Photo: Casey Pierce
The band’s Kiamichi line includes five- and eight-year ryes and a 19-year bourbon in partnership with Willett Distillery.
“A limited-edition collaboration between the Grammy-award-winning family band, Kings of Leon, and the family behind the award-winning Willett Distillery, The Kulsveens. Kiamichi is named for the river where The Followills grew up gathering for extended family reunions.”
“It made perfect sense to do this, because Willett is basically the liquid version of us for our career. It was pretty neat to have a partner that has as much skin in it as we do.” Nathan Folowill tells SPIN.
This special whisky commemorates both the 19th anniversary of Kings Of Leon’s 2003 debut album Youth and Young Manhood and Willett owners Drew and Britt Kulsveen joining the family business.
Drew Kulsveen and Kings of Leon bassist Jared Folowill have been friends for nearly a decade, and jumped at the chance to collaborate with the band not only on “something unique for Willett, but also something we weren’t currently doing.”
“The five-year is very different from our traditional Willett family estate rye. We’re using barrels from a producer that’s no longer in business. The wood is cured for two years before we put the whiskey in it. The eight-year is a blend of both our rye whiskey mashes. We do the higher-proof strength because it’s fuller flavor. You get a lot more out of it, and there’s no balancing with anything other than the whiskey. The 19-year olds are ridiculous. They’re insane.”
All three products are officially available for purchase wherever Willett is normally sold, and online at Kiamichi Whiskey. Check out their promo video here!
