Pure Kentucky Vs. Old Bardstown

Today I’d like to highlight a couple of affordable options from Willett Distillery.
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First a little history:
Willett was originally opened in 1935 - two years after the end of Prohibition. and Its first product was Old Bardstown! They continued operating through the mid-1970s, when it converted to the production of ethanol fuel.

Norwegian Even Kulsveen acquired the distillery in 1984, changed its name to Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, and served as a bottling plant for other brands.

In 2012 the facility turned its focus to bourbon production, distilling using pot stills. Releases were sourced until 2016 when the first in-house distilled Old Bardstown was released! Pure Kentucky was also originally a sourced product, but now is distilled in-house.
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Old Bardstown) $20, 90 Proof:
This starts out with hints of “the Willett nose” that I get from their rye as well. It includes vanilla, caramel, cinnamon, and cardemom, along with tons of sweet cherries. It’s a complex and rich nose for sure!
The palate is a dark sweet cherry bomb and I love it! There is also cinnamon spice, vanilla, caramel, a hint of black pepper, and cut-grass.
The fairly short finish is more peppery, with a slight bitterness.
Overall an excellent $21 bottle that I love for it’s intense dark-cherry notes!

Pure Kentucky) $25, 107 Proof:
There is that same “Willet Nose” but has more spice, oak, and heat.
The palate is also immediately more spicy and hot, but the heat quickly dissipates to reveal a caramel, vanilla sweetness with some dark cherries, and LOTS of baking spices.
The finish is medium in length, with caramel, charred oak, a hint of mint, and a lasting cinnamon-candy burn.
Overall I really like this bottle as a more complex, spicy version of the Willett profile that I love.

VERDICT) These are both great budget bottles that I think everyone should have on their shelves. If I had to choose one it would be the Pure Kentucky. I really like the bottle design, and it is the more complex, high-proof pour. But, if I want an easy drinker I will always reach for Old Bardstown because I love those intense dark cherry notes!