Some controversy with Lincoln Road's most recent Willett release

[CUfan99]

32 minutes ago, smokinjoe said:

Of course, Willett could have simply said, As long as your check clears, I don’t care what you do with it after you buy it.  Use it for target practice with your .22 for all I care.  

I doubt they’d be cool with them being dumped, filled with piss, waxed top, and sold for $1200 a bottle with a WFE label. Not saying that happened but...

[smokinjoe]

1 hour ago, CUfan99 said:

I doubt they’d be cool with them being dumped, filled with piss, waxed top, and sold for $1200 a bottle with a WFE label. Not saying that happened but...

Well, then it would be good sipping rum...  

[ThirstyinOhio]

7 hours ago, GTStagg said:

Even if I was a massive Willett fanboy(which I am not) and money was not an object, I would not even be tempted to buy a bottle. Why would someone put the labor and expense into removing the seals and waxing knowing full well that this would turn off potential buyers? It makes no sense to me. The only possible reason I can think of is to make it difficult for someone to flip them. I don't care how good someone's reputation is, I would have to personally watch them remove the seal and wax the bottle in front of me.

I am a Willett fanboy and have a pretty good Bourbon budget but I too have zero interest in this bottle.  I've bought a lot of bottles from LR, including flying down last year for a multi bottle release, but tampering with a factory seal is where I draw the line with anyone.

Edited March 3, 2020 by ThirstyinOhio

[PaulO]

This is one of the more bizarre stories I've seen on the site.

The only reason to break the seal should be to open the bottle and start drinking it.

I suspect the target market for these is people who won't open it.  The wax is probably supposed to protect it indefinitely.  Show it off like a Picasso painting or Ming vase.  Willett and some of their fans seem to operate in an alternative reality where norms and common sense don;t apply.  The barrel in question was no doubt sourced from one of Kentucky's major distilleries.  It's not like the gods rolled a barrels down from Mount Olympus.

I could be wrong.  Maybe the liquor store people or someone who has tasted it can set the record straight.  $1200 

[kcgumbohead]

I thought this was bad enough when I only read far enough to know about the factory seal removal/wax application, then I saw the price post!!  No store regardless of reputation should ever tamper with a factory seal, that's just common sense and if they or any group what have you did/does this, its a deal killer for me. Now if they had waxed OVER the factory seal, it would be tacky but I might consider it, doubtful, but I might. 1200?? ahh, no F'n way.

 

That is all on the store, regarding Willett. I am far from versed in their pricing history. I am well aware of them and the mania surrounding them but I have happily stayed away supporting distilleries that "roll their own". I do have a Willett 4YR rye I picked up last year now that thier own distillate is coming to market and while not Ritt level pricing, its in line with New Riff, Wilderness trail and Dads Hat to name a few, all also bottles I own at a similar price point and all distilled by their respective distilleries.  I don't have a beef with their pricing as it is in line with other newer distillers. That doesn't mean I would like them to price more like Rittenhouse,but I can't fault them for it relative to comparable operations.

 

 

[Kepler]

In some places I'd think you could lose your liquor license for this kind of thing.

[Mattk]

9 hours ago, kcgumbohead said:

I thought this was bad enough when I only read far enough to know about the factory seal removal/wax application, then I saw the price post!!  No store regardless of reputation should ever tamper with a factory seal, that's just common sense and if they or any group what have you did/does this, its a deal killer for me. Now if they had waxed OVER the factory seal, it would be tacky but I might consider it, doubtful, but I might. 1200?? ahh, no F'n way.

 

That is all on the store, regarding Willett. I am far from versed in their pricing history. I am well aware of them and the mania surrounding them but I have happily stayed away supporting distilleries that "roll their own". I do have a Willett 4YR rye I picked up last year now that thier own distillate is coming to market and while not Ritt level pricing, its in line with New Riff, Wilderness trail and Dads Hat to name a few, all also bottles I own at a similar price point and all distilled by their respective distilleries.  I don't have a beef with their pricing as it is in line with other newer distillers. That doesn't mean I would like them to price more like Rittenhouse,but I can't fault them for it relative to comparable operations.

 

 

That wilderness trail rye was truly good this year. I can't wait to see what an older product holds. It may be my favorite bottle of 2019.