I'm pretty sure if I tallied up my reviews Willett Family Estate would be my most reviewed whiskey. That's not because it's always my favorite - overall my experience is mostly great with some just being good and then a couple stinkers. With that kind of track record though I don't usually feel like it's much of a risk to grab a bottle when I have a chance. That's been a bit easier lately since it seems there has been an influx of new synthetic cork foil top bottles popping up all over the place. The price is now considerably higher than a couple of years ago but that's an entirely different discussion and at least you can somewhat find these now. Anyway, this bottle being reviewed today is one of those more recent purple foil top bottles selected by Randall's Wine & Spirits and purchased in September 2014. Thanks to /u/bourbonbro for the hookup on this one.
64.4% ABV; Aged 11 Years; $110
The nose breaths hot and needs quite a while to cool off. Some bottles don't smell their proof but this is not one of them. If you can get beyond the ethanol there is a rich woody sweetness lurking in there somewhere. On the tongue it has a nice thick and syrupy mouthfeel. The taste resonates with a deep woody sweetness but the most prominent note is a familiar peanut butter nuttiness that I get with a certain other product from Clermont Kentucky named after a boisterous master distiller. The finish tapers off dry as the oak presence becomes more prominent but at the end it's all nutter butter cookies. The flavors are bold and rich but it drinks very hot which is my biggest negative. Coming from a guy who usually likes things others say is too hot, that's a pretty big deal.
Thoughts: You might have asked yourself before reading the review why there is a Booker's 25th in my picture? Well it's because they taste like they are from the same stock to me. I like playing the guessing game on sourced whiskey and my taste buds tell me this Beam juice just like other recent foil top Willett's I've had. So how does it compare to the Booker's 25th? Well, they have a very similar taste profile - lots and lots of famous Beam nutty notes. The Booker's wins on the nose and is more refined in the taste and finish with considerably more depth and less burn (side note: big fan of Booker's 25 now that it's been open a while). Overall this is an okay but not great bottle of Willett. At $110 I wouldn't buy it again but it's far from the worst whiskey purchase I've ever made and certainly won't stop me from jumping on future Family Estate bottles.
Rating: B-
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