Old Bardstown 101 Bourbon Whiskey 750ml

Old Bardstown 101 Bourbon comes from Willett Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky, a brand with roots stretching back to the 1940s, when it served as the Willett family's flagship label. The name honors a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse foaled in 1952 and named for the city itself. After decades of closure and a long stretch as a sourced brand under Even Kulsveen, Willett resumed distilling its own whiskey in 2012, and the current Old Bardstown lineup, including this 101 proof expression, reflects that estate-distilled production.

Old Bardstown 101 uses a classic Willett mash bill of roughly 72 percent corn, 13 percent rye, and 15 percent malted barley, a notably high proportion of malted barley compared to most Kentucky recipes. After fermentation with local limestone water, the whiskey is distilled and matured in new, charred American oak barrels before being bottled at a robust 101 proof, a strength chosen to give the whiskey more backbone and stand up well in cocktails while still working neat.

On the nose, Old Bardstown 101 offers caramel, vanilla, and toasted oak with warming baking spice. The palate carries that same rich sweetness forward, layered with oak char and gentle spice, while the finish runs long and smooth, closing on lingering sweetness and a touch of warming heat from the higher proof.