Willett Family Estate Single Barrel Rye 7 Year

To change things up, a friend sent me a series of samples that have either shapes or some code on them to prevent me from being able to know what they are until after I’ve tasted them. Will I mistake a rye for bourbon or completely miss a finish, who knows, but I’m dying to find out so let’s continue this blind challenge with the vial that has an R1 on it. On the first nosing, this is an apricot rye alcohol blast that caused sinus damage and needed a few drops of water in it to calm it down. I then let it sit for 15 minutes to calm that Mike Tyson alcohol punch down while I my sinuses had time to recover and then approached with caution to find that the water tamed this beast to be able to identify some flavors instead of an alcohol uppercut, but found that the new challenge is the hodgepodge of eclectic flavors. I apologize in advance if this is me having some sort of brain aneurysm but I’ll just write these notes down and hope this makes sense when I find out what this is. The nose starts with dehydrated apricots or peaches then possible rum notes of canned pineapple and bananas foster followed by red vines along with an earthy note that transitions to a mix of spearmint, evergreen pine needles, star anise and fresh bandages with high ethanol burn. The taste is a viscous mouthfeel starting a rye blast up front followed with dehydrated apricots then rum notes of canned pineapple and bananas foster followed by a medium rye spice that fades to a mix of spearmint, evergreen pine needles, star anise and fresh bandages with high ethanol burn. The finish is long with apricot, maraschino cherries, Dr. Pepper, almond liqueur, pumpernickel bread, spearmint, and fresh bandages. Ok wow, what a flavor ride that must be a rye that’s been finished in rum casks and bottled at high cask strength. It’s a bit of a wild, unbalanced ride that has a mix of rye, tropical fruits, citrus and red berries that brings in earthy rye notes throughout the taste with a long finish of sweet fruits and rye spices. At first the flavor ride and proof were overwhelming but with time this grew on me to be very enjoyable with those strange combinations of flavors and a long enjoyable finish. If you’re looking for a weird combination of flavors and are a bit of a high proof nut, this might be a great rye for you. So what is this funky weird rye…… Willett 7 year Single Barrel Rye “Lion’s Share” 2019 bottled at 59.5%. Well hot damn, it’s not a finished rye after all and it turns out to be a freaking unicorn bottle on top of that. A huge thank you again to a friend for the sample because I don’t think I’ll ever find one of these in the wild for a price I’d be willing to pay.

Rating: 13/23 This was tasted blind; I only knew it was a rye. Nose: It strongly reminds me of Noah's Mill with a mushroom-like aroma that verges on medicinal. It's herbal with a significant bitter, vegetal quality. The alcohol also stings my nose. Palate: Somewhat thick with an herbal character that transforms into prominent black licorice and a lot of clove, carrying some oak notes. There's a substantial burn throughout, similar to what I experience from Rabbit Hole Cavehill. A subtle sweetness akin to creek water is present, which, despite the strong licorice and boldness, suggests youth. It's not as mushroom-forward as I anticipated, but that note is certainly there. Combined with a slight cherry flavor that borders on cough syrup, mixed with a hint of green wood, it almost seems like it was briefly aged in cherry wood. A touch of pleasant maple syrup with some malty character is also detected. Lemon rind and perhaps a hint of tangerine are present as well. Finish: Black licorice with a sweetness like the candy itself. My tongue feels slightly raw, as if the burn actually scraped off some of its surface. - Conclusion - I am not fond of this. Between the burn and the peculiar mushroom note, this is not a bottle I will purchase. It's a pity, as there are other rich flavors present that I truly appreciate. That burn strongly reminds me of Rabbit Hole Cavehill, so I will compare them. I prefer the sweet approachability of the Rabbit Hole (after overcoming the initial burn), while I favor the greater complexity here. Since this is a rye, I can overlook that funk more readily than I could with Noah's Mill. This doesn't taste as young as the Rabbit Hole, which I believe makes it the winner in my estimation. I nearly gave this a 12, but it's earning a 13. It's unfortunate: there's considerable potential here, but the harshness and mushroom element significantly detract from it. I've been eager to sample an older Willett for some time, so thank you to the generous individual who shared 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, with a noticeable to high ethanol burn. Palate: 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, with a moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium long with spearmint, rich bittersweet chocolate, and baking spice notes. This seventh of nine blind tastings begins with decadent, roasty 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 a friend sent me a sample of this heavyweight to review.

Again, part of a flight of four this evening consisting of this as well as pot still and family estate 12 and 13 year olds. The rye roll backbone of pot still is present on the nose and to a lesser extent on the palate where more heat, char, spearmint appear. Back to the nose - a bit of cola, mint, anise, and perhaps cloves? The herbal elements of the 4 year old are there but take a back seat to the cola and a bit of charred wood. Back to the palate and this is really quite different from the 4 year old. The barrel comes through more so than the herbal/earth notes. There’s noticeable burnt brown sugar, double mint gum and powdered sugar sweetness that aren’t amplified to the same degree as the 4 year old. Honestly, between this 7 year old and the 4 year old I don’t have a clear favorite. I love the 4 year old because it’s so different from most rye that I’ve had whereas the extra age of the 7 year old makes it more “familiar” with the added barrel influence. If I ever find a 7 year old under $250 I’ll be bringing it home but feel like the 4 year old remains as solid and satisfying as ever.

Nose: Rye and gentle barrel spice. Vanilla and a faint milk chocolate aroma. Not an overpowering alcohol-forward nose. Sweetness, like honey. Malt notes. A touch of leather. Later, woody and earthy scents emerge. Body: Medium Palate: Intriguing, distinctive, complex, with a lot seemingly happening on the initial sip. Rye, chocolate, bready maltiness, cinnamon, water chestnut (?), or a light nuttiness. Black licorice became quite dominant towards the end of the tasting. Finish: Medium length. Notes: An excellent find from 1010. It's very difficult to acquire Willett rye other than the 4-year expression. This particular barrel was selected by Rachel 😮, so I had high hopes. This is barrel 2237, 58.3% ABV, 7 years old. Indeed, this is good and interesting. Overall, it was exceptionally easy to drink and offered layers of flavor.

The barrel was named “harvest hymn”, from 2024, bought in Denver. This is the finest rye I've ever encountered. Truly, I've tested it blind against numerous other ryes, and this consistently emerges as the winner. It surpasses Parker's Rye, any Sagamore, Handy, and Pappy's 13. This rye is simply remarkably rich and sweet with a pumpkin essence, and possesses an astonishingly luscious aroma. I also compared it side-by-side with a Willett aged 11 years, and the 7-year-old was significantly superior. I believe 7 to 9 years is the optimal age range for rye.