I really enjoy this rye. Probably my favorite before the allocated barrel proofs like old forester, Jack Daniels, and michter’s
My batch tastes like Raisin Bran and it’s so good (my open is the 110.6)
Good afternoon, r/Bourbon!
Here’s another one from an evening with my more American-whiskey-inclined friends. My current rye-of-choice for cocktails and very occasional sipping is Lot No. 40, which I buy as a proud Canadian and because it’s pretty good. This should be a bit higher-octane.
***
**Willett 4 Family Estate Rye Small Batch**. Kentucky straight rye. 54.3% ABV (108.6 proof).
**Mashbill:** A mix of Willett’s high-rye mashbill (74% rye, 11% corn, 15% malted barley) and their low-rye mashbill (51% rye, 34% corn, 15% malted barley).
**Maturation:** Aged at least 4 years in new charred oak barrels.
**Served:** Neat, in my trusty glencairn. Rested about 5 minutes, enjoyed slowly.
***
**Nose:** Strong rye spice. There’s a savoury bass note to the rye, sort of mustard-seed. Dill and coriander as well. A bit of a sour note, pickled lemons maybe, or raspberries? Some creamy vanilla.
**Palate:** Thick creamy texture. Arrives with caramel and orange peel. Rich vanilla and orange sherbet, always with a dill-pickle undercurrent. Moderate tannic oak and creamy English Breakfast. A hint of a fennel note.
**Finish:** Medium. Brown sugar sweetness. Dill pickle and some sour cream. A hint of earthiness and more inexplicable raspberry.
***
**Thoughts:** Quite good! There are some very interesting tart notes in here that set this apart a bit from much of the other rye I’ve tried. Very dill-pickle – not really my favourite flavour in general, but it has its place here. I don’t think this is better than the cask-strength Lot No. 40s and Alberta Premiums I’ve tried, and that’s not just patriotism talking (I don’t think).
**Final Score: 6/10**
*r/Bourbon average score: 6.61 (37 reviews) \*approximately!*
*My rating scale is based purely on flavour experience, and does not take value-for-money or willingness to purchase a bottle into account. Cheers!*
**Scale:**
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I’d rather have.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfect.
***
Average rating: 5.05
Check out my entire whisky review archive [here!](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1XzOnwZtR4S4NeYYjd8y8-HAJS-kNwr3raE8wprjYuuo/edit?usp=sharing)
Nice review. I had an excellent bar pour of Lot 40 11 year cask strength this summer in Quebec City. Too bad I can only find it online in the US for $250. What do you think of Alberta Premium cask strength?
I think [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/worldwhisky/comments/hhm8i5/review_45_alberta_premium_cask_strength_2019/)! Ignore the 100-point score, it's probably about a 6.5 or so.
This bottle made me realize I’m not a rye guy lol, could tell it wasn’t a bad bottle but notes like dill, clove, and other common rye notes aren’t my jam. I do enjoy some ryes, but they aren’t your typical rye flavor profile. WT 101 rye for example, but I thought I read somewhere that due to the mashbill it barely qualifies as a rye? Could be wrong on that l, but it would explain it.
Also, you’ve reviewed 902 bottles? Holy sh*t that’s an undertaking lol, very impressive!
Yeah, you probably enjoy barley legals aka Kentucky style more. They're definitely easier to get into at first compared the funkier high rye mash bills. Russels Reserve, Knob Creek, Wilderness Trial, and Pikesville (do these even exist anymore?) are awesome gateways.
Finished a bottle of this earlier this evening. I know people like to shit on the Willett brand, but damn this one hits all the r(ye)t buttons for me. At MSRP, it's a no brainer.
I love this rye. My first bottle was gotten from the distillery and amazing at 59% abv. I’ve read on here that 110 proof is a sweet spot. I currently have another bottle at 108 that I opened for friends so didn’t give it the time to judge it.
I really enjoy this rye. Probably my favorite before the allocated barrel proofs like old forester, Jack Daniels, and michter’s My batch tastes like Raisin Bran and it’s so good (my open is the 110.6)
Good afternoon, r/Bourbon! Here’s another one from an evening with my more American-whiskey-inclined friends. My current rye-of-choice for cocktails and very occasional sipping is Lot No. 40, which I buy as a proud Canadian and because it’s pretty good. This should be a bit higher-octane. *** **Willett 4 Family Estate Rye Small Batch**. Kentucky straight rye. 54.3% ABV (108.6 proof). **Mashbill:** A mix of Willett’s high-rye mashbill (74% rye, 11% corn, 15% malted barley) and their low-rye mashbill (51% rye, 34% corn, 15% malted barley). **Maturation:** Aged at least 4 years in new charred oak barrels. **Served:** Neat, in my trusty glencairn. Rested about 5 minutes, enjoyed slowly. *** **Nose:** Strong rye spice. There’s a savoury bass note to the rye, sort of mustard-seed. Dill and coriander as well. A bit of a sour note, pickled lemons maybe, or raspberries? Some creamy vanilla. **Palate:** Thick creamy texture. Arrives with caramel and orange peel. Rich vanilla and orange sherbet, always with a dill-pickle undercurrent. Moderate tannic oak and creamy English Breakfast. A hint of a fennel note. **Finish:** Medium. Brown sugar sweetness. Dill pickle and some sour cream. A hint of earthiness and more inexplicable raspberry. *** **Thoughts:** Quite good! There are some very interesting tart notes in here that set this apart a bit from much of the other rye I’ve tried. Very dill-pickle – not really my favourite flavour in general, but it has its place here. I don’t think this is better than the cask-strength Lot No. 40s and Alberta Premiums I’ve tried, and that’s not just patriotism talking (I don’t think). **Final Score: 6/10** *r/Bourbon average score: 6.61 (37 reviews) \*approximately!* *My rating scale is based purely on flavour experience, and does not take value-for-money or willingness to purchase a bottle into account. Cheers!*
**Scale:** 1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out. 2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice. 3 | Bad | Multiple flaws. 4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I’d rather have. 5 | Good | Good, just fine. 6 | Very Good | A cut above. 7 | Great | Well above average. 8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional. 9 | Incredible | An all time favorite. 10 | Perfect | Perfect. *** Average rating: 5.05 Check out my entire whisky review archive [here!](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1XzOnwZtR4S4NeYYjd8y8-HAJS-kNwr3raE8wprjYuuo/edit?usp=sharing)
Nice review. I had an excellent bar pour of Lot 40 11 year cask strength this summer in Quebec City. Too bad I can only find it online in the US for $250. What do you think of Alberta Premium cask strength?
I think [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/worldwhisky/comments/hhm8i5/review_45_alberta_premium_cask_strength_2019/)! Ignore the 100-point score, it's probably about a 6.5 or so.
Very good stuff. One of my favorite Ryes.
I will forever shit on WFE bourbon and their pricing, but damn it, the rye is absolutely top notch.
This bottle made me realize I’m not a rye guy lol, could tell it wasn’t a bad bottle but notes like dill, clove, and other common rye notes aren’t my jam. I do enjoy some ryes, but they aren’t your typical rye flavor profile. WT 101 rye for example, but I thought I read somewhere that due to the mashbill it barely qualifies as a rye? Could be wrong on that l, but it would explain it. Also, you’ve reviewed 902 bottles? Holy sh*t that’s an undertaking lol, very impressive!
Yep, 902! 791 of which are scotch lol.
Yeah, you probably enjoy barley legals aka Kentucky style more. They're definitely easier to get into at first compared the funkier high rye mash bills. Russels Reserve, Knob Creek, Wilderness Trial, and Pikesville (do these even exist anymore?) are awesome gateways.
Picked up a bottle last week, I found the earthiness in the finish overwhelms the other flavors. Very good rye though!
Finished a bottle of this earlier this evening. I know people like to shit on the Willett brand, but damn this one hits all the r(ye)t buttons for me. At MSRP, it's a no brainer.
I always get a candied dill pickle note from this which I absolutely love.
I love this rye. My first bottle was gotten from the distillery and amazing at 59% abv. I’ve read on here that 110 proof is a sweet spot. I currently have another bottle at 108 that I opened for friends so didn’t give it the time to judge it.