Willett Family Estate Rye Whiskey - 54.4%

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 54.4% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

This small batch from the Family Estate range combines four years of maturation in selected white oak casks with bottling at natural cask strength. Its grain recipe consists of rye, corn and malted barley. At 54.4%, the whiskey remains powerful and is bottled without chill filtration or added colouring.

This bottling belongs to Willett's Rare Releases and bears the family crest on its label. Its character brings together pronounced grain spice and sweet, chocolatey baked notes. The 0.7-litre bottle is offered without gift packaging.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, rich caramel sweetness combines with rye spice. Aromas reminiscent of chocolate gingerbread add another dimension.
• Palate: On the palate, the whiskey is dense and creamy, with creamy toffee and bold rye bread flavours. Dark chocolate and cinnamon complement the flavour profile, while black pepper adds a subtle spicy accent.
• Finish: Flavours of chocolate-coated oat biscuits linger as the finish slowly fades.

Distillery/Bottler:

Willett Distillery is located in Bardstown, Nelson County, Kentucky. Thompson Willett founded it in 1936 after learning the craft of distilling alongside his father, Lambert. The family chose the county's highest point for the site; the first whiskey entered Warehouse A in March 1937.

In 1984, Martha Willett Kulsveen and her husband Even took over the distillery site. While distillation was dormant, Even built up the business in mature whiskeys and further developed the selection and blending of small batches. Willett resumed its own distillation in 2012. Their son Drew Kulsveen initially focused intensively on blending whiskeys before developing additional grain recipes for bourbon and rye. This combination of cask selection, blending and in-house production shapes the family-run company.

Facts: