Willett Straight Rye Whiskey Rare Release 8YR #2871 750ml

Single barrel straight rye whiskey produced by Willett Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky • Bottled exclusively for Skurnik Wines & Spirits • Mash bill of 74% rye, 11% corn, and 15% malted barley • Produced with limestone-filtered, spring-fed water from a pond on the distillery estate • Sour mash fermented in stainless steel for approximately 3–5 days using a proprietary yeast strain • Twice distilled using an unspecified still regimen; Willett employs a column still made of copper and stainless steel and a Vendome copper pot still modeled after Willett’s original, patented pot still • Aged 8 years in new, char #4 American oak barrels from Independent Stave Company’s Kentucky cooperage • Barrel #2871 yielded 146 bottles • Non-chill filtered; bottled at a cask strength of 61.7% ABV

“The nose opens with vanilla and toasted oak, lifted by candied tropical fruit notes like pineapple and papaya alongside subtle black-tea herbs. The palate delivers bold rye spice wrapped in toffee and rich wood-sugar sweetness, balanced by fine tannins and continued tea-leaf complexity. The finish carries warming spice, dried tropical fruit, and gentle oak without any minty character. Overall, it’s a beautifully balanced 8-year Willett rye—slightly sweeter and more tropical-leaning while still grounded in a high-rye, spice-driven structure.”—Skurnik Whisk(e)y Portfolio