{"product_id":"willettfamilyestaterarerelease-leon-son-10yearoldstraightbourbonwhiskey-kentucky-45862","title":"WillettFamilyEstateRareRelease‘Leon\u0026Son’10YearOldStraightBourbonWhiskey,Kentucky,USA#12474","description":"\u0026lt;p\u0026gt;About Willett Family Estate Rare Release ‘Leon \u0026amp; Son 10×10 tnb’ 10 Year Old Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Kentucky, USA #12474:\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u0026lt;p\u0026gt;In Bardstown, Chris Leon tasted through ten-year barrels with Master Distiller Drew Kulsveen, moving lot by lot in Rickhouse I before choosing a single cask that wouldn’t let go. Barrel 12474 (Lot 15-E-04) showed the longest, most compelling finish—picked on site and bottled at full strength.\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u0026lt;p\u0026gt;Technical details\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u0026lt;ul\u0026gt;\u0026lt;li\u0026gt;\u0026lt;p\u0026gt;Barrel: #12474\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/li\u0026gt;\u0026lt;li\u0026gt;\u0026lt;p\u0026gt;Lot: 15-E-04\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/li\u0026gt;\u0026lt;li\u0026gt;\u0026lt;p\u0026gt;Age: 10 years\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/li\u0026gt;\u0026lt;li\u0026gt;\u0026lt;p\u0026gt;Mash bill (historic): 72% corn \/ 13% Rye \/ 15% malted barley\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/li\u0026gt;\u0026lt;li\u0026gt;\u0026lt;p\u0026gt;Cooperage \/ Char: Independent Stave, Char #4 (“alligator” char)\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/li\u0026gt;\u0026lt;li\u0026gt;\u0026lt;p\u0026gt;Rickhouse \/ Floor: I \/ 1 (lower floor; slow, cool maturation)\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/li\u0026gt;\u0026lt;li\u0026gt;\u0026lt;p\u0026gt;Style: Barrel Proof, uncut and typically unchill-filtered\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/li\u0026gt;\u0026lt;li\u0026gt;\u0026lt;p\u0026gt;Proof\/ABV: Final bottling proof as printed on label\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/li\u0026gt;\u0026lt;li\u0026gt;\u0026lt;p\u0026gt;Release name: Willett Family Estate Rare Release ‘Leon \u0026amp; Son 10×10 tnb’\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/li\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/ul\u0026gt;\u0026lt;p\u0026gt;From Chris: \u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u0026lt;p\u0026gt;\u0026lt;p\u0026gt;Drew pulled an intentionally diverse set of rare 10-year bourbon samples. Two-thirds of the samples were from their historic mashbill (72% Corn, 13% Rye, 15% Barley); one-third from a more wheated blend ( 65% Corn, 20% Wheat 15% Barley). All raised in new, American oak from Independent Stave (Char #4, ‘alligator’ char) for a decade. Across the table, four distinct distillation lots were represented. Every sample came from Rickhouse “I,” Floor 1, and was barrel proof.\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u0026lt;p\u0026gt;Everything we tasted was excellent and, frankly, far more unique from one another then I could have imagined. The most common thread was actually within the lots themselves. \u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u0026lt;p\u0026gt;Historic mash bill (four barrels across three lots)\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u0026lt;ul\u0026gt;\u0026lt;li\u0026gt;\u0026lt;p\u0026gt;Lot 15-H-05 — Barrel 13268\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/li\u0026gt;\u0026lt;li\u0026gt;\u0026lt;p\u0026gt;Lot 15-E-12 — Barrel 12585\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/li\u0026gt;\u0026lt;li\u0026gt;\u0026lt;p\u0026gt;Lot 15-E-04 — Barrel 12463\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/li\u0026gt;\u0026lt;li\u0026gt;\u0026lt;p\u0026gt;Lot 15-E-04 — Barrel 12474\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/li\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/ul\u0026gt;\u0026lt;p\u0026gt;Wheated mash bill (two barrels from one lot)\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u0026lt;ul\u0026gt;\u0026lt;li\u0026gt;\u0026lt;p\u0026gt;Lot 15-D-23 — Barrel 12318\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/li\u0026gt;\u0026lt;li\u0026gt;\u0026lt;p\u0026gt;Lot 15-D-23 — Barrel 12313\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/li\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/ul\u0026gt;\u0026lt;p\u0026gt;I tasted each one multiple times. I loved the immediacy of the wheated barrels, but I kept getting pulled back by the power and length of the historic (corn-heavy) mash bill. Both 15-H-05 (13268) and 15-E-12 (12585) showed sandalwood and white spice; the two 15-E-04 barrels were more exotic and richly textured. Those were the two I couldn’t stop returning to.\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u0026lt;p\u0026gt;To taste spirits fully, unlike wine, you eventually have to stop spitting. The alcohol overwhelms the finish of any taste when you spit. For the final decision, when I narrowed the choice down to Barrel12463 and 12474 (both 15-E-04), I tasted them again. Without spitting. \u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u0026lt;p\u0026gt;Both of these were stunning; textured, heady bourbons with flavors of bruleed citrus, smoked toffee with waves of deeply cooked warming spices. But, once I swallowed 12474, I knew it was our barrel. Those intense flavors only grew more profound seconds, even minutes, after tasting. \u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u0026lt;p\u0026gt;A second sip confirmed it—this is unequivocally our whiskey. This barrel did what the best wines do: it pushed a tasting from a spectrum of flavors into a full sensory experience, providing that rare sip you taste for minutes and think about for days. Barrel 12474 is truly that special. It’s our 10-year barrel-proof bourbon, and I couldn’t be more proud—or more excited—to have our name on the back label.\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u0026lt;p\u0026gt;The barrel is being bottled on the last week of September (2025) and will be in the Brooklyn store in October (2025).\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45134034501814,"sku":"45862","price":113.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0727\/1251\/9862\/files\/willettfamilyestaterarerelease_45862_01_ba305c97_a817fd84-735d-4d11-bda9-167b64edb693.jpg?v=1779194927","url":"https:\/\/noblebottle.com\/products\/willettfamilyestaterarerelease-leon-son-10yearoldstraightbourbonwhiskey-kentucky-45862","provider":"noblebottle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}