Meeting #24 - Feb '26 - George Dickel x Leopold Bros Rye, Willet Family Estate Small Batch, Van Winkle 12

Happy Two-Year Anniversary, High Flight Bourbon and Cigar Club!!

And a great time was had by all who attended this celebratory night!  We tasted some fine whiskeys, which included a “win” the club scored from the PA Fine Wine and Good Spirits rare bourbons lottery.  Let’s look at these great whiskies - all were crowd pleasers!! 

#1) George Dickel x Leopold Bros. Collaboration Blend Rye: 

A collaboration blend between these two companies from Kentucky and Colorado respectively, the total blend is undisclosed.

100 proof / Age unknown / $120 MSRP

HF Score: 3.53 

NOSE: spearmint/peppermint paddy underpinning, hints of vanilla and cinnamon, baking spice.

TASTE: caramel with creamy orange and malt, oily mouthfeel, clove.

FINISH: lots of orange, spice and cinnamon, sudden pops of oak, chai tea, baked apples, and nutmeg continue into a lasting aftertaste.

George Dickel x Leopold Brothers Collaboration Blend Rye is a truly superb rye.  While the total blend of the two distilleries is not disclosed, we do know Leopold uses 80% Abruzzi Rye (known for its nutty and sweet flavor) and 20% floor malted barley which they distill using their re-engineered three chambered still, which is said to “push the boundaries of rye taste.” George Dickel sources their rye from MGP and filters it thru charcoal made of sugar maple wood.  Our club is not known for liking ryes, but this bottle was a huge exception and enjoyed by all!

#2) Willett Family Estate 4-Year Small Batch Bourbon, “Purple Top,”

70% of a high-corn mash bill (72% corn, 13% rye, 15% barley) , and 30% of a high-rye mash bill (52% corn, 38% rye, 10% barley)

123.6 proof / 4 years in hand-selected white oak / $75

HF Score: 3.33

NOSE: butterscotch, caramel, big hints of cinnamon and baked bread spices, some lemon candy.

TASTE: candy-sweet, featuring maple, Hawaiian sweet rolls, and caramel, quickly followed by a sharp "pop" of ethanol and intense cinnamon red-hot spice.

FINISH: lingering cinnamon, cocoa, and nutmeg, with some heat.

Willet Distilleries, Bardstown, KY, are known for their quality.  Single barrel “Purple Tops” are their top-of-the-line products, usually aged for 10+ years, and MSRPs of $800-1000 are not uncommon.  Perhaps due to the ongoing whiskey glut, they have released this bourbon blend at 4 years.  While some taste its youth and others are turned off by the heat, this is a quality bourbon at a great price, well liked by most of our club.  A very smooth 123.6 proof, MSRP $75.

#3) Van Winkle 12 Years Old Straight Bourbon Whiskey "Lot B"

bottled by Old Van Winkle Distillery

Mashbill is undisclosed but highly regarded as a smooth, sweet, wheated bourbon. 

90.4 proof / 12 years / MSRP $150-170

High Flight Average Score: 3.66

NOSE: sweet and buttery, brown sugar and maple, rich oak, honey, baking spices.

TASTE: very oily and rich, balanced and lingering notes of burnt sugar, custard and vanilla. 

FINISH: well-balanced and full-bodied, lasting.  

Owned by Sazerac Company at the larger Buffalo Trace facility, Frankfurt KY, Van Winkle 12 Years Old Straight Bourbon Whiskey is a well-balanced, sweet, full-bodied, and pleasant bourbon that's great for sipping, often described as "nectar" and a superb after dinner bourbon.  Note this isn’t a “Pappy,” but their lowest end product.  Nonetheless it is very good and an extra special treat worthy of our two-year celebration that everybody enjoyed, has cracked our Top 10 list!  One doesn’t win our lotteries often, next time we’ll get the big brothers!  90.4 proof, MSRP $150-170, secondary prices of up to $1000 are not uncommon; and no, as good as it is and hard to get, not worth those bucks!