Wolves x Willett Family Estate The Rye Project Volume 2
Wolves x Willett Family Estate The Rye Project Volume 2 is cask-strength collaboration whiskey — a 114.7 proof (57.35% ABV) 750mL blend of 6- and 7-year straight ryes, unfiltered and undiluted, marrying a 6-year Indiana straight rye (~51% rye mash) with 6- and 7-year Willett-distilled Kentucky ryes (74% rye mash bill) whose barrels were hand-selected by Willett Master Distiller Drew Kulsveen. Produced and bottled by Wolves in Ukiah, California, it's the series' stated philosophy in a bottle: no barrel finishes, no gimmicks — just sweet-first, balanced rye. Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- Proof / ABV: 114.7 proof (57.35% ABV), cask strength, unfiltered — 750mL
- Age: blend of 6- and 7-year straight rye whiskeys
- Components: 6-yr Indiana straight rye (~51% rye mash) + 6-/7-yr Willett Kentucky ryes (74% rye mash), selected by Drew Kulsveen
- Production: new American oak; no barrel finishes; produced and bottled by Wolves, Ukiah, California
- Collaboration: Wolves (founded 2017, Jon Buscemi and James Bond) × Willett Family Estate, Bardstown, Kentucky
California Blending, Kentucky Barrels
The Rye Project pairs Wolves' low-content rye philosophy with barrels pulled from Willett's rickhouses — House A, South Rick 14 and House H, South Rick 6 — chosen by Drew Kulsveen himself. The sweet-first base from Indiana keeps the fierce 74%-rye Willett stocks from running hot, giving a cask-strength rye that drinks bigger than its 114.7 proof. Compare more rye whiskey or follow the collaboration series through the Wolves shelf at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
Brand-published notes for Volume Two lead with caramel, vanilla, orange peel, and dark fruit, over cinnamon, clove, black pepper, mint, tobacco, toasted nuts, baking spice, rye grain, and mature oak — a full-throated rye profile with the signature sweetness up front.
How to Enjoy
Neat with water on the side at cask strength — find the proof point where the dark fruit opens. It has the structure for a powerhouse Manhattan too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a Kentucky rye?
The rye stocks were distilled in Indiana and Kentucky (Willett, Bardstown), then blended, produced, and bottled by Wolves in Ukiah, California — so it carries both pedigrees.
What does "no barrel finishes, no gimmicks" mean?
The Rye Project's stated philosophy: straightforward aged rye in new American oak, with no secondary cask finishes or flavor additions.
Is it the same as Volume One Batch 2?
No — both are 114.7 proof, which is why retailers mix them up; this product is Volume Two, Batch 2, with its own component blend.
A cask-strength meeting of two rye houses — order the Wolves × Willett Volume 2 from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.