Bourbon Reviews:




Bottling NameWillett Single Barrel Estate Reserve
Bottled ByKentucky Bourbon Distillers, Ltd. Bardstown,KY
TypeKentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Alcohol content94 Proof
Availability US: Available Japan: Unknown Duty Free: Unknown Europe: Unknown
Views (since 20080612) 60655
Bottling Info



Review from coburn_c (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 2352, Created:20150925000901, Updated:20150925001336) View discussion on this review.
Purchased at:Belmont Beverage
Purchased for:~40
Info on this bottle:258 of 274, Barrel No. 6805
Nose:It burns. Smells like bourbon.. there is definitely corn in there....
Taste:Heat and spice, lots of spice. Yeah it was in wood... enough to tame the mash.. but it's still distinctly bourbon. Starts a fire, fans it with oak, and then lets it burn.
Finish:Oh yeah, I'll finish this bottle....
Overall:Most special thing about it is the bottle, but I'm not sad I bought it.

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Review from Wasatch (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 2323, Created:20150130180946)
Purchased at:On-line (Liquorama)
Purchased for:$50 750ml
Info on this bottle:Pot Still Willett Reserve , Bottle 185 of 289 from Single Barrel No. 2582
Nose:Very nice darker golden amber color.

Very nice vanilla note, caramel, some maple, nice oakyness, with some nice spicy/cinnammon.
Taste:Sweet on the lips, very nice oak note, spicy, with some vanilla/maple notes. There is a nice thickness to this bourbon.
Finish:Lasts pretty long, with a slightly dry finish, tobacco. Very smooth.
Overall:Overall a very tasty bourbon. Definitely a keeper, would buy again. I wish we had it here in UT.

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Review from Bootlegger1929 (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 2154, Created:20130212234448)
Purchased at:Binnys
Purchased for:$50
Info on this bottle:7 year. Barrel 444
Nose:*first written review

I've been cutting my pours of this down a bit with about a teaspoon of water at room temp. Initially drank it neat as I like to do with every new bottle.

Caramel. Corn sweetness. Bit of toffee. Some banana? Bit of oak. Not a ton of alcohol heat but its there. Nt too bold. Maybe even soft. I mostly attribute that to a lack of spicy character. Reminds me of MM but less harsh to me.
Taste:Initially it's all caramel sweetness with a touch of honey. As it rolls over the tongue a touch of the oak and the mildest of a mild spice hits the tongue. Really nice.
Finish:Not a ton of heat. Easy to go right back for more sips. Pretty long finish and not extremely dry. The corn sweetness keeps coming back and lingers in a very satisfying way.
Overall:Overall I like this very much. From what I can tell here Binnys sure knows how to pick a barrel and I'd say its worth the cost of admission. It's is the first barrel proof I've bought myself but the others I have purchased I've very much enjoyed as well so I'm thinking I need more of em. Anyway that's another story for another day. Cheers!

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Review from KettleOne (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 2070, Created:20120505142903, Updated:20120505144024) View discussion on this review.
Purchased at:San Fran, CA (Cask Store)
Purchased for:60
Info on this bottle:Barrel 8193 / 10 years old
Nose:The nose is very woody but, like the 9 y/o, has a sting due to the high alcohol content. Despite this, you can smell brown sugar or maple syrup. Very inviting.
Taste:This one is very strong oak but not a strong char taste - in fact, I don't think there's much char taste at all. Almost young, clean oak taste. With the more subdued sweetness than the 9 y/o, this particular 10 is balanced with a nice rye bite that I enjoy most. I feel a strong alcohol burn, but like all Willetts, they may be super high proof but there's always an abundance of flavor. Making this a perfect sippin' whisky.
Finish:The finish has the type of bite I need in a whisky, sharp. Heavy burn. If you exhale just afterwards you feel as if you could blow fire out your mouth if you put a match to it. But, again, it isn't a clean burn because there is a long aftertaste. Perfect.
Overall:OK. I drink this neat. I have not tried this one with a little water which might open it up a bit more. But, despite its youthful taste and finish, Willett is at the top of my list. The 18 y.o is about the best whisky I've ever had, next to GT Stagg and, for me, WT American Spirit. Again, to me, Willett's whiskies taste unique for some reason. I'm not sure if it is the pot they use or the people they're buying whisky from, but it is different. Although this distillery has a lot of releases (to make money), the multitude of releases never have let me down. Their rye is SUPERB, too. So, this afternoon, I bought a 150 dollar bottle of 21 y/o Willett...and I know it'll be good. I like their brand.

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Review from KettleOne (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 2069, Created:20120505124549, Updated:20120505143421)
Purchased at:San Francisco, CA (Cask Store)
Purchased for:60.00
Info on this bottle:Barrell 8124 / 9 years old
Nose:Sweet cherry with heavy alcoholic burn. Opens the sinuses.
Taste:Most Willetts taste quite oaky to me, but this one is different. I'm ambivalent to say that it is my favorite Willett. It is not. This 9 y/o Willett reminds me of a very strong red wine. It is acidic like wine, but obviously much more dynamic. It is flavorful and powerful. I do like it, but I prefer the 18 y/o much better.
Finish:Sharp, strong alcohol. Abundant flavor. Sweet cherry tones but not super sweet. finish is oaky wiith a nice strong bite but not overly so. When I say sweet, not that nasty sweet prominent in Blantons or Elmer T Lee. Rather, a sweet, wood taste that has that great rye finish. The high proof leaves the mouth with a lot of flavor but, trust me, you can skip the listerine that night...your gums are totally sterile after a glass of this beauty.
Overall:I like this bourbon neat (perhaps with water it is totally different) and I will buy more from this store in San Fran. They are good people and they did pick a rather nice barrel. They also have a good selection of fine whiskies, so I recommend. Anyway, I prefer a whisky that is less tanic acid, or red-wine like. I can't explain it better than that. Don't pass this one up, however. I'm glad I bought it and, again, maybe this one is too strong in flavor and proof to have w/o some mineral water. The 10 year I bought from them, too, is superb.

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Review from Mike (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1636, Created:20090721133305, Updated:20090721141227)
Purchased at:Sigman Bottle Shop, Conyers, BA
Purchased for:$35
Info on this bottle:Bottle 117 of 233 from barrel 1582
Nose:A rich nose with corn, caramel, leather, tobacco, a hint of nutmeg, warm rye, a dab of oak, along with some brown sugar...........all these aromas lick at your nose like a playful puppy. Just like you and I like our bourbon aromas to.
Taste:Could it be gooder? Thick mouthfeel with lots of corn, caramel, vannila, rye, some dry oak abetted by a squeeze of sour apple. A touch of nutmeg tries to get in its licks before the cinnamony spice beats it off and sweeps across the back of the palate. But wait, there's more, the barrel has not completely had its say...........it brings all right back into a subtle balance with its measured dryness.

Wonderful stuff, this bourbon.
Finish:Longish finish with the corn sweetness struggling somewhat successfully with the spiciness.........which itself cannot get out of hand because of the oaky dryness.
The next sip is but an arm's length away...........the arm starts to move involuntarily, commanded not by the mind, but by the mouth.
Overall:Blind Willie McTell, the great Georgia Blues man, once said about Miss Cora liking his music, 'She like it cause its good!'. And I say, 'Mike like this bourbon cause its good'..........in fact, its way better than good.

Find you a bottle and drink same. It is a challenge in contrasts and (in my opinion) an education in how appropriate barrel induced dryness can favorably influence the taste and the finish of a bourbon.

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Review from kystormwatch (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1451, Created:20090131201755)
Purchased at:Westport Whiskey and Wine, Louisville KY (1/31/2009)
Purchased for:$38
Info on this bottle:Pot Still Willett Reserve , Bottle 10 of 218 from single barrel no. 1404
Nose:Reminded me of caramel corn. But also a noticeable floral element. Not overly oaked.
Taste:A little citrus, but then a quick change to something sweeter - brown sugar and maybe a bit of cocoa.
Finish:Good initial burn that fades quickly. Did not find it to linger very long. The sweet taste gave way to something almost coffee-like after maybe 8-10 seconds.
Overall:Overall I like this bourbon. It's light color and not-so-intense oak make me guess that this is a fairly young bourbon - which is not indicated on the bottle. It's probably in an appropriate price range, although I'd place it closer to $28-$30 than what I paid. The bottle itself is an eye-catcher, in an attractive still shape with wood-cork top. My guess is that is adding to the price.

If you're looking for something intense and in-your-face, this is not it. But if you want something light and leaning towards a sweeter taste, this could be a good one to try.

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Review from spun_cookie (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1321, Created:20081017191144)
Purchased at:Tasted at Greg's
Info on this bottle:15yr
Nose:There is oak barrel in this nose. It is light in general
Taste:The taste is bolder. Fruit, floral, spice, vanilla, sweet, full tastes all come out here. This is nice
Finish:The Finish is a run of the taste, with a good burn that enhances this bourbon
Overall:If you find one, buy it. I would

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Review from spun_cookie (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1129, Created:20080611172828) View discussion on this review.
Purchased at:
Info on this bottle:4yr - cask strebgth
Nose:Vanilla and orange dessert, liquorish. Smells like a fun bourbon.
Taste:Orange, pumpernickel, liquorish, leather,

Interesting. No one flavor is bad, but this just does not taste right to me.
Finish:Starts, liquorish, moves to a citrus like orange flavor to it and the goes unpleasant.
Overall:Not my thing, but I know a few that would love this.

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Review from spun_cookie (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1031, Created:20080228214054)
Purchased at:50 ml Tennis with Birdman
Nose:Little metal in the nose, light oak, corn and leather. Very even nose. Pleasant, but it does not grab me...

After 15 min or so the nose opens nicely to some caramel and vanilla.

None of the scents are prominent. Very interesting balance of aromas
Taste:Little metal in the taste as well. Not overwhelming, just at first taste, then light leather and corn... There is caramel than appears... I get the apricots as it opens and I fill my mouth.. good call Mike...
Finish:Caramel and sweet corn with butter... it almost has the taste of good donut glaze...

The fruit and the floral become more apparent over time... thought the 50 ml that is.. I almost want to say there is a Sauvignon Blanc like fruit taste to it... quite appealing.

Overall:This is fun. Changes quite a bit as it opens.

his feels like a white wine drinkers bourbon. there is quite a bit of complexity as it opens and as your mouth warms up to it...

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Review from bourbonv (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1024, Created:20080221135502)
Purchased at:Bourbon Society member
Purchased for:35.00
Info on this bottle:bottle #169 of 238 from barrel 6653
Proof Of this Bottle:94
Nose:Caramel and vanilla with some fruit - ripe apricots and apples with some fine leather and wood.
Taste:Corn and vanilla and caramel with some sweet spices like nutmeg and cloves. The fruitiness jumps out after that initial burst of spice with ripe apples and pears.
Finish:Long and complex. Starts with some sweet caramel and oak wood, but gets a little fruity sweet like a candied apple before getting a little more oak wood tannins on the finish giving it a honey nut flavor.
Overall:This is a very good bourbon well worth the price. The pot still shaped bottle also makes it an attractive bourbon that you will want to leave out on the bar. Very good job KBD and I recommend that people drink this neat or no more than a small splash of water. You will want every ounce of flavor in this bottle.

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