In the last few years Willett has moved from primarily sourcing whiskey to mostly bottling their own distillate. This has a naturally led to folks bemoaning the loss of the older sourced whiskies and to others becoming fans of the new releases despite their high price points. I definitely fall into the latter category especially when it comes to the wheated bourbons and ryes.
Review #263: Willett Family Estate Bottled Single Barrel Bourbon ‘Highway Kind’
Age: 6 years
Abv: 117.2 proof
Price: $130
Neat
Nose: Sweet with brown sugar and dark fruit notes with hints of spice.
Taste: Four Roses style sweet dark fruit notes with brown sugar, warm spices and a bit of oak. Great mouthfeel.
Finish: Long but sort of softer finish with a lingering sweetness.
Conclusion
That was fantastic. It fell just short of a perfect score for me and I think and 8-10 year old version that had a little more complexity especially on the finish would put it over the top. I’ve blinded this against other wheated Willetts) and other tater wheaters) multiple times and it always come out on top for me. The dark fruit and brown sugar notes are some of my favorite in the bourbon world though so it’s not surprising I’m a fan here.
Overall the ~$20 a year is a little tough on the price point front but for me this one was worth it and I’m very glad I bought 2.
TL;DR: I’m a fan of these wheaters from Willett and this is the best one I’ve had
9 - a favorite I always try to keep on my shelf
Fair - Worth the money, happy with my purchase
Scale
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