The magical and mysterious Noah’s Mill.
The Willett Distillery was founded back in 1936 and sustained bourbon notability for decades. Willett helped support the industry during bourbon’s decline, but sadly wasn’t quite there for when it boomed. Willett operated for years as a non-distilling producer, meaning they purchased bourbon from other distilleries and aged and bottled it in their own warehouses. In 2012, they renovated, created their own distillery, and got to work producing their own bourbon – right in the middle of the bourbon boom.
That super poor timing meant a few pivots for Willett. To meet demand, the distillery is still sourcing out bourbon, despite its various Lins including the Willett Family Estate, Willett Pot Still Reserve, Old Bardstown, and Rowan’s Creek. Luckily for us, that also meant that the creation of Noah’s Mill.
Noah’s Mill is a small batch offering out of Willett that carries a 114.3 proof and used to carry a 15-year age statement. But these days, not too much is known about the bourbon. For starters, most drinkers aren’t even aware that the product comes from Willett, much less what mash bill is being used. The 15-year age statement has also vanished and it’s not super clear where exactly the bourbon is being sourced from.
Even through all of this, there’s just something about Noah’s Mill. The bourbon starts out with a whole bouquet of distinctly fruity flavors like apricots and peaches that’s rarely found in bourbon. There are sweet honey undertones with a dollop of nuttiness as well that carries into a surprisingly floral and herbaceous finish. Even with its whopping 114.3 proof, Noah’s Mill isn’t distractingly hot, but rather remains surprisingly easy to drink.
Despite all of the mystery around Noah’s Mill, it’s still a pretty magical bourbon.
STATS: Noah’s Mill Bourbon
- Price for us: $55 for 750 mL
- Proof: 114.3
- Aged: NAS
- Distillery: Kentucky Bourbon Distillers also known as Willett Distillery
- Recommendation: Neat
