The current iteration of Old Bardstown 90 Proof bu Willett Family debuted in 2016, but the family recipe dates back to the 1940s. This value-driven version of Willett’s legacy brand is made with effortless cocktailing in mind. The mash bill is 72% corn, 13% rye, and 15% malted barley, fermented in stainless steel for approximately 3–5 days using a proprietary yeast strain, double distilled in a column still made of copper and stainless steel and a Vendome copper pot still modeled after the original Willett patented pot still. Proofed down with limestone-filtered, spring-fed water from a pond on the distillery estate, it’s aged for a minimum of 4 years in new, char #4 American oak barrels. Subtle cinnamon aromas and a hint of flint on the nose precede a soft palate of butterscotch, apple peel, allspice, and vanilla with a dry finish. Move over Maker’s and Four Roses, this is the perfect Bourbon for an Old Fashioned, Kentucky Mule, and of course a Mint Julep.