Willett Family Estate Bottled Bourbon

Barrel 12K09-2136 Warehouse A Floor 2 Rick 11 Barrel date - 11/9/12 Bottle date - 7/5/19 BTL 50/58 124.8 Proof Neck pour in Norlan, sitting for 15 minutes. Splash of water. Sticky sweet honey and vanilla up front. Big notes of cherry and orange zest, dark chocolate, nougat, nutmeg and cinnamon each meld beautifully with each other. Cherry cola notes linger as well. Very seamless nose if not a little tame for the proof . Honey and vanilla jump out first followed by notes of fruity pastry. Think pear and cherry tart with orange whipped cream. But before these sweet notes take over, you get a nice hit of oak char and pumpkin pie spice. Mouthfeel is superb with great viscosity and weight with less burn than anticipated. What stands out most to me in this bourbon is the finish, dominated by chocolate malted milk balls, vanilla, and orange zest that goes on for minutes. Absolutely stellar and memorable. First WFE, quite impressed with all they packed in this bottle in 6+ years.

This is not a sipping whiskey and surely not to be used in a cocktail. The nose is bright and slightly stings the nostril. As soon as it touches the tongue, I am getting peanut brittle then apricot preserves mixed with orange peel. The finish is floral, maybe even herbal. Either way, it is very aromatic. After the aromatic finishes in the nose, the mouth has a assertive burn and this strange, heavy, chocolaty stout aftertaste lingers. It truly bizarre! This would be a perfect bourbon for a gathering or tasting with friends that appreciate complex bourbons. Any way you look at it, this is a premium dram. Definitely would try it again!

Nose- Cherry! Sweet and a bit sour. Remind me of the rev cherry syrup for snow cones. Body- Good lord! This is a cherry bomb and I love it. There is a nice presence of black sugar and a peppery spice as well. Finish- Cherry, tobacco, and sweet tea continue. This one really costs the mouth with a reach tannin mouthfeel with just a hint of mint. Note- I loved this! It was rich and easy enough to drink straight although it really opened up with a few drops of water. This was a six year old barrel puck chosen by the Silver Dollar Houston Bourbon Consortium.

16 year. Batch 1597. Bottle 31/106. 123.0 proof. $265 out the door at Willett Distillery 5/26/2018. This redefined what I thought bourbon could and should be. Nose is fruit, oak, herbal, and sweet. Mouth is rich, sweet, oily, and the flavors continue on and on and on. Fig, plum, raisins, almost a molasses sweetness, apple, cherry. Finish... my god, it lasts forever. The spice comes through gently. No heat, no burn, just smooth flavor for days. A+ bourbon. Second to none... including the Pappy 23.

I had this beauty a couple of weeks ago. I really liked it and that is no standard thing since rye whiskies are not my cup of tea. Lots of red fruits on the nose, specially strawberry. On the palate is very sweet with a lot of bite, its spicyness of pepper, clove and ginger is very balanced with the sweetness. Even its color is beautiful. Quite a nice dram. 85/100.

A very smooth upfront taste when served neat. Light caramel color, just a hint of reddish. Aroma definitely had a sweet caramel, maybe a hint of banana lingering between a Woodsy scent. Caramel and toffee upfront taste, very smooth with little burn. Some dark fruit (plum? Currant, blackberry?) finish.