Evan Williams Single Barrel
I tried this at NYC’s WhiskeyFest 2020 and, surprisingly, was the first Evan Williams product I enjoyed. Before then, I had tried the Black Label and maybe the Bottled-in-Bond, and both had been harsh and bitter to me like someone threw additional oak chips into the barrel. I liked it enough to get a bottle, and at the price point, it’s hard to pass up as an everyday drinker.
Evan Williams Single Barrel Bourbon: Specs
Classification: American Bourbon
Origin: Heaven Hill Distillery
Mashbill: 78% Corn, 10% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
Proof: 86.6 (43.3% ABV)
Age: 7-8 Years Old
Location: Kentucky
Evan Williams Single Barrel Price: $34
Evan Williams Single Barrel Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Golden amber, thin rims.
Nose: Heavy oak and vanilla, but not too sweet.
Palate: Hot at first - unusually so for the proof - but still pleasant, with lots of black pepper. No bitterness, which I usually get with the Evan Williams line. Mellows into a classic, if lighter, Heaven Hill profile of slightly nutty cornbread and bourbon. Mouthfeel keeps the burn going at a very manageable level.
Finish: Peppery with lots of caramel. Medium-length.
Overall: The first Evan Williams expression that I like - there’s none of that odd bitterness that I got with the Black Label or Bottled-in-Bond.
Final Rating: 5.6
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)
8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)
7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)
6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)
4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)
3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)
2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)
1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)
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