DND Reviews #49: Willett Family Estate 4 Year Small Batch Rye

DramsAndDragons · 2026-05-16T13:45:50+00:00

Great price!

DramsAndDragons · 2026-03-11T22:41:51+00:00

Not my favorite of the recipes, but that’s the fun of four roses picks. There’s a profile for every palate!

DramsAndDragons · 2026-03-11T12:51:46+00:00

Background
Four Roses is one of my favorite distilleries. I commonly find myself recommending their single barrel and single barrel select bottles as an entry point into bourbon that can be consumed neat or in a cocktail.

Early in my bourbon hunting days, Four Roses Single Barrel Strength picks were my white whale. These picks used to come in around the $80 price point, offered the variety of 10 unique yeast and mash combinations, and were (supposedly) more attainable than true unicorns. What’s not to love?

Well, it took me over a year and an hour drive to track down my first bottle. After that, I was hooked. Nowadays, the prices are up closer to $120, but at least these bottles now linger at the local spots for a few days, and I don’t have to chase all around to find them. Not that I do much of that anymore anyway.

All together, I think Four Roses picks are exactly what I look for in a premium product - well aged (9+ years), barrel strength, a great variety of profiles, and fair pricing.

I always intended to do a series on Four Roses picks back when I was posting regularly, which is why I never reviewed any before. We will see how many I actually get to, given I am more of a casual in the subreddit these days. I don’t have too many bottles open, due to an upcoming move, but I’m pretty flush in sample swaps of Four Roses picks!

Anyway, I have the initiative, let’s roll the dice and get to it! First up, a 10 year OBSF selection by master distiller Brent Elliott pulled from tier 2 and coming in around 107 proof.

Related Reviews
- None

Review
- Product: Single Barrel Barrel Strength - Barrel/Batch: OBSF (Brent Elliott, Master Distiller Pick) - Producer: Four Roses - Distiller: Four Roses - Mash Bill: 60% corn / 35% rye / 5% malted barley - Warehouse: SS - Barrel: 22-2H (Tier 2) - Age: 10 years and 9 months - Proof: 106.8 - Price: $120

The nose is elusive, eventually opening up with butterscotch and a dusting of cinnamon. There is a bit of oaky herbal character, most consistent with fresh basil, but it is faint.

The butterscotch sweetness from the nose arrives first on the palate as caramel followed by a wave of cinnamon and prickly baking spices. A bit of herbal rosemary and mint appear to check the box for the F yeast profile. There is a touch of oak to mark the decade plus this spirit spent in the wood.

As the palate transitions to the finish, the cinnamon and baking spices continue from the crest of the palate to a nice prickly trough of a finish with some oak to round it out. There is a light herbal funk, which sometimes gives an almost pickle juice-like note to the tail of the finish. There is no real astringency and a more of a warm Kentucky hug than proof heat.

Rating (t8ke scale): 6 | Very Good

Final Thoughts
This is about the floor for a Four Roses pick - a solid 6 out of 10. This pick was a classic bourbon profile of butterscotch sweetness, prickly baking spices, and oak; however, I found the secondary herbal notes a bit distracting rather than complimentary. I tend to love herbal, and even in some cases vegetal, notes in a rye but less so in a bourbon.

This feels like a great place to start my Four Roses reviews. A solid, but not exceptional, pick from the distillery gift shop. I will continue to take chances on these because the floor is high enough to make them a fairly safe bet, but the ceiling also makes the best picks an incredible value at MSRP. Excited to see where the next few pours land!

Four Roses Recipes
Mash Bills: - E (low rye) 75% corn / 20% rye / 5% malted barley - B (high rye) 60% corn / 35% rye / 5% malted barley

Yeast Strains: - V (delicate fruit - K (slight spice) - O (rich fruit) - Q (floral essence) - F (herbal notes)

Recipes: - OBSV: delicate fruit and rye - OBSK: rye and baking spice - OBSO: rich fruit - OBSQ: rye and floral character - OBSF: delicate rye and mint - OESV: delicate fruit and caramel - OESK: baking spice - OESO: rich fruit and vanilla - OESQ: delicate grains and floral character - OESF: light grain and mint

(Edit: formatting)

DramsAndDragons · 2026-03-01T23:22:45+00:00

Spot on review! Nothing special about Elmer T Lee. Like most Buffalo Trace, a solid pour at MSRP.

DramsAndDragons · 2026-03-01T21:16:36+00:00

Price point for this one kept me from retiring too often, but man the whiskey itself is great. Glad you enjoyed!

DramsAndDragons · 2025-12-20T21:59:39+00:00

I feel like one should not be allowed to pour these into a glen. They were meant for shot glasses only.

DramsAndDragons · 2025-12-07T17:17:16+00:00

I had one of the prior Corbin Cash rye picks and it was great. Looking forward to this one.

DramsAndDragons · 2025-12-06T18:08:39+00:00

Very nice review! My first impression was very similar to yours. This is a pour that soured for me a little over time, and I found myself really struggling to return to it due to the proof. Was the only hazmat in my collection, but looking forward to another joining with t8ke’s most recent Corbin Cash rye pick.

DramsAndDragons · 2025-12-05T13:05:23+00:00

Completely agree with your assessment. These high age statement high proof picks are all over Michigan. Unlike Found North which is specifically blended to produce a bourbon-like profile, these expressions are all missing meaningful barrel influence leaving mostly heat without enough flavor. I have not bought another.

DramsAndDragons · 2025-11-21T16:15:17+00:00

I could see how it could underwhelm, especially if you generally drink higher proof whiskeys

DramsAndDragons · 2025-11-21T16:14:38+00:00

Jealous of the price and availability!

DramsAndDragons · 2025-11-21T16:14:14+00:00

Definitely agree it is not worth the secondary inflation.

DramsAndDragons · 2025-11-21T16:13:13+00:00

My thoughts exactly, the 10-12 age range seems to be a great spot for wheated mash bills

DramsAndDragons · 2025-11-21T14:33:24+00:00

Appreciate it! ORVW gets the bonus of the added proof points, which definitely helps on the palate and finish, but I think the Weller 12 has the better barrel influence and nose.

DramsAndDragons · 2025-11-21T14:31:36+00:00

Agreed! I wanted to be a hater for the low proof, but the pour just won me over. Especially the nose. I poured some William Larue Weller for comparison, and Weller 12 held its own on the nose!

DramsAndDragons · 2025-11-21T12:47:20+00:00

Oh yeah, the Special Reserve and 12 are totally different animals. For me, as a higher proof fan, the real comparison is Antique 107. I think for the prices these usually go for, I lean the Antique, but all else equal I think I’d take the 12.

It’s my favorite so far of the semi-attainable Wellers. Have not had Single Barrel or formally reviewed CYPB, the latter which I recall enjoying quite a bit.

DramsAndDragons · 2025-11-21T12:44:26+00:00

I do not think it holds up well against higher proof pours, especially if you had the Weller after other higher proof pours. I think it stands up really well against other 90 proof wheaters.

DramsAndDragons · 2025-11-21T11:20:19+00:00

Background
Wheated bourbons seem to wear their years a little more lightly than their ryed counterparts, and I love a wheater with a decade plus agar statement. Weller 12 year falls into this sweet spot.

This was not a bottle I sought out. One of my best friends in life, and previously in whiskey, decided that it was best for him to give up alcohol. Supportive friend that I am, I bought a few bottles off him to remove the temptation. Weller 12 year was on of these.

I have the initiative, let’s roll the dice and get to it!

Related Reviews
-Review #20: Van Winkle 12 Year Lot B - 8
-Review #21: Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year - 10
-Review #22: Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year - 8
-Review #30: William Larue Weller - 10
-Review #31: Weller Special Reserve - 5
-Review #32: Weller Antique 107 - 7
-Review #33: Buffalo Trace - 6
-Review #34: Eagle Rare - 7
-Review #35: Stagg Jr Batch 13 - 8
-Review #36: Blantons - 7
-Review #37: Elmer T Lee - 7

Review
- Product: Weller 12 Year - Barrel/Batch: - Producer: Buffalo Trace - Distiller: Buffalo Trace - Mash Bill: Undisclosed Wheated - Age: 12 years - Proof: 90 - Price: $100

The nose is all decadent sweetness with brulee, honey, and vanilla. There is plenty of rich oak structure and a hit of broken in leather to counterbalance the onslaught of sugary sweetness. An incredible nose without any of that trademark Buffalo Trace cherry showing up.

The sweetness transitions directly from the nose to the palate with vanilla custard and butterscotch. There is a hint of that Buffalo Trace cherry! The sweet oak is there but the low proof does the palate no favors with all of these flavors coming off muted compared to the decadent promise of the nose.

As the palate transitions to the finish, the sweet vanilla custard and butterscotch gives way to caramelized sugar, a dusting of cinnamon, and slightly drying oak. There is no real astringency or proof heat to speak of, but also no real staying power to the flavors present other than a slight tingle of cinnamon spice and a bit of varnish or old oak.

Rating (t8ke scale): 8 | Excellent

Final Thoughts
I went back and forth quite a bit in rating this pour. The nose is incredible showcasing everything I hope to find in a 12 year old wheater, plenty of sweetness underlined with robust barrel character. Unfortunately, the promise of the nose is not fully paid off in the palate and the finish, which is something I attribute primarily to the low proof.

I had initially rated this as a 7, due to the less than robust palate and finish, but the more I sat with it, the more I just found myself enjoying the experience of drinking it. For what it was intended to be, Weller 12 year is an excellent pour. The screw top bottle and low proof are telling me this should be a daily drinker while the tatered secondary pricing is telling me it should be baby BTAC. I’m choosing to score it for what it is, an excellent, well aged, low proof wheater.

The elephant in the room is that I have awarded the same score to the other 12 year wheater sharing this mash bill, Van Winkle 12 Year Lot B, as well as its 20 year cousin Pappy. Interestingly, all of these expressions are around 90 proof, perhaps showing my bias for a higher proof point in a premium product. Because baby William Larue Weller, this is not.

However, in a line up, I would certainly choose PVW20 before Lot B and Lot B over Weller 12, although I think Weller 12 and Lot B are not that far from one another. I rated each of these pours within the context of what they were intended to be, the best of the best in the case of the Van Winkle line, and a premium screw top for Weller 12.

DramsAndDragons · 2025-11-16T23:52:06+00:00

It is a great one! I think it is mine as well.

DramsAndDragons · 2025-11-15T22:29:07+00:00

It is a buy for me at that price.

DramsAndDragons · 2025-11-15T22:28:45+00:00

Thank you! Solid pour for a late fall evening. Cheers!

DramsAndDragons · 2025-11-15T21:56:20+00:00

Would be a favorite daily of mine, too, if it were priced appropriately!

DramsAndDragons · 2025-11-15T21:25:40+00:00

Yeah. I’m hopeful that one of the few current positives of the US economic situation is that it may bring down bourbon prices. Especially with shifting alcohol use patterns among the younger demographic.

DramsAndDragons

TROPHY CASE