Willett Family Estate Small Batch 4 Year Cask Strength Straight Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey
(750 ml)

About this Whiskey:

The Willett Family Estate Small Batch Bourbon is a commingling of two classic Willett family mash bills. A new addition to the Willett family of brands with legendary roots and fresh elegance. Both mash bills enter the barrel at 125 proof with a final bottling proof to vary among batches based on the discretion of Master Distiller and fifth generation whiskey maker, Drew Kulsveen.

The first batch (and presumably most batches moving forward) will feature a blend of two different mash bills. Around 70% comes from a mash bill of 72% corn, 13% rye, and 15% malted barley, while the remaining 30% comes from a mash of 52% corn, 38% rye, and 10% malted barley.

Proof:123.6 (61.8% ABV) 

Tasting Notes:
Nose: The first element on the nose to really pop is the rye component, which comes through here as both clove oil and cinnamon-infused simple syrup. Freshly baked rye bread is up next. Those spice-forward notes are eventually supplanted by both lemon candy and some grainy corn sweetness. More herbal aromas develop over time, including sawgrass and drying alfalfa.

Palate: Early sips lean toward sweet and spicy: maple candy, Hawaiian sweet rolls, and (again) cinnamon-infused syrup. The first few sips are followed by a big pop of ethanol, which the palate quickly acclimates to; this batch tends to drink every bit of its 125 proof before settling down closer to 115. Baked apples — with loads more cinnamon and caramel candies — dominate the midpalate before shifting toward both chocolate and vanilla frosting, with a little lemon zest on the back end.

Finish: The finish once highlights cinnamon as a primary flavor, though it’s certainly not one-note. There’s some lasting complexity here, including lingering tastes of cocoa, cooked orchard fruit, allspice, and grated nutmeg.

Awards/Reviews

"The nose is bold and expressive with tons of rye character. Top notes of wintergreen and higher tone baking spice (fresh cinnamon and whole cloves) bloom in the glass. Laced throughout, a bit of sweet citrus and subtly tropical jackfruit offers some contrast to the rye spice. With time, some of the energetic spice recedes revealing warm, barrel-driven notes of caramel candies and vanilla frosting.

The rye is equally punchy on the palate with an initial, green wave of fresh of mint and cut grass underscored by a not insignificant smack of menthol. This definitely drinks its proof, but the ethanol isn’t overly sharp thanks to a silky mouthfeel and softer secondary notes of Demerara sugar and clove chewing gum that help to round out the sip. The midpalate simmers with a pronounced chili pepper heat that tempers somewhat into a still well-spiced and warming finish of cinnamon sticks and minted syrup.

It’s a solid and welcome addition to the Family Estate lineup that serves as an approachable entry point into the more rarefied world of Willett single barrel bourbon."

-Drinkhacker