Willett Family Estate Straight Rye Aged 3 Years
Willett Family Estate Straight Rye Whiskey Aged 3 Years
The Willett Distillery has a very long history and can be a post in its own right, but the story of this bottle, the Willett Family Estate Straight Rye Whiskey, is much shorter. After sourcing whiskey for a number of years the Willett Distillery started distilling in earnest again in 2012. I happened to visit the distillery in 2017 with a friend and picked up this bottle, which I swear I had opened at some point over the past ~5 years, but upon opening the tube last night, apparently I had not! So I have a fresh review for a 3 year old Rye that I bought 5 years ago which had to have been made within Willett’s first 2 years of distilling. Confused? Me too.
ABV: 54.8% (Cask Strength)
How it smells…certainly a rye upon the first whiff. A bit grassy with some hayloft scents as well as some grapefruit and candy corn…..with some water, you get more cherry and cinnamon within the mix.
How it tastes….light with some rye spice up front followed by cherries and ending with some Red Hots candy. The finish is sweet with a bit of chocolate with pepper lingering….with some water, it is a bit sweeter up front and the rye spice is more tempered. The end continues to be sweeter with a cinnamon finish and a hint of the rye spice but you lose the chocolate.
Price..$60 (I’m guessing this was the price given the price of the current 4 year old)
Rating….🥃🥃🥃🥃
Final thoughts….This was a nice rye, especially considering that it was only a 3 year old. I don’t think they make the 3 year old anymore given how long ago I bought this, but I’m intrigued to buy the 4 year old that I have seen on the shelves of my local stores to see how the extra year progresses the flavor profile. We don’t know what the mash bill on this is, but the internet seems to think that these Family Estate releases are made from a blend of a 74% Rye, 11% Corn, and 15% Malted Barley with a 51% Rye, 34% Corn, and 15% Malted Barley. If it is in fact a blend of the two, I would imagine that it is heavily weighted towards the 74% Rye mash bill as you really get a lot of the traditional rye aromas and flavors from start to finish.
This was a borderline high proof for me at near 110%, but I used my pipette to dilute it a bit anyways just to see what changes took place. I wouldn’t recommend repeating my mistake. While I do like this bottle, it wasn’t crazy complex, so the added water only diminished the sip, taking away some for that character and making it a less robust spirit. The Cask Strength at ~110 proof is the right way to drink it.
I’ve also included some pictures from the distillery (see below), which was a pretty cool bucolic scene. As it has been five years since I was there, I don’t know what changes have been made, but it was a nice little facility with a big old pot still smack in the middle (just like the shape of their small batch bourbon bottle). The aging warehouse was pretty rustic, and at the time I was there, some local chef was aging a ham on the bone in the bourbon warehouse to see if the angels' share evaporation would seep into the ham to add some unique flavors. Willett’s a great stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and a stone’s throw from Heaven Hill and a few other distilleries in Bardstown, so definitely worth the visit.
