Willett's Pot Still Reserve has become something of a cult bottle in bourbon circles, and honestly, I get it. That distinctive pot still-shaped bottle isn't just a gimmick — it's a statement of intent. This is a distillery that wants you to pay attention before you've even cracked the seal. At 47% ABV, this single barrel bourbon sits at a sweet spot that gives you enough proof to carry flavour without burning through your palate like a freight train.
Let's talk about what we know. This is a NAS bourbon, which means Willett aren't hanging their hat on an age statement here. That's a deliberate choice. What they are telling you is that this is a single barrel selection — every bottle comes from one cask, which means each batch carries its own personality. I've always respected that approach when it's done honestly. You're trusting the palate of whoever pulled that barrel, and in Willett's case, their track record speaks for itself.
At 47%, you're getting a bourbon that's been proofed down just enough to be approachable but not so much that it loses its backbone. For context, straight from the barrel most bourbons sit somewhere between 55-65%, so this has been brought down with intention — they want this to drink well neat, and it does. There's a richness here that tells you the barrel did serious work.
Tasting Notes
I'm not going to pretend I can tell you exactly what every bottle tastes like — that's the nature of single barrel releases. What I can say is that at this proof point and with Willett's known approach to barrel selection, you should expect the kind of classic bourbon profile that rewards slow sipping. The 47% ABV means the alcohol integrates well rather than sitting on top of the flavour. Give it a few minutes in the glass and let it open up.
The Verdict
At £79.25, this isn't an impulse buy, but it's not unreasonable for a single barrel bourbon with Willett's reputation behind it. You're paying for the selection process — someone tasted through barrels and picked this one specifically. That matters. There are plenty of single barrel bourbons on the market that phone it in, slapping a label on whatever's ready. Willett has built their name on being more deliberate than that.
Is it worth the money? I think so, yes. A 7.5 out of 10 from me reflects a bourbon that does what it sets out to do with confidence. It's well-proofed, it's single barrel, and it comes from a producer that takes their selections seriously. The NAS designation might put off the age statement hunters, but if you judge whisky by what's in the glass rather than what's on the label, this delivers.
Best Served
Pour this neat in a Glencairn or a rocks glass — your call. If you want to open it up a touch, a few drops of water will do more than ice will. But where this bourbon really earns its keep is in an Old Fashioned. At 47%, it's got enough proof to stand up to the sugar and bitters without getting lost, and the single barrel character gives your cocktail a depth that blended bourbons simply can't match. Two dashes of Angostura, a sugar cube, an orange peel expressed over the top — keep it classic and let the bourbon do the talking.
