Inside the $2,200 Bardstown Tasting That Uncorked Willett's Staff-Only Barrel

“Willett’s been making whiskey since 1792,” Pablo Moix, Rare Character Whiskey’s founder, told the packed crowd at Bardstown’s The Parlor Room. “America had just been created, and Drew’s family was already doing wild shit with whiskey.”

Moix’s quip drew a big laugh from the room, including Drew Kulsveen, owner of Willett Distillery. The gathering of two titans of bourbon the night before the 2026 Kentucky Bourbon Festival began, along with a cadre of their biggest collectors, was the brainchild of Kulsveen himself, along with The Parlor Room’s owner, Whitney Eversole.

“I did a barrel pick with Drew right after getting my liquor license,” Eversole said, “and he wanted to come see my tasting room. He came to a classic tasting and was obsessed with the concept.” Eversole’s tastings don’t encompass tasting notes or mashbills. “I guide you through a curated flight and tell you about the story, history, and people behind the brands to create a connection to the brand.”

Kulsveen called Moix immediately with an idea. “We’re good friends, so I said, ‘Let me tell your story as I see it, and vice versa,’” Kulsveen said. “You know a completely different version of Willett than I do. You tell everyone that. It's the coolest to have somebody that you care about, and trust, represent you.” Moix agreed, and they each sold Eversole a 15 year old single barrel (a rarity for both brands) and agreed to select six bottles of the other’s best and brightest to pour for the guests, who paid a whopping $2,200 per person for this two-night experience.

Moix presented his Willett selections on night one, which I attended. The vibe was lively, a room full of chattering bourbon glitterati, noshing on delicious fare from local culinary guru Newman Miller, while famed lensman Robert Lerma snapped away. Moix’s a gifted orator, one who captivated the room with tales, including learning about bourbon while waiting tables at NYC’s Spark’s steakhouse in between pointing out where Gambino mob boss Paul Castellano was gunned down: “That always got me mad tips,” he grinned.

Moix ultimately learned of KBD—Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, the name Willett went by from 1984 through 2012—from early Internet forum boards. “You know why dad called it KBD?” Kulsveen interjected from a side couch, referring to his late father, industry icon Even Kulsveen. “Dad thought people would be searching for ‘Kentucky bourbon distillery’ and KBD would come up first,” he said. “Wow,” Moix exclaimed. “The first SEO genius.”

Six Rare Willetts From a 40,000-Barrel Library

As for the Willett bottles, “Drew has a 40,000-barrel library, and I was able to pick whatever I wanted,” said Moix, adding his selections were based on certain moments in time he thought were relevant.

Moix’s first choice, a Willett Family Estate rye—the only rye of the evening—was from barrel 2606, a 53.9% bottle called “The Freshman,” because “it’s the first single barrel selection my son sat in on,” Kulsveen revealed. This high-rye, grassy and bold pour, full of citrus and green tea notes, was a strong lead-off for the tasting.

Next, a 6-year Willett Family Estate bourbon, barrel 6089 at 61.2%, sourced in 2018, chosen “because it drinks way above its age,” Moix said. Indeed, the nutty, dusty aromas coming from the glass backed up this claim. It was still a vibrant pour, full of cantaloupe and honeydew.

The Vatican Barrel and the Staff-Only Bottle

Then, Moix’s streak of heaters began. Willett Family Estate bourbon barrel 52, a 14 year old, 59.6% ABV selection done for the pope, dubbed the St. Francis of Assisi bottle. Moix shared how Kentucky priest Father Jim Sichko routinely does Willett barrel picks, travels (with Kulsveen) to the Vatican to have those signed by the pope, and then auctions the bottles for charity. “No one outside the pick has tasted this yet,” he said. It was stupendous—dare I say divine?—brimming with spiced oak, salted butterscotch pudding, maraschino cherry syrup, and yellow cake.

The fourth pour was from bottle 56 of 64 from Willett Family Estate barrel 2499. This 16-year, 53.8% ABV bourbon was barbecue in a glass, full of mesquite and salted pork, with a big umami flavor toward the back of the palate. It was on track to be my favorite of the night, until bourbon 1409 emerged. This 2017 Willett Family Estate bottle is number 2 of 27, the shortest of short barrels. “This has never been opened for anyone,” said Kulsveen. “It was just for staff.” The 13 year old, 62.6% ABV whiskey is darker than motor oil and clung to the sides of the Glencairn like glue. The flavors were unreal: candied pecan maple syrup over French toast. It was the best pour of the evening.

The final offering, Willett Family Estate barrel 2877, came in a close second. This 27-year, 65.3% ABV bourbon, dubbed “My Brown Bunny,” is equally dark and fragrant on the nose. “You smell this? Insane,” said Moix. “I hope something I do one day smells like this.” Raisins, dates, and stewed fruits popped on the nose, and a rich molasses finish rolled on for days, tapering off into sweet grapes.

Why Willett Now Keeps Six Bottles

Post-flight, Kulsveen shared his approach to opening unicorns such as these. “I want people to experience the whiskey. That bottle that becomes five or six figures, you're probably not ever gonna try that,” he said, adding that the concept of the bar at Willett was to have an unpretentious place that felt like home, complete with amazing bottles of whiskey.

Kulsveen now holds back six bottles of every single barrel, regardless of the purchaser. “When the next generation of whiskey drinkers is curious about something, we’ll have something left behind where they can try it. That's the whole concept of tonight: dig through years of stuff to be able to experience stuff people have never had. It's pretty cool,” he said.

Recently, Kulsveen bought his first personal single barrel from another brand. Specifically from Moix’s Rare Character Whiskey. “I was at a charity auction in Nashville, and I was bidding against my friends; some were in the room tonight,” Kulsveen said. “And I was like, I'm getting this. I don't care. It's not only to support a friend, but a good cause. Charities are a big part of what we do.” When Moix dropped off Kulsveen’s pick, a 19 year old Brook Hill bourbon called Willy Wonka, Kulsveen counted the bottles and found he was six bottles short.

“I’m happy that Pablo has adopted that tradition and kept six of those,” Kulsveen chuckled. “This is how we build a collection to preserve the whiskey for future generations of whiskey drinkers to explore. It's about using those at the right moment, maybe a charity or a tasting.”

Night Two: Kulsveen Pours Rare Character

Kulsveen selected one of those Wonka Brook Hill bottles to pour during his presentation of Moix’s brand the following night. “I have a good mixture of the past five years of Pablo’s company. I'm really excited to talk about his story, the brands that he's created and brought back to life,” said Kulsveen. Does he mean Black Maple Hill, a label his father and KBD once helped source liquid for? “Not only that, but Brook Hill was the original black label whiskey, and I don’t think anybody really knows that story,” said Kulsveen.

Also included in Kulsveen’s Rare Character lineup were this year’s Old Cassidy bourbon release, a forthcoming 17 year old Fortuna bourbon at a staggering 76% ABV— “I’ve had all four LeNell’s Red Hook Rye barrels and, despite being bourbon, this is the only thing I’ve come across that resembles that structure,” Moix said of the Fortuna—and two 10 year old Black Maple Hill offerings, one at 46%, and one at 48.5%.

Attendees of the two-night event were allowed to purchase the 15-year Willett Family Estate Single Barrel bourbon (around $800 per bottle) and the 15-year Brook Hill single barrel (around $600 per bottle), but anyone visiting The Parlor Room in Bardstown can also purchase those special event barrels, while supplies last.