Willett Family Estate 4 Year Small Batch Rye - 106.8 Proof

VITALS:
- $60

- 106.8 Proof

- 4 Years

- Kentucky

I've said it before and I'll say it again -- I love the Willett Family Estate Small Batch Rye! Any time I see it on the shelf, so long as it's not marked up as I've seen, I always grab one. Of course I try to make sure it's a new batch before I bring it home with me. I have to justify writing a review of the same product over and over again somehow, and the variety in batches allows me to do just that.

I wish I had some backstory here, but I've managed to amass a backlog of these bottlings as a result of the above-described behavior. I'm not sure where I picked this one up, but I can confidently say I got it at the expected price, which is unfortunately more than it was just a couple years ago, but that's the world we're living in.  All I know is that going in I already knew I was going to love it, because I haven't found one yet that I don't. So, take this incredibly biased review with a grain of salt, because I'm not going to have much bad to say at all.

The nose was a bit different than past bottlings. It had the pine and brown sugar that seems to be a staple of these ryes. It also had the cinnamon spice that I've come to expect, as well as more of a black pepper to kick the spice level up a bit. What set it apart, though, was a rich coffee note. I can't recall getting that aroma from previous bottles, but it was certainly there.  And as a heavy coffee drinker, I found it very much to my liking.  

As to flavor, this was certainly more on the expected side. I got a very healthy amount of sweet cinnamon, coupled with a strong brown sugar note. It was very pastry or dessert-like in this respect. It also had the pine notes from the nose, which seemed to mingle with a rich candied-cherry note. 

The finish was where the spice came through, providing not only the cinnamon spice, but also that black pepper spice I got from the nose, which seemed to linger at the back of my throat. The finish was certainly spicy and sweet all at once, with those spicy notes mixing with the cherry, reminding me of a Dr. Pepper, a flavor which stuck around long after each swallow.

I wished the coffee from the nose had made its way to the palate. That could have been incredible. That said, I was far from wanting with this one. In fact, despite being on the lower end of the proof scale for these WFE ryes, this was one of the better batches I could recall. The balance of sweet and spicy was on point, the pine was more muted than in previous bottles I've had and I loved the pastry note that really came forward.  Of course there's some recency bias there, but it was (of course) delicious!

Grade: A

Willett Family Estate 4 Year Small Batch Rye - 112.8 Proof

VITALS:

- $60

- 112.8 Proof

- 4 years

- Kentucky

It seems weird that I'm constantly reviewing the same whiskey.  This has to be the fourth or fifth Willett Family Estate 4 Year Small Batch Rye that I've reviewed. But, unlike most other products released in small batches, these aren't the same from batch to batch. They're all bottled at different proofs, so they're not being proofed down to 94 proof, for example, to maintain consistency.  Plus, I absolutely love these, so I keep buying them, and I keep finishing them, and I, therefor, keep reviewing them.

I wish I had more to say about this particular bottle, but I've now amassed a bit of a horde of WFE 4 year rye, such that I don't remember picking up one specific bottle over the other.  I do know that, while I've seen stores price gouging, I've still been able to snag these fairly regularly at $60, which to me is a no-brainer (even if they were previously priced cheaper than that).  I also know that it probably won't last, which is why I keep buying now.

As with most of the others, on the nose I got a healthy dose of pine forest up front, along rich, dark fruit notes, almost wine-like, but sweeter.  The pine on this one was a bit different, though, as it came through as almost damp or musty. In addition to that, though, I got a very forward toffee note to keep it on the sweeter end of the spectrum. It also had a bit of a creme brulee note to it that was unique and delicious.

As to flavor, that pine note was once again one of the first things that came through. However, it was a sweet pine note. Now I've never had a pine flavored dessert, like ice cream or cake. So my frame of reference here is basically nothing, but it came across as a sweet pine flavor. 

That sweet pine was complemented by all sorts of sweet and rich notes. I got a healthy amount of brown sugar which probably helped with that sweetness I was getting. I also got those dark fruit notes I got on the nose, specifically notes of dark cherry and plum.  It also had some more dessert-like notes, with salted chocolate covered caramel coming through, as well as a sweeter cinnamon.

This had a great, oily texture to it, and in that way it really stood out from others I've had in the past. Not that prior bottles were watery or anything. It's just this one seemed to be exceptionally silky and oily. That provided for a great finish that was all buttery nougat and toffee. It reminded me of the inside of a Snicker's bar. The finish was also where the spice finally showed up. 

While this didn't have that huge spicy rye kick that I've loved in previous bottles, I really didn't care at all. This was outstanding even without that, and it offered so many unique and different flavors that all seemed to go so well together.  This is certainly one of the better WFE 4 year Small Batches I've had in a long time! Can't wait to crack into the next one!

Grade: A

Willett Family Estate 10 Year Small Batch Rye

VITALS:

- $200

- 115 Proof

- 10 Years

- Indiana

This bottle really needs no introduction by me. After all, Willett has been releasing ryes under their Willett Family Estate label for some time, now, and their older single barrel ryes fetch a lot of money on the secondary market. Relatively recently Willett started releasing younger, small batch ryes under their Willett Family Estate Ryes, starting with a two year old and most recently four year old batches. I have absolutely fallen in love with their small batch ryes and I grab them any chance I get.

But, in the middle of their periodic releases of their small batch ryes, which is their own distillate, Willett released a 10-year small batch rye. This was not their own distillate, as it's clearly labeled it was distilled in Indiana. Apparently Willett was still sitting on some aged MGP rye, the same rye they frequently used in their single barrel releases, and they chose to release it as a limited and very pricey small batch. Of course, I, being a sucker for all things WFE rye, had to get my hands on a bottle, and so here we are.

On the nose I got a lot of mint and vanilla, almost like a vanilla/spearmint chewing gum type note. I also got some oak notes as well as a light note of sawdust. It had a little bit of cinnamon spice as well. At times the flavors all mixed to make a sort of mint tea note, and at other times I got more of a root beer note. Either way, it always smelled delicious.

On the palate I got a lot of the traditional rye notes, particularly MGP rye. I got pine and an herbal dill note. I also got a some of the mint that I was getting on the nose. The vanilla was present as well, which really seemed to compliment that mint note. It reminded me a bit of spearmint lifesavers (are those the ones that would spark when you ate them in the dark as a kid?).

It also had some richer and more non-traditional notes to it. I got a bit of a dark cocoa note to it to add some richness and a teaser of some sweetness. However, additional sweetness came along in the form of a maple syrup flavor that seemed to come into play after having the bottle open for a bit. A bit of a toffee note also came through.

On the finish I got a lot of that spearmint and vanilla, and it was also the toffee note that really seemed to stick around. I also got the cinnamon spice in the back of my throat after each swallow. Surprisingly, despite being 115 proof, I got almost no alcohol burn from this rye. It really seemed to drink less than its proof.  Sometimes that would be a good thing and other times a bad thing. Here it was good, because I felt like added heat would have taken away from the otherwise great mix of flavors going on here. 

This one certainly hurt the wallet a bit, but I'm nonetheless glad to have had the chance to enjoy this bottle, as I loved every sip of it.

Grade: A

Willett Family Estate 4 Year Small Batch Rye - 112.2 Proof

VITALS:

- $60

- 112.2 Proof

- 4 Years

- Kentucky

I've said it before and I'll say it again.  I love the Willett Family Estate ryes! I feel like I need to preface each review with that statement, because I'm clearly going into this with a bias. Of course this is going to get a really good review, it's one of my personal favorite whiskeys.  And that is why reviews are dumb--at least from the perspective of determining for yourself whether you should buy or try a particular whiskey.  It's all just so subjective.

So, here I go with my dumb review where I'm going to tell you how I really enjoy this particular whiskey which I always really enjoy.  This is one of three batches of WFE that I happened to find on the shelf at a local liquor store. They had a stockpile of the stuff, and I eventually went back to buy three more to mule for a buddy of mine. At $60, they're only slightly marked up, and certainly not marked up to a point where I'm going to pass on them.

On the nose I got a lot of alcohol right away, but once that burned off, I got a lot of dark, rich fruit notes. I got a bit of tart plum. I also got a lot of brandy notes, with some wine grape and even pear notes. All of that was on top of a thick layer of pine and cinnamon, though, keeping it right in the realm of ryes. It also had a thick, syrupy type sweetness to the nose, smelling somewhere in between molasses and maple syrup.

I think my favorite part of this batch was its texture. Right away I noticed how thick and oily it was -- almost chewy. I absolutely loved the way it just coated my mouth in flavor and spice. The pine and molasses notes from the nose were what immediately presented themselves up front. It had a rich and dark sweetness to it, kind of like a gingerbread cookie, but it also had a healthy amount of woody pine flavor to it as well. The cinnamon from the nose was likewise prominent.

The plum from the nose was also readily apparent, providing that sweet tartness. I also got some dark cherry notes, adding just the slightest sour component. This was full of these rich fruit notes that all worked really well with the pine and molasses flavors. At times I was even getting some amaretto liqueur notes.

I also got a sweet, graham crackery flavor from time to time. That note was a bit more fleeting, but I was noticing it both at the beginning of the bottle and even on my last pour, and it added just another layer of flavor.

All in all, this is a bold whiskey packed full of flavor and punch, and it seemed to hit all corners of the flavor wheel (yes, I know that makes no sense), providing spicey, sweet, earthy and fruity notes all at once, and they all seemed to work together really well.  This was one of my vacation whiskeys, and it didn't survive that vacation. Once opened, it was one that we just kept going back to.

Grade: A

Willett Family Estate 4 Year Small Batch Rye - 112.6 Proof

VITALS:
- $55
- 112.6 Proof
- 4 years
- Kentucky

My love for Willett Family Estate ryes is no secret, at least not to any of my friends or the one guy who actually reads this blog on the regular.  Oh, and also my local liquor store manager who always makes sure I get one whenever the newest batch comes in, such as the case here. It may not be super-allocated, but the gesture sure is appreciated!

Of course, I had to crack it open the second I got home. I've always got a bottle open, but that didn't stop me from seeing how this one fared against earlier batches.  The nose on this one was dominated by pine and cinnamon, more than I recall getting from earlier batches. It also had some notes of unsweetened vanilla, as well as a kind of nutmeg note. There was definitely something woody about the smell, kind of like walnuts. I did not, however, get that fruit-forward character that I'm used to.

The flavor of this batch was bold and really punched me in the face. It had a heavy pine note to match the nose, as well as a healthy dose of cinnamon spice. As was the case with the nose, these two flavors dominated throughout each sip, overwhelming most of the other flavors.

The other flavors, though, all where characteristic of ryes. I got a bit of a dill note, and on the back end even a bit of a mint note.  It's like the flavors that tend to separate rye from bourbon were all packed into this bottle. Even the cinnamon seemed to take on more of a cloves flavor as I made my way towards the bottom of the bottle.

The texture was thick and sticky, almost syrup-like. I don't know if it got in my head because of the texture, but at times I was getting a light maple syrup flavor. It wasn't a strong flavor by any means, but it did provide hints of sweetness from time to time in an otherwise spice-bomb.

However, as was the case with the nose, missing was the fruit forward notes that I've always gotten in the past from these Willett Family Estate Small Batch Ryes.  I didn't get any dark cherry, plum or red wine notes that I've loved in previous bottles.  While this was a really good rye, bold and spicy and full of flavor, it just wasn't my favorite batch.  Of course, given the track record, I will continue to buy them any chance I get, and I've already got the next batch lined up and ready to go. Hopefully that one will revert to the mean.

Grade: B+

Willett Family Estate 4 Year Small Batch Rye - 110.2 Proof

VITALS
- $45
- 110.2 Proof
- 4 years
- Kentucky

If I can be considered a "Stan" or a homer for any particular brand of whiskey out there, it's this one. I've loved the WFE small batch ryes ever since they started out releasing them at 2 years old. Each new bottle I try simply confirms my fandom, and I have yet to have a batch that I didn't absolutely love.

For some reason, Willett has managed to hit on all the flavors I love in my rye and it has done so consistently. In fact, it's the one bottle that I regularly make sure to grab backups of, something I can't say for any other bottle. So, know going in that this review is going to be full of love and praise, and that because they are based on such personal preference, reviews are stupid.

As expected, this bottle did not disappoint. On the nose I got some of the fruit-forward notes that I've become accustomed to with Willett ryes, including a rich and almost slightly bitter blackberry note. At times I also got a brighter fruity note, like red raspberry. That mixed well with cinnamon and brown sugar notes, and all of it had a rich underlying note of almond and pistachio.

On my first sip the first thing I noticed was the nice, oily texture, moreso than I recall noticing in previous batches. I loved this texture, as it coated my mouth and throat with flavor, really allowing me to savor each sip.

I immediately noticed the forward fruit notes, with plum and raisin taking center stage. It also had a slight bitterness, but it wasn't the kind I'd associate with raspberry or blackberry, but rather was almost a watermelon rind type flavor. In that respect it was unique and actually very good.

That may be due in part to the fact that what bitterness that was there was welcome as it played off the sweet cinnamon note that seemed to dominate from front to finish. That cinnamon mixed with brown sugar provided an almost candied orange peel note.

While I didn't get the mint that I've found in prior bottles, I did get a decent amount of pine. In fact, this flavor seemed to become increasingly prominent as I worked my way through the bottle. The last pour reminded me of Christmas with its mix of dark fruits, cinnamon and pine. Although recency bias may play a role, this may be the best batch I've had to date.

I make no bones about the fact that, personally, this stuff hits all the right notes for me. I love what Willett does with their ryes. Even at a young age, they've managed to make complex, interesting and, most importantly, delicious rye whiskey, and I won't ever hesitate to grab a bottle when I find one, even if it's just to have another in reserve.

Grade: A

Willett Family Estate Binny's Select 5 Year Single Barrel Bourbon - Barrel #4759

VITALS:
- $90
- 128.6 Proof
- 5.5 Years
- Barrel #4759
- Kentucky

It had been a long time since I had seen a Willett Family Estate store pick hit the shelves. In fact, the last one that I saw was an 8-year single barrel rye that I picked up at Binny's back in April 2015--almost a four-year dry spell. So, when word got out that Binny's got in two bourbons (this one and a 6-year) and a rye, I knew I would be doing all I could to get my hands on any of them.

Luckily for me, I was able to get my hands on a bottle of the 6-year rye as well as this 5-year bourbon (which I was told was actually 5 1/2 years), and my buddy managed to get the 6-year bourbon. So I got the chance to try all three!  That was a few months ago that these went on sale, and the demand after such a long hiatus was incredible, and I felt very lucky.

The nose to this one was just soft and pillowy and very inviting in that sense. It had aromas of light baking spices and also a creamy nougat note to it. I also got somewhat of a fruity characteristic to it, like slightly under-ripe strawberries as well as a crisp pear note. Interestingly, I got almost zero alcohol on the nose. It smelled amazing, and the flavor followed suit!

This tasted far older than its 5 1/2 years. I got warm baking spices on the tongue immediately, along with a bit of a bready, yeast quality. The fruit notes were present as well. Although I didn't get the strawberry (I really wanted to find it but it just wasn't there), I still got the pear. However, it was more of a baked pear note, paired with sweet cinnamon. And yet, I still somehow got a refreshing and crisp quality out of this that I associate more with those fresh fruit notes.

The alcohol was certainly more noticeable on the palate than it was on the nose. However, it didn't seem to last long enough to get in the way of any of the other flavors. Along with the baked pear, I also got some earthy notes that I've always seemed to notice in Willett products, something a bit malt-like to them.  Here, it worked very well with everything else that was going on.

This had a super buttery texture to it, and that coating left behind a lingering pepper and cinnamon spice that seemed to last forever. It wasn't all spice, though, as there was also a distinct sweet note that lingered for a long time on the finish as well, kind of a hard candy quality that carried that pear and pepper.

I absolutely loved this bottle! And, I liked it significantly more than I did the 6-year that my friend picked up. As said above, it seemed like a much older whiskey, with a lot of complexity and an incredible mouthfeel that really emphasized all the delicious notes going on.  I'm sure most of these bottles are long gone at this point, but I'm very glad I was able to scoop this one up.  I miss it already!

Grade: A

Willett Family Estate 4 Year Small Batch Rye - 109.8 Proof

VITALS:
- $50
- 109.8 Proof
- 4 Years
- Kentucky

So, to start this post off with a spoiler, I really liked this one. I knew I was going to like this one when I bought it (so, take this completely biased review with a grain of salt). That, of course, is why I bought it.  My local liquor store knows of my love for Willett ryes, and when this new batch came in, he didn't even bother asking if I wanted it. He just put it in my hands and said, "Here, I know you want this."

Whatever it is that Willett is doing with their ryes really nails everything I love about a rye. I get that fruity characteristic that seems to balance so well with the spiciness of the rye as well as the underlying sweeter caramel and toffee flavors. I have yet to find one that I haven't been thoroughly impressed with, and this one is no different.

On the nose, I immediately got orange peel and brown sugar -- a bit of an unexpected note, but nonetheless delicious. I also got a creamy vanilla scent that was incredibly inviting. It also had a light pine scent as well as a certain nutty quality to it. On later pours I swore I got hints of dark cherry, but those notes seemed to be fleeting.

When I took my first sip, the first thing I noticed was that this batch was sweeter than previous batches. It had a certain frosted sugar cookie note to it. Not quite that sweet, but that's the direction it was leaning. 

It had a nice dose of the typical cinnamon spice to balance out the sweet, as well as a little bit of orange peel bitterness. Nothing seemed overdone, and it all seemed to balance really well. Throughout I got hints of dill and pine, but those flavors weren't nearly as prominent as I've found them in other ryes. I also got a light hint of mint on the back end.

This was, in the end, a sweeter rye. In addition to the vanilla and sugar cookie notes, I also got this sort of tangy molasses note, which worked really well with the light cinnamon spice and the nice warm hug on the end  to create a long-lasting, complex and rich rye, with a bit more sweetness than usual, but still hitting all those notes that I love.

Again, I was thoroughly impressed with this one, so much so that I easily made my way through this bottle within a week. It was just so easy to keep going back to pour after pour. This is one of those bottles that I'll just keep purchasing as I see them on the shelf, whether it's a batch I've had before or not. I'll be making it a point to always have a bottle on hand.

Grade: A

Willett Family Estate 15 Year Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon - Barrel No. 2371

VITALS:
- $225
- 118.8 Proof
- 15 Years
- Barrel No. 2371
- Region: Kentucky

As far as bourbon hunting goes, I've never been an "active" bourbon hunter. Rather, I've been more of an opportunistic bourbon hunter, making sure to take advantage of opportunities to purchase those rare and special bottles when they present themselves. While I haven't had hauls of BTAC or Pappy, I've managed to land some very nice bottles over the years, and luck had everything to do with it.

As for this bottle, that couldn't be more true. I have purchased bottles on the secondary market two times, once as a straight up purchase, and once as the via an online raffle. Thanks to that online raffle, I was able to purchase this incredible bottle, #32/104 from this barrel, at only a fraction of the price.

Knowing how fortunate I was, not to mention wanting to savor every drop, it took me quite some time to eventually make my way through it, well over a year, tapping into it only on special occasions or when I had good friends over to share it with. Plus, I love the look of these bottles and simply enjoyed looking at it on my whiskey shelf!

The nose is sweet and subtle, with almost no burn despite its high proof. Though not very strong, the aromas are a nice blend of vanilla, caramel, and a light dryness from the oak. These flavors all seemed to be sweetened by a bit of burnt sugar and even a bit of almond.

The flavor hits you immediately with caramel and vanilla. A light spice tickles the tongue up front, and the wood tones add just a touch of bitterness, but not enough to really dry it out. This is an excellent balance of sweet, spicy and dry.

That sweetness seems to linger a bit, almost transforming to some dark sherry notes to go with the rich caramel and even dark chocolate notes, giving it a very decadent flavor. On later pours I even started to get other notes, including a light peanut flavor and even a light saltiness, just enough to keep it well balanced and intriguing.

Interestingly, the peppery spice on the front end didn't linger on the back end like so many spicy whiskeys do. Rather, a thick, oily caramel coating stuck around, seemingly forever. I couldn't help but enjoy that lingering flavor for a while between each sip.

Again, I was lucky to be able to get this bottle, and I couldn't be happier to have had the benefit of enjoying such a fine whiskey. This is certainly one of the best I've ever had, with a flavor profile that matches my tastes nearly to perfection. I miss this one already!

Grade: A+