Willett Family Estate 15 Year Single Barrel Bourbon #4242 113.6 Proof 750ml (Parlor Room Pick)

Barrel #4242 at 113.6 proof after fifteen years — a Willett Family Estate single barrel from the sourced era, picked at Willett in the same session that produced Brook Hill barrel #7005 for The Parlor Room in Bardstown.

Willett did not resume distilling at Bardstown until 2012, so fifteen-year stock under the Family Estate label was bought as mature bourbon from another Kentucky producer and chosen by Willett for individual bottling. The distillery of origin is not named on the bottle, and attributing one without documentation would be guesswork.

What is documented is the pick itself. Drew and Pablo hosted the private barrel experience at Willett for The Parlor Room, and #4242 came out of that same session alongside the fifteen-year Brook Hill barrel. Two barrels, one afternoon — which is why collectors who hold one tend to want the other.

At 56.8% ABV the proof sits moderate for the age, so the oak and dried fruit of fifteen years sit forward rather than behind a wall of alcohol.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Deep caramel, vanilla bean, dark fruit, aged oak and warm baking spice.
• Palate: Rich and concentrated — brown sugar, vanilla, dark cherry, toffee and seasoned oak with layers of cinnamon and spice.
• Finish: Long and warming, with lingering caramel, vanilla, mature oak, dark fruit and baking spice.

Specs

• Brand: Willett Family Estate
• Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Release: Single barrel, private selection
• Age: 15 years
• Barrel: #4242
• Proof: 113.6 (56.8% ABV)
• Selected for: The Parlor Room, Bardstown, Kentucky — hosted by Drew & Pablo
• Origin: Sourced Kentucky bourbon — not distilled by Willett
• Bottled by: Willett Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky
• Size: 750ml

Explore the full Willett collection or browse all bourbon at Wooden Cork.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the connection to Brook Hill barrel #7005? Both barrels were chosen in the same private picking session at Willett for The Parlor Room in Bardstown, hosted by Drew and Pablo. They are separate whiskeys from separate casks — the link is provenance, not contents — but a matched pair from one session carries weight with collectors who track picks.
• Did Willett distil barrel #4242? No. Willett's own distillation restarted in 2012, so a fifteen-year Family Estate bottling came from another Kentucky producer and was selected by Willett. The bottle doesn't identify the distillery and we won't attribute one without documentation.
• How does 113.6 proof compare across the sourced Willett barrels? It's mid-range. The sourced Family Estate releases run from the mid 110s into the high 120s depending on where each cask aged — humid warehouse positions pull proof down over time, dry ones push it up. At fifteen years, 113.6 points to a cooler, damper spot.