EP 22: Pull my Willett then tickle my Chicken Cock

The Friskey Whiskey Podcast

In this episode join MikeD and TI as we have some age old whiskeys. We discuss the history of these classics and touch on our vacation woes.

Willett Pot Still Reserve 94 proof $60 - $120
History:
The Willett family name goes as far back as 1684 where Edward Willet was a master pewter. From 1692 - 1792 the Willets would call George’s County, Maryland home. In 1792 William Willett Jr moved to Kentucky. This is the same year Kentucky became a state. John David Willett was born in 1841, he would become one-third owner and Master Distiller at Moore, Willett and Frenke Distillery. During his lifetime, John was the Master Distiller at 4 other distilleries in Kentucky. In 1883 Aloysius Lambert Willett was born and by the age of 15 was in the bourbon business. In 1909 Aloysius Lambert Thompson Willett was born and would become founder and president of Willett Distillery in Bardstown around 1936. In 1937 on St.Patrick's day, The Willetts put their first barrel into storage. By the 1940’s they introduced Old Bardstown Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. In the 1960’s Willett developed Johnny Drum Bourbon. After an ownership change in 1984 to the Kulsveen family, Willett Distillery began making Small Batch Boutique Bourbons (Noah’s Mills as an example). 2008 Willett Pot Still Reserve Bourbon debuts in the signature pot still shaped bottle fashioned using the original still blueprints.

On March 17, 2017 St. Patrick’s Day the family celebrated it’s 80 Year Anniversary of when Thompson Willett and his family put their first barrels into storage.

Nose: Hint of cognac, jasmine, vanilla, sweet corn, cinnamon and ginger
Taste: Oak, hints of nut, black tea, butterscotch, lemon, dried corn, spicy, hints of rye, and banana

Chicken Cock: Kentucky Straight Bourbon 90 Proof $54.99
History:
First established in 1856 in Paris, Kentucky, Chicken Cock Whiskey rose to popularity during the 19th century. James A. Miller built a distillery and started making Chicken Cock, a type of whiskey unique to the bluegrass region. By 1886, the distillery was making 600 bushels per day. After James A. Miller died just few years after starting his distillery , George G. White purchased the Chicken Cock Distillery And renamed it to G.G. White Distillery.

Prohibition began in 1920’s and G.G White Distillery was forced to sell the to Distillers Corporation Limited, of Montreal, Canada. They purchased legal rights to the Chicken Cock name and began production outside of the U.S.
During the 1920’s it was a staple of prohibition-era speakeasies, like the famous Cotton Club, where it was smuggled inside in nondescript tin cans, earning it the nickname, “the Whiskey in a tin can.”
After prohibition Chicken Cock basically disappeared after being one of the most popular whiskers of the era.
In 2011, Chicken Cock’s fortunes changed when spirits entrepreneur Matti Anttila discovered the brand while researching the early days of distillation in the U.S. From that point on he focused on bringing back the brand and started Grain and Barrel Spirits. The Whiskey is now being distilled by Bardstown Bourbon Company in collaboration with Grain and Barrel Spirits.

Nose: Wood, dried cherries, vanilla, caramel
Taste: Corn, butterscotch, pepper, toasted oak, sweet