Last week, my girlfriend and I took a short vacation down to Bourbon County!  It was difficult to decide how to spend about two and a half days.  There are, of course, the big distilleries like Beam, Makers and Woodford.  Then there are the smaller distillers who, despite being founded last year, amazingly have a century-plus of rich distilling history.  All marketing and historical research aside, we found Willett to be a wonderful combination of history, family ownership and authentic passion for the craft.  The tour guide was smart, genuine and clearly invested in what’s going on there.  She was also very candid about purchasing juice from other distillers to get their brands up and running until the Willet brand whiskies were ready for sale.  When we had a chance to buy some of the estate-bottled bottles, I had to pick up a bottle.  Since I was purchasing a lot of bourbon on the trip, I decided on the rye. The Setup: Neat, in a Willett Glencairn glass A - Boozy!  About what you’d expect from a 109 proof spirit. Pepper, clove and some nice nutty notes. T - Oak, pepper/clove come through, some dried fruit (maybe apricot), almond, brown sugar, a little chocolate F - Spicy, medium-bodied, cools off really nicely with a bit of water F - Lingering, getting some brown sugar, graham and light oak V - If you can get your hands on it, buy it.  Worth it for a true small-batch, craft rye. The Bottom Line: This one is a real treat.  If you are in the area, Willett is a must-visit and treat yourself to some of the Willett brand bottles.  This is a delicious rye that I look forward to trying in a nice Manhattan, and enjoying it quite a bit neat or with a little splash of water in the meantime.