A four year purple top Willett small batch… man, I never thought I’d see the day. This “Family Estate Bottled Small Batch” is a four year product, bottled at 126.6 proof. Not much else to say about this one, so let’s get into it.

Nose : This is… interesting. I do get a touch of ethanol and a bit of a grain forward vibe. This quickly dissipates and presents notes of orchard fruit (green apple?), a touch of citrus, and potentially the slightest sharpie note. Enjoyable overall, but nothing all too special.

Palate : The palate is better than the nose- I get the same orchard fruit and/or green apple note, a bit of lemon-like zest, and a hint of rye spice towards the end of the palate. All in all, not too complex, but for a 4 year product, this is good. Mouthfeel is quite nice and a surprising oiliness is present, given the age statement. Nothing about this is all that impressive, however.

MSRP : ~$60. I’ve seen this anywhere from $59.99 to $80 in stores, and about $115 on secondary.

Score : 5.5

The t8ke Scoring Scale :

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out

2 | Poor | I wouldn't consume by choice

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things l'd rather have

5 | Good | Good, just fine

6 | Very Good | A cut above

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect