Willett's Single Barrel Bourbon

I’m primarily a Scotch drinker, attempting my first bourbon review here, so I’ll limit my comments mostly to tasting notes. If you want a succinct history of the Willet Distillery, please see @Victor’s reviews of various Willet expressions. I won’t attempt to compete with his customary deep knowledge and eloquence.

I should mention, however, my surprise at being the first to review this bourbon. This is the Willet Single Barrel familiar to U.S. buyers: the one in the pot-still bottle, and bottled at 47% ABV. The reviewed bottle is #133 of 272, barrel #8582; no dates or age statements provided. The bottle was opened about four months ago, and this will be about my sixth dram.

Nose: I get a strong whiff of mint each time I bring my Glencairn to my nose. The mint lingers throughout, but it soon becomes part of an ensemble that includes cinnamon, vanilla, butter, honey, cedar wood, flowers, and plenty of sweet corn. Light but complex, ever-evolving, and warmly satisfying.

I’ll qualify my comments by pointing out that I tend to get more mint in many bourbons than most people. If I had a mint in my bank account rather than my nose, I’d have many more bourbons for comparison.

Palate: Rich butterscotch and maple on the arrival. Very, very sweet at first, but develops dry and spicy. The somewhat hot finish recalls the cinnamon, corn, and spices, and introduces some earthy, woody textures.

Overall, the palate is much simpler than the nose foreshadowed, but the limited flavors are quite tasty nonetheless. I didn’t notice so much going on in my earlier tastings, so I’d say it definitely benefits from a few months on the shelf after a few drams have been poured. If you like it less than I do, at least you’ll have a showy bottle for your collection.

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