Description
The Willett 4 Year Old Small Batch Bourbon is a Kentucky bourbon from the Willett Distillery, made from a blend of two family mash bills. It is a small-batch whiskey, meaning each batch is unique, and is bottled at a proof determined by the master distiller. It is characterized by a balanced profile of youthful energy and aged oak influence, with a distinct bottle design.
- Production: Small-batch, combining two different Willett family mash bills
- Age: 4 years
- Mash Bills: A blend of Willett’s high-rye and low-rye mash bills
- Proof: Bottling proof varies by batch, but it is bottled at a proof chosen by the master distiller
- Flavor profile: A combination of youthful vibrancy and aged complexity
- Packaging: Features a distinctive bottle design
Frequently asked questions about Willett 4 Year Small Batch Bourbon
Is this Willett’s own whiskey, or is it sourced?
This is Willett’s own distillate. That distinction matters historically: for decades Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, the Willett family company, was best known for selecting and bottling exceptional sourced barrels rather than distilling. They resumed distilling on site in 2012, and bottles like this one are the result of that stock finally reaching maturity. You are drinking the house’s own work, from their own stills at Bardstown.
Isn’t four years quite young for a bourbon?
It is young, and the bottle does not hide it — that is rather the point. Four years is the legal minimum for a bourbon to be sold without an age statement disclosure, and a whiskey bottled at exactly that age has nowhere to hide behind oak. What you get is a bright, high-toned, grain-forward pour with more assertiveness than polish. Whether you like it depends on whether you value refinement or vividness; a lot of experienced drinkers prefer the latter.
What does it taste like?
Expect corn sweetness up front, a distinctly floral and honeyed middle that is characteristic of the Willett house style, and a finish with more heat and pepper than the age would suggest. There is less of the heavy caramel and vanilla you get from long barrel contact and more of the raw spirit character. Give it ten minutes in the glass — it changes considerably as it opens.
How does it compare to Rowan’s Creek and Noah’s Mill?
All three come from the same Bardstown house. is the most elegant and restrained of the three, and the easiest to recommend to someone new to the range. is the biggest and hottest, bottled at a notably higher proof. This 4 Year sits between them in weight but is the youngest and most direct. Buying two of the three is the more interesting purchase than buying one twice.
Is Willett related to the Kentucky Bourbon Festival?
Willett is one of the distilleries in and around Bardstown that make the town the Bourbon Capital of the World and the natural home of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, which runs 10–13 September 2026 for its 35th year. Our guide to covers the Bardstown houses and includes a four-bottle flight you can run at home.
How should I drink it?
Neat, in a Glencairn, with a little time. At this age and proof, ice will flatten the floral character that is the most interesting thing about it. If you want to use it in a cocktail, its assertiveness makes it a better Old Fashioned base than a lot of softer, older bourbons — it survives sugar and bitters without disappearing. The rest of the range sits in our .
