Willett 8 Year Bourbon (Purple Top)

Willett 8 Year Bourbon, the Purple Top, is a Kentucky straight bourbon bottled at 57.4% ABV, or 114.8 proof. That is well above the usual 40 to 45% shelf strength, and it shapes how the bottle should be handled. At this strength, expect a dense, oily texture and a long finish. Bourbons of this age and proof usually lead with caramel, vanilla and toasted oak. Baking spice and a little dark fruit often follow, and a rye-driven pepper note runs underneath. Since Willett doesn't publish a mash bill on this label, treat those notes as the typical profile for the style. They are not a measured description of this bottling. Because the proof is high, a few drops of room-temperature water change the glass in a useful way. A small splash loosens the alcohol heat and lets the sweeter vanilla and caramel notes come forward. It also tends to bring out the spice and oak more clearly. Try a measured pour neat first, then add water a few drops at a time until the nose opens up without going thin. A single large ice cube works as a middle path. It chills and dilutes slowly, which suits a barrel-proof-leaning pour better than a handful of small cubes that water it down quickly. For glassware, a Glencairn is the better choice if you plan to nose the bourbon and work out how water changes it. The tapered bowl concentrates the aromas, and at 57.4% that matters, because a wide-mouthed glass lets the alcohol vapor overwhelm everything else. A rocks glass is the better pick for slower sipping over one big cube. In cocktails, this bottle's strength is an advantage. An Old Fashioned made with it holds up against sugar, bitters and dilution without going flat. Use a small amount of simple syrup or a sugar cube, two dashes of Angostura, and an orange peel. A Manhattan with sweet vermouth and a dash of bitters will stay assertive and spicy. In a Whiskey Sour, the proof keeps the bourbon from getting lost behind the lemon, so you can use a little less spirit than the recipe calls for. For a Highball, pour over ice with soda water and a lemon twist. The drink stays long and dry, and the oak and vanilla remain noticeable. Be aware that mixing this in a highball uses an uncommonly strong base for that format, so pour lightly.