Willett Family Estate Single Barrel Rye 7 Year

Barrel was “harvest hymn”, 2024, purchased in denver. This is the best rye ive had in my life. Seriously, ive blinded it with all sorts of other ryes and this always wins. Better than parkers rye, any sagamore, handy, pappys 13. This rye is just unbelievably rich and sweet with this pumpkin note, and has this incredible luscious nose. I also side by sided with an 11 year willett and the 7 was wayyyy better. I think 7 to 9 years is just that sweet spot for rye.

Very good!! One of the hottest ryes I’ve had. Definitely better character than most. Held up well in the flight but was outshined by the last two in the flight with it: Redwood Empire Rocket Top Jack Daniels Rye 132 Proof Angel’s Envy Rye Rum Cask

Nose: rye and soft barrel spice. Vanilla and faint milk chocolate. This is not an overpowering etoh forward nose. Sweetness, honeyed. Malt. Little leather. Woody and earthy later. Body: medium Palate: interesting, unique, complex and seemingly a lot going on on the first sip. Rye, chocolate, bready maltiness, cinnamon, water chestnut (?) or light nuttiness. Black licorice really started to dominate late in the dram. Finish: medium Note: a great pick up from 1010. Very hard to get any willet rye other than the 4 year. This barrel was picked by Rachel 😮 so I hope it’s good. This is barrel 2237, 58.3%, 7 yr. Yup this is good and interesting. Overall this was extremely easy to drink and has layers of flavor.

Great stuff, rich multi layer a light pickle. So good!

Super spicy, yet at its proof point wasn’t overly harsh. Very nice rye

Rating: 13/23 This is a blind tasting. I know it's a rye and that's it. N: This reminds me a lot of Noah's Mill with its sort of mushroomy smell bordering on medicinal. It's herbal with a big bitter vegetal side. The alcohol also burns my nose. P: Somewhat viscous with herbal character turning into big black licorice with a lot of clove that carries some oak with it. There's a huge burn throughout though, like what I get from Rabbit Hole Cavehill. There's also a creek water sweetness to this that in spice of the big licorice and other boldness belies youth. Not as much mushroom as I'd feared, but there definitely is some there. Combined with a small amount of cherry that borders on cough syrup mixed with a hint of green wood, this almost seems like it was aged briefly in cherry wood. A bit of nice maple syrup with a bit of malty character. Some lemon rind as well and maybe a dash of tangerine. F: Black licorice with a sweetness like the candy itself. My tongue feels a little raw like the burn actually stripped some of the flesh off of it. - Conclusion - I am not a fan of this. Between the burn and the mushroom weirdness, this isn't one I'll be buying a bottle of. It's too bad because there are some other rich flavors in here that I really like. That burn really reminds me of Rabbit Hole Cavehill, so I'll compare them. I like the sweet approachability of the Rabbit Hole (after getting past the burn), whereas I like the complexity better here. Since this is a rye, I can forgive that funk more easily than I could in Noah's Mill. This doesn't taste quite as youthful as the Rabbit Hole, which I think makes it the winner in my book. I almost gave this a 12, but it's getting a 13. It's a shame: there's a lot of potential here, but the harshness and mushroom really knock it down. I've been wanting to try an older Willett for some time, so thank you @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington for generously sharing a sample of this!

Nose - baked cherry pie, spearmint, brandied grape, grass, toffee, tobacco, Hawaiian Punch, polished oak, anise, vanilla, raisin toast, clove, cornbread, leather, nutmeg, chocolate malt, moderate to high ethanol burn. Taste - salted caramel, baked apple, dark chocolate, brown sugar, spearmint, orange zest, leather, vanilla, raisin, burnt cookie, nutmeg, clove, tobacco, anise, black pepper, cherry, cardamom, dense oak, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium long with spearmint, rich bittersweet chocolate, and baking spice flavors. The seventh of nine blind tastings begins with decadent, roasty toasty aromas of various holiday fruit pies, yeasty raisin toast, warm dark chocolate, and minty rye spice. The palate is thick and chewy with brown sugar, burnt sugar cookies, Andes chocolate mints, and rich leather and tobacco. Wow, what a high quality whiskey! The aromas and flavors are deep, dark, and punchy. It’s definitely not young, but I don’t think it’s particularly mature either. The proof is dialed in perfectly, full of flavor and eminently sippable. This is great whiskey, and if not for a tiny hint of sourness, this would be outstanding whiskey. So what is this delicious spirit in my glass tonight? Willett 7 Year Family Estate Single Barrel Rye. A wonderful sipper that I’ll never own, but I’m extremely grateful that @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington sent me a sample of this heavyweight to review.