Willett Family Estate 14 Year (14Y 11M 24D) Sourced Single Barrel Bourbon #1177 "Penultimate" HI PROOF Selection 750ml
"Penultimate"
We named this barrel Penultimate for a reason. Sourced Willett Family Estate barrels are now down to a small, dwindling supply, and this may be our second-to-last chance to ever pick one, if we're lucky enough to get another at all. This bottle is a rare piece of a closing chapter.
Barrel #1177 entered the barrel on May 17, 2011 and was bottled on May 11, 2026, just six days shy of 15 years. Because Willett did not resume distilling at its Bardstown plant until 2012, this is sourced Kentucky bourbon from an undisclosed distillery, later brought to Willett to rest in the family's rickhouses and hand-selected by the HI PROOF team.
Its final home was the first floor of Warehouse E, North Rick 6, one of the cooler, steadier spots in the rickhouse. Yielding 171 bottles, more than most sourced Willett barrels of this age, it lost remarkably little to the angel's share over nearly 15 years, a clear sign of slow, patient maturation. Barrels aged this way keep the oak in check, allowing every flavor to come together in harmony.
Vanilla leads on the nose, bright and inviting. The palate is layered and polished, with the dark cherry that sourced Willett is known for unfolding into notes of cream soda and cherry cola, carried by a refined sweetness that only time can build. The sweetness takes center stage, with just a whisper of black pepper underneath to keep it from ever feeling one-dimensional, giving it a soft, rounded character reminiscent of a well-aged wheated bourbon. The oak provides quiet structure without ever masking the fruit. The finish is soft yet remarkably long. As the sweetness fades, notes of graham cracker and toasted malt linger on and on, with a hint of nuttiness in the background, and every element sits in near-perfect balance. Add a few drops of water and it blooms into pure honey.
This is what age should taste like: depth without heaviness, power without heat. Despite its 114.4 proof, it drinks with uncommon ease, the kind of bottle that disappears faster than you'd expect when shared with friends. Only 171 bottles were produced.
- Entry Date: May 17, 2011
- Bottled: May 11, 2026
- Age: 14 Years, 11 Months, 24 Days
- Barrel: #1177
- Warehouse: E, North Rick 6, Floor 1
- Proof: 114.4
- Bottles: 171
- Origin: Sourced Kentucky bourbon, undisclosed distillery
- Non-chill filtered, barrel proof