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Willett Family Estate Rare Release 8 YR, #2871, Straight Rye Whiskey, Kentucky, USA
$320.00
- Single barrel straight rye whiskey produced by Willett Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky
- Bottled exclusively for Skurnik Wines & Spirits
- Mash bill of 74% rye, 11% corn, and 15% malted barley
- Produced with limestone-filtered, spring-fed water from a pond on the distillery estate
- Sour mash fermented in stainless steel for approximately 3–5 days using a proprietary yeast strain
- Twice distilled using an unspecified still regimen; Willett employs a column still made of copper and stainless steel and a Vendome copper pot still modeled after Willett’s original, patented pot still
- Aged 8 years in new, char #4 American oak barrels from Independent Stave Company’s Kentucky cooperage
- Barrel #2871 yielded 146 bottles
- Non-chill filtered; bottled at a cask strength of 61.7% ABV
“The nose opens with vanilla and toasted oak, lifted by candied tropical fruit notes like pineapple and papaya alongside subtle black-tea herbs. The palate delivers bold rye spice wrapped in toffee and rich wood-sugar sweetness, balanced by fine tannins and continued tea-leaf complexity. The finish carries warming spice, dried tropical fruit, and gentle oak without any minty character. Overall, it’s a beautifully balanced 8-year Willett rye—slightly sweeter and more tropical-leaning while still grounded in a high-rye, spice-driven structure.” —Skurnik Whisk(e)y Portfolio
Specs
- Country United States
- Region Kentucky
- Style American Whiskey, Spirits, Whiskey
- Producer Willett
- This item is not eligible for discount.
AS SEEN IN...
Our Willett Barrel: How we picked it
With Master Distiller Drew Kulsveen — grandson of founder Thompson Willett — Chris tasted across mash bills and distillation lots, narrowing to a barrel that shows how profound barrel-proof bourbon can be. He returned not only with this extraordinary whiskey, but also with a deeper sense of Willett’s family legacy and their patient, exacting craft.
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