Willett Pure Kentucky XO Small Batch Bourbon (75cl, 53.5%)

Pure Kentucky XO is a small batch Kentucky straight bourbon from Willett Distillery in Bardstown, bottled at 53.5% in a 75cl bottle and non-chill filtered. XO is simply part of the name. It combines two Willett mash bills, each aged separately in new charred American oak before blending. The main recipe, at 85% of the blend, is 72% corn, 13% rye and 15% malted barley. The other, at 15%, is a higher-rye mix of 52% corn, 38% rye and 10% malted barley. The tasting notes describe sweet vanilla, cedar and oak on the nose, spicy rye with maple and a hint of cherry on the palate, and a long, smooth finish.