Wolves Whiskey X Willett 10 year aged Rye Whiskey 750ml

Wolves Whiskey uses a very hands-on methodical and slow approach to distill their own whiskey. The company states that “Master Distiller Marko Karakasevic creates a small batch (10 barrels) of distillate over a 10 day period, sleeping in four hour shifts so that he alone can make each cut, selecting “the heart of hearts” for double distillation in the small still.” Somewhat oddly, The Rye Project, Volume One doesn’t involve the use of whiskey distilled by Wolves Whiskey, instead this is a purely sourced blended rye that is a more common background in today’s market.

What does add a spark to this release is that two of the three whiskeys being used in the blend come from the Willett Distillery. Willett has certainly made a name for itself in the world of whiskey. A distillery with a storied past that regained popularity in the late 2000’s/early 2010’s thanks to the aged stock of whiskey that they slowly released into the marketplace. Today, these aged bourbons and rye command heavy dollars which has helped fund the company while their own distillate is slowly released and continues to age.

Willett is not a name you think of when it comes to collaborations involving blended whiskey from multiple distilleries. In fact, to my knowledge, this is one of the first collaborations they’ve done in recent years with another distillery’s whiskey being involved. While the resulting rye blend is certainly successful at what it sets out to be and will please rye lovers and chasers of the Willett brand, it’s the fact that Willett is even involved that makes this a unique rye. It’s a good reminder that uniqueness for a whiskey comes in all shapes and forms and isn’t always defined by just taste, grain, or wood type used.

A unique blend of effervescent scents mixes along with sweeter notes. Immediately noticeable are forest scents of evergreen and pine sap that are intertwined with hints of brown sugar and a cinnamon crust akin to what you’d find in a dutch apple pie. Rounding out the scents is a dollop of fresh rye grain and baking spice.

The nose provided an accurate preview of what was to come, as the midpoint of the sip reveals a great base of syrup flavors, brandied soaked raisins, light caramel, and butterscotch. These flavors are balanced out with white peppercorn, rye spice and light oak. The rye presents a great chewy mouthfeel that adds to the character of the palate. 

The finish transitions to a more traditional rye with oak and rye spice immediately being noticeable. White peppercorn and light leather pile on top to reinforce this point. As these flavors fade away you’re left with a rye spice that produces a crescendoing heat.