Willet 21 year?

[Hershmeister]

Just was informed by my local store that Willet 21 is in stock at $175!!!

Last one I bought a few years ago was great but only @120

Thoughts on this new release. Seems pretty hard that it can live up to that price point?

[jburlowski]

What market are you referring to?

[LikeItWasSodaPop]

These are single barrel offerings, bro, so which one are you talking about?

What store ... barrel #, abv, etc. could at least point us in a direction.

Yes, $175 is a lot. I did spring for a Party Source bottle that's around $150 but I trust Jay's selections. Some do, some don't.

The particular Willett you're talking about could be from any number of distilleries ... who knows.

[Hershmeister]

Nashville

I have not seen the label yet

[trumpstylz]

What are the thoughts on the PS 21 year? anyone try it?

[LikeItWasSodaPop]

Underwhelmed on first tastes. But of course, first tastes can be deceiving. I'll give it some air and check in later.

[HP12]

Any thoughts on the recent Willett 21yo private barrel offered from K&L?

[birdman1099]

Any thoughts on the recent Willett 21yo private barrel offered from K&L?

[Tico]

Why dont you open yours and let us know...

[HP12]

Why dont you open yours and let us know...

[MrAtomic]

Any thoughts on the recent Willett 21yo private barrel offered from K&L?

Edited July 4, 2012 by MrAtomic

[HP12]

Seems like at least several people snagged a bottle of the K&L 21 YO Willett (advertised as S-W whiskey), but nobody's actually drinking it?

For those of you holding a bottle of this bourbon, I'd suggest getting to it. It's very dense, dark stuff that seems to need some time to breathe after popping the cork. Immediately after cracking it open, there's almost no nose at all. As far as I can tell, the sweet, maple/vanilla S-W aromas simply aren't there. The taste is similarly atypical, with much more clove, nutmeg, and orange than I'm used to in an S-W bourbon. The finish is much more familiar, and significantly less dry than JPS 17, PVW 20 or the "A" bottling of PVW 23 (I'm working off years-old taste memories here). Overall, the freshly-opened bottle is more about spice flavors than the sweetness I typically associate with wheaters. Without added water at 53.5% it's very rich and enjoyable. I'm curious to see if more of the traditional S-W sweetness surfaces after the whiskey has a chance to open up, but even if this bourbon stays as-is, I like it a lot. It seems younger, in a good way, and much more complex than the PVW 20 and 23 I've tasted in the past few years, both of which struck me as pretty tired and dry.

I compared this to some TPS 21 YO Willett that's been open for 2-3 weeks, and the K&L Willett -- even from a freshly-cracked bottle -- is more complex, thicker, and interesting. There's nothing very intriguing in the TPS Willett; no heavy wood, no defining characteristics. It's definitely very elegant, smooth, extra-aged whiskey, but nothing about it shouts "I'M OLD AND UNPREDICTABLE" like, say, Elijah Craig 18 (and I really like EC 18). The K&L bottle is full of big citrus and spice notes and has a very smooth, sweet finish.

If you've got a bottle of the K&L Willett 21 or the TPS Willett 21 (or another version) -- please, open it up and let us know what you think.

[Tico]

Very cool, thanks for the note Atomic!

[MrAtomic]

Very enjoyable first notes on this one Paul. After reading the description on K&L, they had mentioned that it really opened up after several days/weeks of cracking the bottle. Sounds like your experience is leading down the same road.

Once I get my fellow brethren who also purchased a bottle together for a celebratory "cracking 'O the bottle" and initial tasting, I'll post my review here as well as some follow-up notes during the coming weeks, post opening (as I hope you will too).

Thanks very much, and I really look forward to your thoughts on this very interesting bottle. I'm quite sure you'll have a lot of fun tasting and discussing it with your friends. I also appreciate you noting that the K&L staff thought this bottle needed some time to open up. I'll be enjoying mine over the next few weeks and will note what changes. I'll post some follow-up thoughts.

[wine65]

I'm not too much into posting tasting notes but here goes. I opened a bottle of K&L Willet 21 year recently, it was cut to 95% as I generally prefer my whiskeys at that proof. I get a bit of spice upfront some sweetness throughout then burnt carmel, wood and spice in the finish. I find it to be a very nice with moderate complexity, a well balanced older bourbon.

Steve

[HP12]

Nose: Cocoa, caramel, low alcohol, fruity after some time in glass, still a bit tight.

Palate: Cocoa notes carry thru from nose, not as much caramel but a sophisticated sweetness; mild oak mid palate, thin-ish viscosity, some candy bar hints. Flavors seem tight as experienced in the nose.

Finish: Very well balanced, long enjoyable finish. Oak mingles very well with the sweetness of the juice.

Balance: A super smooth sipper, easy bottle to kill quickly. Not acting like a 21yo. Thinking this wheater will open up nicely over the coming weeks which was also communicated in the K&L tasting notes. A very enjoyable pour with no regrets buying this one. Looking forward to see how time works this one out.

[MrAtomic]

Not acting like a 21yo.

HP12, I really agree with this observation. The K&L Willett 21 drinks like a younger bourbon, and I mean that as a compliment. It's complex without being heavy. Thanks to you and Wine65 for sharing your thoughts. As you say, it'll be fun to see how this one changes over the next couple of months.

I also think the current Party Source Willett 21 is particularly bright and tasty for such an old bourbon. It took me quite a while to come around on this one, as I initially thought it was too straightforward to justify its price. The more I drink it, though, the more impressed I am that it was smoothed, rather than dulled by age. There's still lots of nice rye spice. Would I spend $150 on another... probably not, but I'll enjoy the hell out of what's left in the bottle.

Edited July 26, 2012 by MrAtomic
forgot something

[HP12]

Getting ready for another taste this week, one month after the initial sampling.

[HP12]

Revisited this one last night with a fellow enthusiast and we both agreed this is a gem. One month after the initial tasting, the nose and palate have opened up more. One flaw we experienced during the initial tasting was the thin mouth feel. Well, the 21yo thickened up nicely after a month of air.

This expression has a lot of notes to pull out. Give it time in the glass, play with it and pick thru it. This special whiskey will reveal some awesome tasting experiences. Looking forward to another "taste test" in 2-3 months. Until then, I'm just letting it open up and do it's thing.

[icehocey77]

worth a shot, however small, but doesn't anyone have any info on Barrel #4131 of Willet 21? It produced 123 bottles. Thanks.