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Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond vs Willett Pot Still Reserve
Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond and Willett Pot Still Reserve sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: a new-wave, wheat-forward craft style versus a new-wave, classically built craft style.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond | Willett Pot Still Reserve |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 64% corn, 24% wheat, 12% malted barley | Not disclosed |
| Age | 6 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) +6 proof | 94 proof (47% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$45 – $60 | ~$45 – $60 |
- Willett Pot Still Reserve does not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Willett Pot Still Reserve
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond Willett Pot Still Reserve
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 3/5 spice: Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 3 out of 10, Willett Pot Still Reserve 5 out of 10
oak 5/6 oak: Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 5 out of 10, Willett Pot Still Reserve 6 out of 10
heat 5/4 heat: Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 5 out of 10, Willett Pot Still Reserve 4 out of 10
sweetness 7/7 sweetness: Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 7 out of 10, Willett Pot Still Reserve 7 out of 10
fruit 6/6 fruit: Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 6 out of 10, Willett Pot Still Reserve 6 out of 10
nuttiness 4/4 nuttiness: Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 4 out of 10, Willett Pot Still Reserve 4 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The gap between these two is mostly about spice.
- Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond: A sweet-mash, bonded wheated bourbon from a distillery founded by two fermentation scientists, and the technical care shows in how clean it tastes. One of the strongest craft arguments on the shelf.
- Willett Pot Still Reserve: Famous first for the pot-still-shaped decanter and second for the whiskey, which is a fair ordering. Pleasant, sweet and fruit-leaning, with a good deal of the price attached to the glass.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond if you want a bonded, sweet-mash wheater from a modern distillery doing genuinely careful work with slightly more proof behind it.
- Go with Willett Pot Still Reserve if you want a distinctive bottle on the shelf and an easy, fruit-forward pour inside it.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond); neat, rocks (Willett Pot Still Reserve).