Preservation Estate Pot Still Wheated Bourbon Review | Woman-Founded Farm Distillery That Broke Every Wax Seal | The Liquor Connoisseur
- connoisseurofliquo
- May 10
- 3 min read
Updated: 12 hours ago
Preservation Estate does something rare in bourbon — they grow their own grain on an actual working farm, use a pot still for distillation, and sell a wheated bourbon that tastes like nothing else in the category. Crystal and Roger meet a woman-founded farm distillery that's redefining what grain-to-glass actually means.
Bottle Specs
Spirit: Preservation Estate Pot Still Wheated Bourbon
Distillery: Preservation Estate — woman-founded working farm distillery
Production: Grain grown on-site; pot still distillation
Mashbill: Wheated bourbon — wheat replaces rye as the secondary grain
ABV: ~47%
Price: ~$60–75
Distinction: True grain-to-glass from a working farm
What Pot Still Does to Bourbon
Most American whiskey is made in column stills, which produce a lighter, more consistent spirit by efficiently stripping the distillate to high proof. Pot stills, by contrast, are less efficient and preserve more of the congeners — the flavor compounds that come from the grain and fermentation process. Bourbon from a pot still has more body, more grain character, and more complexity per sip. Preservation Estate's pot still wheated bourbon is one of the clearest demonstrations of this difference available in the American market.
The Farm-to-Glass Story
Growing grain on-site isn't just a marketing claim for Preservation Estate — it's an agricultural commitment that changes the cost structure and the creative constraints of the business significantly. The founder tells Crystal and Roger about the specific grain varieties she grows, why she chooses them, and how the agricultural choices flow through to the final spirit in ways that purchased grain simply doesn't allow.
Tasting Notes — Nose, Palate, Finish
Nose: More expressive than standard wheated bourbons — the pot still preserves grain character that usually gets refined away. Wheat adds a soft sweetness; the farm-grown corn has a richness that stands out. Palate: Full-bodied with a creamy texture characteristic of pot still production. Caramel, baked goods, and a gentle wheat sweetness in the mid-palate. Finish: Long and layered, with the grain character fading slowly into vanilla and a subtle earthiness from the terroir.
🥃 Crystal & Roger's LC Recommendations
For Wheated Bourbon fans: This is what wheated bourbon tastes like when the production philosophy is maximized rather than optimized for efficiency. It's a revelatory comparison against any major wheated bourbon.
For farm distillery enthusiasts: Preservation Estate is doing genuinely unique work. Seek out this bottle and support farm-to-glass production.
Side by side: Taste Preservation Estate alongside Maker's Mark or Weller 12. The pot still vs column still difference is immediately apparent.
LC Verdict
An extraordinary grain-to-glass bourbon from a woman-founded farm distillery that proves terroir matters in American whiskey. One of the most interesting bottles in the category.
Drink To Remember, Not To Forget. 🥃
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