Willett Family Estate Bottled "Skurnik Selection 2025" Single Barrel 14 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

This Willett Family Estate 14 Year Skurnik Selection carries that familiar purple-top mystique, but the glass tells a more precise story. Single barrel, cask strength, distilled and aged in Bardstown, then hand bottled at 58.3% ABV for Skurnik’s 2025 “Rare Release” program. High-rye mash shows through clearly, giving structure to the deep sweetness and long-aged oak.

The nose opens with dark caramel, vanilla bean, and polished oak drifting over cherry cobbler and orange oil. Give it a little air, and you’ll catch pipe tobacco, eucalyptus lozenge, and cinnamon stick, plus a faint roasted peanut shell note. It smells concentrated, almost syrupy, yet still bright at the edges.

On the palate, the whiskey lands thick and assertive, exactly what 116.6 proof promises. Toffee, burnt sugar crust, and cherry reduction lead before waves of citrus peel, clove, and black pepper roll through. Rye character pushes herbal mint, anise, and a touch of pine resin, threading through charred oak and a hint of cocoa. A splash of water teases out more orange marmalade, fudge, and toasted pecan while easing the initial heat.

The finish runs long, dry-leaning, and quietly layered. Sweet oak, cigar box, and baking spice sit at the center, with lingering cherry skin and cocoa dust around the edges. Pepper and menthol glow down the chest, then fade into a soft echo of caramel and seasoned wood. It feels built for slow evenings and small pours, not showy flights.

Nose: Dark caramel, vanilla bean, and seasoned oak rise first, followed by cherry cobbler, orange zest, and light pipe tobacco. Eucalyptus, cinnamon stick, and roasted peanut shell whisper underneath, giving the aroma a slightly nostalgic rickhouse feel.

Palate: Full-bodied and oily, it brings toffee, burnt sugar, and cherry reduction over citrus peel and sturdy rye spice.
Clove, black pepper, mint, anise, and a trace of pine resin weave through charred oak, cocoa, and toasted pecan.
Proof feels firm but controlled.

Finish: Long and satisfying, the finish leans into sweet oak, cigar box, and baking spice. Cocoa, cherry skin, and gentle menthol linger with drying tannin and a final flash of pepper.

This 14-year-old Willett loves rich, savory dishes with pronounced char.

Think bone-in ribeye with a hard sear, bourbon-glazed short ribs, or slow-smoked brisket with peppery bark.

On the cheese board, reach for aged Gouda, clothbound cheddar, or nutty Alpine styles that can match the bourbon’s depth.

For dessert, pecan pie, dark chocolate tart with orange zest, or burnt-sugar bread pudding all hook into its caramel, cocoa, and citrus notes.

It also works beautifully as a contemplative solo pour after a big meal, with nothing more than a glass of water nearby.