Review #563 - Willett 8 Year Wheated Bourbon
In 2022, Willett introduced a new wheated bourbon product with an 8 year age statement. It arrived in a new style of bottle - a sleek, opaque black bottle - and solid a strength of 54% ABV (108 proof). On the brand's website, they describe that this whisky was made using a mashbill of 65% corn, 20% wheat, and 15% malted barley; it also uses a barrel entry proof of 115, a bit lower than average for the industry.
Other than the popularity of Willett products, one of the reasons that this bottle grabbed headlines was its price: a MSRP around $250, which seems a bit crazy for an 8 year old bourbon, even if it is from a distillery with a lot of history. How does this wheated bourbon measure up to that price tag?
Willett 8 Year Wheated Bourbon
USA - Bourbon
MSRP: USD 250 (2025)
Available Price: USD 160 (2025)
Age Statement: 8 Years
Strength: 54% ABV
Details: Not chill filtered
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle 70% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a nosing glass, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: On the sweet side, with some vanilla and honey, a bit of soft oak. There's soft wood spice, too, and then a bit of grain comes forward; with air time, hints of sweet tobacco arrive, too.
Palate: A medium thickness mouthfeel; sweet honey is the first flavor, and then some oak, stronger than it was on the nose. There's a distinct 'crafty' element to the oak and the way it's interacting with the spirit; then, we get some golden apple and vanilla. Grain grows stronger, and the complexion is light overall.
Finish: A bit tannic now with the oak, but also light flavors of vanilla and linen. Relatively balanced between the sweet and dry sides of the scale; wood notes continue to grow stronger, though they don't show too many 'old' bourbon characteristics, mostly tannins. It's a medium length finish.
Final Note: This wheated bourbon is okay; for us, there was this inescapable craft bourbon note, which was especially present on the palate. There are some classic wheated bourbon flavors like sweet vanilla, but the profile overall is quite simple; the oak also didn't show too much age, but instead seemed to add more and more tannins over time. Not a bad whisky, but nothing to write home about.
This is one of the rare instances where the market price or secondary price for a bottle is actually lower than the suggested retail price from the distillery; even at the lower price, though, value is still poor. We can't recommend buying this bottle unless you are getting a huge discount on the price.
Our Average Rating: 5.5 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating (MSRP): 3.49
Value Rating (Available Price): 4.05
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
