{"product_id":"willett-23-year-barrel-296-gift-shop-release-with-tube-134-proof","title":"Willett 23 Year Barrel 296 Gift Shop Release With Tube 134 Proof","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWillett 23 Year Barrel 296 is a gift shop release from the Willett Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky — distilled April 6, 1993 at the Bernheim Distillery by Master Distiller Ed Foote as a wheated bourbon mash bill, aged 23 years, and bottled at 134 proof (67% ABV) with tube presentation, representing one of the most exceptional ultra-aged, ultra-high-proof wheated bourbons ever released under the Willett Family Estate label.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe provenance is specific and significant: distilled at Bernheim by Ed Foote — the legendary distiller who defined the Heaven Hill house style and trained the generation of Kentucky distillers that followed. Wheated bourbon uses wheat as the secondary grain in place of rye, producing softer, sweeter, and rounder character than high-rye mash bills — at 23 years of age in new charred American oak, that wheat-forward sweetness has fully integrated with antique wood complexity, producing the dark caramel, maple syrup, and dried fruit depth that only multi-decade maturation achieves. At 134 proof, the concentration of two-plus decades of evaporation and oak extraction is preserved without dilution. Willett gift shop releases are produced in extremely small quantities — single barrels available exclusively through the distillery's own gift shop, making them among the most genuinely rare bourbon bottles in the market.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eTasting Notes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eNose:\u003c\/strong\u003e Antique oak, maple syrup, dark cherry, cigar box, and toasted pecans\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003ePalate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Burnt sugar, vanilla bean, dark chocolate, aged leather — baking spice, tobacco, and charred oak\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eFinish:\u003c\/strong\u003e Exceptionally long — mature sweetness, rickhouse character, and sustained warmth\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSpecs\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eDistillery:\u003c\/strong\u003e Distilled at Bernheim Distillery by Ed Foote\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eBottler:\u003c\/strong\u003e Willett Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky — Gift Shop Release\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eStyle:\u003c\/strong\u003e Wheated Kentucky Straight Bourbon — Single Barrel\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eDistillation date:\u003c\/strong\u003e April 6, 1993\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eAge:\u003c\/strong\u003e 23 years\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eBarrel:\u003c\/strong\u003e 296\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eABV:\u003c\/strong\u003e 67% (134 Proof)\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003ePresentation:\u003c\/strong\u003e With tube\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 750ml\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eBrowse all \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/american-whiskey\"\u003eAmerican whiskey at Wooden Cork\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is a Willett gift shop release?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Single barrel bourbons bottled in extremely limited quantities and sold exclusively through the Willett Distillery gift shop in Bardstown, Kentucky. Each release is drawn from an individual barrel with a specific distillation date, proof, and barrel number — no two bottles are exactly alike.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Who is Ed Foote and why does it matter?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Ed Foote was the Master Distiller at Bernheim Distillery and one of the most influential figures in Kentucky bourbon history — the distiller who defined the Heaven Hill house style and trained generations of Kentucky distillers. Bourbon distilled under his supervision at Bernheim is highly prized by collectors.\"}}]}\u003c\/script\u003e","brand":"Willett","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49127930560764,"sku":"Scott","price":8549.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0800\/6605\/2348\/files\/Photoroom_20260519_085527.jpg?v=1779536810","url":"https:\/\/thebourbonvaulthq.com\/products\/willett-23-year-barrel-296-gift-shop-release-with-tube-134-proof","provider":"THE BOURBONVAULT HQ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}