Distillery: Willett
Proof: 130.2
Age: 6 Years
Mashbill: 52% Corn, 38% Rye, 10% Malted Barley
BACKGROUND: Willett distillery has one of the most unique histories of all American Whiskey distilleries. Willett Distillery has and continues to source whiskey and distill their own whiskey depending on the product. Willett Distillery operates under the name Kentucky Bourbon Distillers. Willett produces the Family Estate Bourbon (Purple Top), Family Estate Rye (Green Top), Willett Pot Still Bourbon, Noah's Mill, Rowan's Creek, Old Bardstown, and Pure Kentucky. In 2010, Willett began distilling and producing their own whiskey again for the first time since 1980. To celebrate this rebirth, in 2014, Willett released a 2 year old rye whiskey made of their own whiskey. This bottle is one of their highly sought after "purple tops", a single barrel bourbon whiskey.
NOSE: Rich and full of life with delicious scents of cherry, cinnamon, caramel, oak sugars, and some rich vanilla extract. The proof adds a boldness and richness to the nose but doesn't burn at all. Overall this is a rich, delicious nose that could only be enhanced with a few more years in the barrel (23/25)
PALATE: Like the nose, this WFE bourbon is sweet and spicy! The cinnamon note really jumps off the page with the support of flavors of black pepper, charred oak, dark chocolate, and sweet vanilla. The proof really adds a sharpness to the cinnamon spice flavor without going over the top. Overall, this is a spicy bourbon that has rich and unique flavors that are incredibly smooth and enjoyable (37/40)
FINISH: Long, spicy, and rich! More cinnamon, cracked pepper, oak, and some clove. The cinnamon sugar and spice really pull you back and forth while the proof adds a sharp tingle to you as the whiskey sits on your lips for a while inviting you in for another sip (23/25)
VALUE: Most Purple Tops have a $120ish SRP but you'll never find these single barrels on the shelf. The secondary costs vary on age but usually end up starting at about $500 (6/10)
Overall: 89/100
FINAL THOUGHTS: This 6 Year Old Willett Family Estate Bourbon is an absolute treat with a sweetness and cinnamon spiciness that is unparalleled. For as delicious as this whiskey is, it is appalling how much people are willing to spend for these. It truly is a delicious whiskey that is well worth it if you can find it for a reasonable price. For us, it'll be something we sip on during special occasions.
Similar & Slightly Better Whiskey: Stagg Jr Batch 14
Similar & Equal Whiskey: Old Forester 117 Series Warehouse K
Similar & Slightly Worse Whiskey: Little Book Ch 4
Tell us what you think and give us some feedback!
Scoring Legend:
96-100: The perfect dram, juice of the gods
90-95: Near perfect, truly incredible whiskey
85-89: Amazing whiskey, will always try to keep a backup bottle of this
80-84: Very good, some minor flaws here or there
75-79: Good, quite enjoyable to drink, Will try and keep a bottle on the shelf
70-74: Solid, wouldn’t go out of my way to get this
60-69: Decent, would offer this up to non whiskey drinkers
50-59: Not my cup of tea
Below 50: Give away
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