Willett Single Barrel "Soppressata"
An old, thick rye-heavy glory
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nReview by @numen
- Nose~
- Taste~
- Finish~
- Balance~
- Overall94
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Sample from a friend
Following up on the legendary 1983 25 year Usuikou, I deemed it proper to respond with something equally as impressive, but on the other side of the scale. This is a named, 18-year Willett.
Nose: Dry chocolate, with deep charred maple and a welcome strand of orange zest (with a drop of juice for freshness). It's bright, yet restrained. There is a boatload of rye spice. A little varnish and coffee. Spicy indeed. Coconut and rye mint. This keeps evolving, constantly changing, always rich, layered, and superb. (w/water) No real difference; maybe the flavors are loosened up a bit and the dry chocolate is highlighted.
Palate: Rich, dense, and explosively powerful rye. Chocolate and fresh sweet-and-tart orange. Maple and caramel. Just a perfect amount of extremely well integrated wood. Burned fruit cake with burnt maraschino cherries. Lots of layers. (with water) Simplifies to chocolate and heavy rye, but it loses depth and complexity.
Finish: Extraordinary. Easily one of the best bourbons that I've had so far. This is what an old high-rye bourbon should aspire to be. Rich, syrupy, dense. Awesome. I'd love to get my hands on more!
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I tasted this yesterday. It's really wonderful stuff and your review does it justice.