these ratings are in the range of 90-95, which the Institute refers to as "exceptional".
Malt Advocate Magazine rated Willett Family Reserve 22 year old rye at 96 "a classic" (Vol. 18, #1), Willett Family Reserve 25 year old bourbon at 95 "a classic" (Vol. 18, #1), Willett Family Reserve 23 year old rye at 94 "outstanding" (Vol. 17, #2), Vintage 17 year old bourbon at 92 "outstanding" (Vol. 15, #2), Rowan's Creek 12 year old bourbon at 92 "outstanding" (Vol. 14, #2), Vintage 21 year old rye at 91 "outstanding" (Vol. 15, #4), and Willett Pot Still Reserve at 90 "outstanding" (Vol. 17, #2).
In the 2011 edition of the Whisky Bible by Jim Murray
Jim Murray (writer)
Jim Murray is an English writer and journalist. He is best known for his observations on whisky and his annually updated book on the subject, Jim Murray's Whisky Bible.-Life:Murray was born in Merstham, Surrey...
, a Willett Aged 17 Years Barrel Proof was named a "World Whisky of the Year" (10-17 Years Single Barrel).