My boys and I look forward to working together to release our Cask Strength whiskey to bookend each year—it’s our family tradition that lets us both reflect on and celebrate our growth.
Noah's Mill Bourbon
BOTTLE DETAILS- DISTILLER: Undisclosed, bottled by Noah’s Mill Distilling Co.
- MASH BILL: Undisclosed
- AGE: NAS - no age statement; a blend of 4-15 year-old whiskeys
- YEAR: 2017
- PROOF: 114.3 (57.15% ABV)
- MSRP: $49.99
- BUY ONLINE: SharedPour.com
NOSE: Oak | Orange Peel | Walnut | Burnt Sugar | Alcohol | Tobacco
TASTE: Toffee | Cinnamon | Roasted Pecans | Light Spice | Acidic | Vanilla
FINISH: Neat, there’s a solid burn throughout, but not unpleasant, especially for the proof with great toffee/dark caramel. Adding water, the sweeter elements come out more, with oak showing more with water. There’s an underlying fall spice that shows in the finish. And the finish is long and very pleasant, with notes of roasted nuts.
SHARE WITH: Experienced bourbon drinkers that like a complex bourbon with spice. This proof is a bit too hot for newer bourbon fans unless water is added.
WORTH THE PRICE: At $49.99, this is definitely worth the price.
BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Willett whiskeys can be hard to find; if you find a bottle, bottle. If you can’t, find a whiskey bar that carries it.
OVERALL: Willett distills its own whiskeys but also sources others. This is sourced from other distilleries in Kentucky, the mash bill is not disclosed, and the age statement that was once on it was removed (it used to be a 15 year old whiskey). The acidic element diminishes with water, and the sweeter elements come up. Too much water, and, like most bourbons, it flattens out a bit, so experimenting with the right amount of water for your taste is important.
The bottling is a bit unique: it looks more like a wine bottle, with an old-fashioned label. It’s called a “genuine bourbon”, but it actually qualifies as a straight bourbon. Willett is a great distillery, being small and family-run, and they put out excellent bourbons. For its price, Noah’s Mill stands up to just about any bourbon in its range.
Curt has a love for things that taste good, starting in barbecue competitions, then moving to teaching cooking classes, writing a food blog and writing for national grilling-related companies, and, currently, as a regular on a local news show in SW Ohio doing food segments (for which he’s become known for his use of bourbon in food). In fact, when interviewed about his top five cooking ingredients, bourbon was included in that list.
Curt’s love of whisky goes back years, but, more recently, his wife encouraged him to have more than one partially filled bottle of Lagavulin by buying an Ardbeg for him for Christmas, then letting him add more and more to his collection. Now amassing a pretty nice little group of Scotch, bourbon, and ryes (and a few other whiskeys here and there), Curt enjoys his whiskey mostly with nothing but a couple drops of water (but is fine with a whiskey cocktail now and then, too). Curt’s feeling is that you don’t have to like the same whisky he likes, but he hopes you enjoy yours as much as he’s enjoying whichever is currently in his glass.
Read Curt's full profile.
Did I miss the Willet connection?
Marc,
Willett makes several non-Willett labeled whiskeys, and this is one of them. Rowan’s Creek, Johnny Drum and Kentucky Vintage are others. Under the Willett name, there’s Willett Pot Still, Willett Family Estate bourbon and rye whiskeys.
I just killed a bottle of NM. It’s so damn good. Going to bed now.
I am not a fan of Noah’s. However I do like their “sister bottle”, Rowan’s Creek.