THE STORY BEHIND THE BARREL: 

Never settle. That’s what we learned from our most recent trip to Kentucky. Surdyk’s Spirit Buyers were down looking for our next single barrel selection, and about to head off to our final appointment at the Willett Distillery. And while we had identified a few great barrels elsewhere, we agreed that if “The One” existed, it hadn’t shown itself to us yet. Willett’s purple tops are legendary among whiskey fans, so we were excited to be looking at what they had to offer.  

We were greeted by Willett’s Single Barrel program director, Josh Devitt. The day started with a tour of the facility and from there we expected, as had happened previously, to grab a table onsite to start looking at the available barrel options. To our surprise, Josh suggested we leave the distillery and head deeper to Bardstown. For about ten minutes, we followed him through the rolling green countryside until turning up a private drive to a beautiful, colonial-style mansion. As we got out of the car, we knew this was going to be special.  

Once we were settled in, Josh presented us with a flight of four different single barrels. Each whiskey was blind tasted, with no knowledge of age, mash bill, or proof. There was much evaluation, note taking, and finally discussion among us all. With his uncanny knowledge of the Willett barrels, Josh would ask us careful questions. Each answer would give him direction for the next round of barrels. We painstakingly examined all aspects of each whiskey, revisiting the glass until we felt we had a full understanding of its profile. We continued this with more flights. What a wild ride – every one of these were winners – so it seemed almost ridiculous to be eliminating some of the best whiskeys we had tasted all year. But this deep dive with Josh was essential in homing in on the exact style we knew our customers would enjoy best. One sample from these first rounds was almost there. Almost. Josh could tell we still had some reservations, and instead of pressing us to decide, he suggested we take a break.   

After a while, Josh appeared with samples from the Willett Library Collection. We put the “almost there” up against some of the older, similar expressions. After spending a couple more hours in discussion, we could feel we were getting closer. In an AHA! moment, Josh got up from the table. He said there was a section of barrels that he believed were what we were looking for – but – they were still in the barrel, resting away back in one of Willett’s heritage warehouses.  

We all got into our cars, and off we went, winding our way back to the distillery. We pulled up to warehouse G and headed all the way up to the top 5th floor. We made our way to a group of barrels which had been aging for 11 years at the highest point in Nelson County a barrel can be. (It’s important to note: the top floor’s drier, hotter air causes evaporation which drives the proof up and allows for more flavor extraction from the barrel. In these perfect conditions, whiskey ages at an accelerated pace.) The excitement was palpable as we watched Josh drill a hole in the barrel, and we quickly held our Glencairn glasses under the stream to catch our sample. At first smell and sip, we knew we had found our barrel. Since there were no dump buckets high up in the warehouse, we had no choice but to discard what remained in our glasses onto the 90-year-old timber floor… our contribution to the angels’ share.  

We’ve been in the liquor business for 90 years now, and this experience showed us that unicorns do exist. You’ll find them if you don’t settle for less.  

Like all of Willett’s special releases, the barrel names have clever meanings.  
‘Like a G5’ honors the warehouse (G) and floor (5) that nurtured this stunning whiskey.  
G5 is short for a Gulfstream G550 – a private jet built for high-performance and speed.  
It’s also a cheeky nod to the 2010 hit song by Far East Movement, “Like a G6,” whose lyrics sum up this bottle perfectly: When we drink, we do it right. 

TASTING NOTES:  

Appearance:   
Just looking at this whiskey, you know you are in for something special with its dark, rich, caramel color. 

Nose:  
You don’t even have to get your nose into the glass before the aromas hit you. Initially, it’s all classic Bourbon: vanilla, cookie dough, butter, caramel. Then comes the wave of fruit and nuts: cherry, blackberry, peanut, and toasted pecan, with an orange blossom floral note. Then it’s earthy leather and bitter chocolate. It’s very complex and all over the place, but that’s what you want from a whiskey like this. It keeps you coming back.     

Palate: 
Being that it’s 132.2 proof, the first thing you’ll notice is obviously the weight and body. It’s full bodied, intense, and coats the palate. Flavors of peanut, pecan, and stone fruit like black cherry and plum saturate the taste buds. Complex cinnamon and clove spice flavors bring balance to the sweet vanilla and caramel flavors. It ends with black pepper, coffee bean, and cocoa powder. What I love most is the overall balance; sure, it’s boozy, but it doesn’t kill your palate. There’s so much complex flavor that it seems to temper the alcohol, and I think that’s what separates excellent Bourbon like this from merely good Bourbon.   

Finish:  

Not kidding, it’s 60+ seconds long. The finish is sweet (vanilla, caramel, brown sugar), spicy (black pepper, clove), and savory (earthy, leather), and not at all overly oaked or tannic. Plain and simple, a beautiful Bourbon. Pricy? Yes, but also a singular expression that will never again be duplicated. Once it’s gone there will never be any more, EVER!