Willett Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky 

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Family Estate Single Barrel Rye Whiskey 

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Barrel: 9687

Age: 7 years, 9 months  

Bottled at: Cask Strength 53.3% abv

Barrel Yield: 219 / 700ml bottles

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"Step Brothers Barrel"

Selected by Whiskey Hunt Australia and Barrel & Batch Whisky Co-op 

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Be it friends or even strangers sharing a dram or distilleries giving each other a helping hand, whiskey has a way of bringing people together.  This single barrel is no different.  Whiskey Hunt Australia and Barrel & Batch Whiskey Co-op  have teamed up to grab a rare barrel from a brand that can be very hard to find in these parts.

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When Willett confirmed they had secured access to only one rye barrel for Australia, Ray & Brock thought this would be the perfect opportunity for an epic collaboration between Barrel & Batch and Whiskey Hunt Australia! 

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The Willett family have whiskey roots that stretch back to the late 1600s where they made what was known as a ‘Maryland Rye’ style of whiskey in Prince George County, Maryland.

 

William Willett Jr. moved the family to Nelson County, Kentucky in 1792, the same year that the Commonwealth of Kentucky achieved statehood. Many family members worked in and around distilling until ground was broken in 1936 on their very own Willett Distillery just outside of Bardstown.

 

They thrived and struggled through the ups and downs of the whiskey business and after being mothballed for a period the Willett Distilling Company started production back up again at their own distillery in 2012.

 

True to their Maryland roots they have been making rye as well as bourbon since re-opening only now it comes with the ‘Kentucky Straight Rye’ designation.

 

Their Willett Family Estate Rye is an annual release put together in small batches from four year old barrels and hand bottled at barrel strength. It’s a delicious whiskey in it’s own right with flavours such as brandied cherries, cinnamon, baking spices, toasted vanilla and a hint of oak all apparent.

 

This exclusive release for Barrel & Batch and Whiskey Hunt Australia members is something else entirely. Still hand bottled at barrel strength it is drawn from a single barrel of seven year old rye.

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Learn more about Willett Distillery

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Don't forget to checkout Barrel & Batch Whiskey Co-op site. Like us, they’re always sourcing new and interesting whiskey to enjoy.

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