Willett Family Estate 15 Year Single Barrel Bourbon #1588 123.2 Proof 750ml

Barrel #1588 at 123.2 proof after fifteen years — a Willett Family Estate single barrel from the sourced era, still accompanied by its original matching presentation tube.

Willett did not resume distilling at its Bardstown plant until 2012, so a fifteen-year bourbon under the Family Estate label comes from mature stock Willett bought and selected rather than made. That selection role is what the early Family Estate program was: buying barrels from Kentucky producers, tasting through them, and bottling the exceptional ones individually at full strength.

The distillery of origin is not named on the bottle, and attributing one without documentation would be guesswork. What the handwritten barrel information does record is concrete: Barrel No. 1588, fifteen years in a hand-selected white oak barrel, bottled at 61.6% ABV.

The bottle carries the classic Family Estate presentation — the tall bottle, cream label, family crest and purple wax closure — and comes with the original matching Willett presentation tube, which is frequently missing on bottles of this age.

Tasting Profile

Deep caramel and vanilla layered with mature oak, dark fruit and baking spice, with leather and tobacco behind them; full-bodied and concentrated on the palate, closing long and warm. Single-barrel whiskey varies cask to cask, so this reflects what the age and proof are known for rather than notes taken from this bottle.

Specs

• Brand: Willett Family Estate
• Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Release: Single barrel
• Age: 15 years
• Barrel: #1588, hand-selected white oak
• Proof: 123.2 (61.6% ABV)
• Origin: Sourced Kentucky bourbon — not distilled by Willett
• Selected and bottled by: Willett, Bardstown, Kentucky
• Packaging: Original Willett presentation tube included
• Size: 750ml

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

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is this Willett's own distillate? No. Willett restarted distillation in 2012, so fifteen-year stock under the Family Estate label was sourced from another Kentucky producer and selected by Willett. The bottle doesn't name the distillery and we won't attribute one without documentation.
• Does it come with the original tube? Yes — the matching Willett presentation tube is included. Tubes are separated from bottles often enough over fifteen-plus years that an intact pairing carries real weight with collectors.
• What does 123.2 proof mean for a fifteen-year bourbon? That the barrel lost more water than alcohol as it aged, which tends to happen in warmer, drier warehouse positions. High proof on long-aged stock means concentrated oak and fruit rather than a diluted, tired barrel — it's usually a good sign, not just a strong one.