Willett Distillery sits on 1869 Loretto Road in Bardstown, where the Willett family has been making bourbon since 1936. Thompson Willett founded the operation, and today his descendants Drew Kulsveen and Even Kulsveen run the show, with Even serving as master distiller. The family spent decades as contract bottlers and sourcing specialists before firing up their own stills again in 2012, making them both old-school bourbon royalty and scrappy newcomers at the same time. The property spans rolling Kentucky hills with distinctive bottle-shaped rickhouses that you can spot from miles away. They produce bourbon, rye whiskey, and various experimental spirits, but they’re probably best known for their ultra-premium Willett Family Estate releases and the cult-favorite Rowan’s Creek and Noah’s Mill brands. What started as a farm distillery has evolved into one of Kentucky’s most respected operations, though they’ve kept the family feel intact. The Kullsveens didn’t just inherit a business—they rebuilt it from the ground up while honoring nearly a century of family bourbon-making tradition.