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Willett Pot Still Reserve vs W.L. Weller Special Reserve
Willett Pot Still Reserve and W.L. Weller Special Reserve sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: a new-wave, classically built craft style versus an old-guard, wheat-forward classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Willett Pot Still Reserve | W.L. Weller Special Reserve |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Bourbon | Wheated Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 94 proof (47% ABV) +4 proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$45 – $60 | ~$30 – $60 ~$8 less |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Allocated |
- Willett Pot Still Reserve and W.L. Weller Special Reserve do not publish an official mash bill.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
Willett Pot Still Reserve
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
W.L. Weller Special Reserve
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Willett Pot Still Reserve W.L. Weller Special Reserve
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 5/2 spice: Willett Pot Still Reserve 5 out of 10, W.L. Weller Special Reserve 2 out of 10
oak 6/4 oak: Willett Pot Still Reserve 6 out of 10, W.L. Weller Special Reserve 4 out of 10
fruit 6/5 fruit: Willett Pot Still Reserve 6 out of 10, W.L. Weller Special Reserve 5 out of 10
heat 4/3 heat: Willett Pot Still Reserve 4 out of 10, W.L. Weller Special Reserve 3 out of 10
nuttiness 4/3 nuttiness: Willett Pot Still Reserve 4 out of 10, W.L. Weller Special Reserve 3 out of 10
sweetness 7/7 sweetness: Willett Pot Still Reserve 7 out of 10, W.L. Weller Special Reserve 7 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The gap between these two is mostly about spice.
- 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.
- W.L. Weller Special Reserve: The entry point to the Weller line and an easy introduction to wheated bourbon. Soft honey and vanilla with almost no rye bite, a bread-dough body, and a short, sweet finish that asks nothing of you.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Willett Pot Still Reserve if you want a distinctive bottle on the shelf and an easy, fruit-forward pour inside it.
- Go with W.L. Weller Special Reserve if you want the softest, sweetest, most approachable wheated pour of the group at a slightly lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Willett Pot Still Reserve); neat, rocks, highball (W.L. Weller Special Reserve).