Wrangling Willetts! Willett "Wheat" 5 Year Bourbon and "Big Poppa" 6 Year Rye
Background
A man walks into a bar-turned sandwich and bottle shop, and says “ouch”... because his wallet is about to be significantly lighter than when he entered. Dad jokes aside, it’s awesome to see such a creative development from the Jack Rose and Imperial teams in this space. Moving their covid derived, impromptu bottle shop from a single shelf in Jack Rose to a pop up sandwich and bottle shop is a really enticing expansion from a group that seems to do everything thoughtfully.
Ok, why did I start my Willett review waxing poetic about the new Premier Drams space? Because I happened to snag these two bottles as part of a Holiday Sales Special at Premier Drams, and these bottles made an appearance at Premier Drams (the event, not the space) back in 2018! I have heard from the Jack Rose team that Willett is no longer making wheated bourbon picks available as part of their single barrel releases, potentially due to their rumored switch over to using their wheated mashbill in Willett Pot Still. The rye, interestingly enough, is also sourced. My perception (and I have no actual stats on this so apologies) is that MGP sourced Willett rye was fairly common, but this one is notably Kentucky sourced which should make for a fun variation. Fortunately, a friend had the excellent idea to turn these two bottles into a bottle split, so the aforementioned pain in my wallet was considerably reduced while still being able to taste, review, and enjoy these whiskeys!
Willett Family Estate Bourbon “Wheat” #3222 (5 Years, 114.2 Proof)
Nose: Red vines, star anise- a spicy and sweet start! It’s not the most potent nose, but it’s nice and inviting.
Palate: Cinnamon red hot candies. It has a vivacious candy forward palate that strikes a nice harmony with the spices at play. Similar to a spiced fruit cake for instance.
Finish: There’s an interesting numbing sensation to the spices, like a Sichuan peppercorn. Cutting that spice is a nice lingering sweetness, like a muddled mint.
Great (7/10)
Overall: An exceptional balanced pour. It’s not blow you away challenging with a diverse flavor set, but rather a steady-eddie sipper that is well executed. The spicy and sweet notes maintain a consistent, harmonious balance from nose to finish.
Willett Family Estate Rye “Big Poppa” #98 (6 Years, 120.4 Proof)
Nose: Super reductive start here, but it does come across like a Kentucky rye. What I mean by that is that rye spice is there but it’s not quite as robust as your average 95/5 MGP rye. It’s a bit minty, a bit floral, a bit earthy
Palate: Candied orange and mulling spices- particularly cinnamon. Black licorice and peppercorns. Spicy but again, it’s not punishing or one note.
Finish: Ah, I love rye. It’s a nice long finish of cloves and more citrus. Bits of black pepper, some mint, and a dash of cinnamon sugar.
Great to Excellent (7.5/10)
Overall: Where the bourbon was more an example of a consistent and well executed sip, this is more of a rollercoaster of flavor, and I mean that as the utmost compliment. It’s one of those “whoops, my glass is empty” pours, where you’re drinking it and basking in the various notes until you look down and you’ve taken your last sip. Good stuff.
