Willett Family Estate 4 Year Small Batch Rye is a handcrafted, cask-strength Kentucky straight rye whiskey that mimics the historic Maryland rye style. This exceptional rye combines two distinct mash bills: 90% rye (74% rye, 11% corn, 15% barley) and 10% rye (51% rye, 34% corn, 13% barley), commingled together to achieve a perfect balance of fruit and spice. Aged for four years in virgin American white oak barrels at 110 barrel entry proof, each small batch is bottled at cask strength, typically around 56-57% ABV (112-114 proof), with varying proofs between batches.

The whiskey delivers deep complexity with intense herbal, earthy, and citrusy qualities. On the nose, it presents licorice and honey with dark berries, anise, fennel, caraway seed, blood orange, hints of burnt bread crust, and dry tea leaves. The palate is packed with spicy and herbal sweetness featuring licorice, honey, fennel, roasted oak, cinnamon, vanilla, and citrus with hints of baked bread and mint. The finish is lightly herbal and sweet with honey, licorice, baked bread, mint, and oak tannins, fading into eucalyptus and mint with a sweet black tea character.

This is a premium rye whiskey from Willett Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky, made with their own distillate. Despite its young age, it offers remarkable maturity and richness, earning top ratings from whiskey enthusiasts. The unique dual-mash approach creates a rye that sits between MGP's tropical 95% rye and Buffalo Trace's less herbal 51% rye, with more dark fruit, lemon, fennel, and caraway seed character than typical ryes.