Willett Single Barrel 9 Year Barrel # 5203 117.5 Proof 750mL

Barrel #5203 is a 9-year-old single barrel bourbon from Willett's Family Estate program, bottled at 117.5 proof. At under 120 proof it is a touch gentler than many Willett barrels, which makes it a good first look at the house style at full strength.

About This Bourbon

Every Family Estate bottle comes from one cask and is labelled with its own barrel number and strength, so #5203 is a single, fixed lot. It is uncut and non-chill filtered at 117.5 proof, 58.75% ABV. Nine years is where Willett bourbon starts to pick up darker notes from the barrel while keeping its fruit. Willett's bourbons are built on either a traditional mash with 13% rye or a high-rye mash with 38% rye; the exact recipe of this barrel is not stated on the label.

Tasting Profile

• Nose: Brown sugar, vanilla, charred oak and cinnamon.
• Palate: Round and generous, with caramel, toasted nuts, orange and a rye tingle.
• Finish: Gently drying over a good length, with oak, sweet corn and a little cocoa.

Serving & Food

Pour a measure neat into a rocks glass and try it before and after one large ice cube; the cold brings out the nutty side. Good with smoked brisket, candied walnuts or a crème caramel.

How to Enjoy

Anyone comparing Willett single barrels, or looking for a barrel-proof bourbon that isn't overpowering.

Product Details

About the Distillery

The Willetts have made whiskey around Bardstown since the 1800s. John David Willett, born in 1841, was a master distiller at several distilleries in the area, and the mash bills he developed were handed down through the family.

His son Lambert and grandson Thompson used those recipes when they opened their own distillery on the family farm in the 1930s. The family still owns and runs the site today, and the Family Estate label is kept for single barrels chosen for the family's private selection program.