Willett Family Estate 4 Year Old Rye Whiskey

Willett Family Estate 4 Year Old Rye Whiskey

Classification: Straight Rye

Company: The Willett Distillery

Distillery: The Willett Distillery

Released: Ongoing

Proof: 111.2 (Cask Strength)

Age: 4 Years

Mashbill: A blend of Willett high rye mashbill (74% rye, 11% corn, 15% malted barley) with the  Willett low rye mashbill (51% rye, 34% corn, 15% malted barley)

Color: Amber

Willett Family Estate 4 Year Old Rye Whiskey,  In the early 2010’s Willett started distilling their own whiskey on-site for the first time in over 30 years. In 2014, they celebrated this accomplishment with the release of a two year old rye whiskey. Since then they have continued to age their rye whiskey and have stuck with a four year age statement for their standard rye product, although younger and older age statements can be found. It is a small batch and is released at barrel proof. The cap is sealed with aluminum and continues the company’s move away from traditional wax they used for many years and were well known for.

The barrels that went into this small batch combined to make an amazing drinker.

Nose

Plenty of caramel is present in the form of caramel apple, caramel popcorn, and burnt toffee. The aroma has a gentleness about it thanks to additional notes of honey. There is a bit of rye bread lying underneath it all too. It’s an aroma that bucks your general understanding of what a rye whiskey should smell like and has some fun doing it in the process.

Palate

A warm bed of raisin, menthol, and spice starts off the sip. Combined with green tea notes, it creates a somewhat medicinal taste. It’s unique, yet works in application. There’s additional light cherry and citrus throughout that works well by introducing a contrasting fruit accent. Overall an unlikely pairing of flavors that perform surprisingly great together.

Finish