Pure Kentucky

Pure Kentucky XO comes from the Willett family in Bardstown, where John David Willett was distilling during Reconstruction and where his descendants built the Willett Distilling Company in the 1930s. It sits in the small batch collection alongside Noah's Mill, Rowan's Creek and Kentucky Vintage.

XO means extra old. The bourbon carries roughly twelve years and bottles at 107 proof, which is an unusual pairing at this price. Age of that length usually arrives either much softer or much more expensive. It took Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. One of the better value propositions on a Kentucky shelf.