Willett Distillery

This is the new Willett Family Estate Small Batch Bourbon that's finally showing up on the West Coast. Warm caramel and cornbread lead, backed by vanilla cream and orange peel. Clove and cracked pepper rise on the mid-palate with a little mint from the rye. The texture is supple, not syrupy, and the finish runs smooth and steady with toasted oak and baking spice that hang around without turning hot.

Two house mash bills, one corn heavy and one rye heavy, are blended to stack sweetness and spice in layers you can taste. Bottling proof changes by batch at the distiller's call, which keeps the heat dialed to the flavor. Small batch focus shows here, bright and lively but balanced, a bourbon for weeknights and the friends who ask for a real pour.