Willett Family Estate 14 Year Old "Shakedown Street" Bourbon Whiskey Cask #9560

Willett Family Estate 14 Year Bourbon "Shakedown Street" Cask #9560 is a rare, highly mature single-barrel bourbon that delivers commanding depth, rich oak layering, and an exceptionally polished texture. Powerful yet refined, it offers a luxurious balance of dark fruit, toasted spice, and velvety sweetness — a true collector’s bottle showcasing Willett’s most elevated barrel profiles.

Origins & Craftsmanship

This exceptional 14-year expression comes from the revered Willett Family Estate Single Barrel program — one of Kentucky’s most coveted and limited bourbon lines. Distilled and barrel-aged in Bardstown, Kentucky, Cask #9560 was selected as a standout barrel for its concentration, maturity, and exceptional aromatic structure.

The bourbon spent 14 full years aging in heavily charred American-oak barrels, allowing deep extraction of sugars, tannins, and spice compounds. Long maturation in Kentucky’s dramatic climate cycles intensifies flavors, producing a concentrated spirit with remarkable natural complexity.

Bottled at cask strength 57.2% ABV, this release reflects the barrel exactly as it was found — undiluted, unfiltered, and uncompromised. Single-barrel Willett releases of this age are notoriously limited, making each cask — especially one as mature as #9560 — truly one of a kind.

Critics Reviews

Willett’s long-aged Family Estate bourbons consistently earn praise from professional whiskey evaluators for their “textbook mature Kentucky character,” “intense depth,” and “rare combination of power and elegance.” Critics often highlight the 14-year barrels as some of the richest and most expressive in the series, frequently noting their balance of dark fruit, tannin-rich oak, and spicy complexity.

Single-barrel selections of this vintage often receive accolades for delivering “an old-fashioned profile reminiscent of classic pre-2000s Kentucky bourbon,” admired by collectors and serious bourbon drinkers alike. Cask #9560, with its long age and cask-strength proof, fits firmly into this prestigious tier.

Tasting Profile

Nose:
Dense aromas of dark caramel, brûléed sugar, espresso roast, and rich vanilla bean. Layers of black cherry, dried fig, leather, and cigar-box cedar unfold with time, supported by hints of cocoa, nutmeg, and seasoned oak.

Palate:
Full-bodied, warm, and luxuriantly textured. Toffee and dark brown sugar lead, followed by bursts of blackberry compote, molasses, and dried stone fruit. Mid-palate brings polished oak, dark chocolate, clove, and cracked pepper, balanced by a deep, syrupy sweetness. The maturity is unmistakable — complex, concentrated, and richly structured.

Finish:
Long, stately, and deeply satisfying. Notes of dark fruit, baking spice, oiled leather, charred oak, and bittersweet chocolate taper slowly into a warm, resonant glow. A hallmark mature-bourbon finish — powerful, lingering, and elegantly dry.

Quick Overview