EvanWilliams

Tasting Notes for Evan Williams Single Barrel

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November 27, 2024
By Rebecca Herman McBrayer 

Wayne and I selected this Evan Williams Single Barrel for a formal bourbon tasting because we realized that we have tasted it several times when out and about but our bottles at home were unopened. We picked up one bottle at a terrific dinner hosted by Evan Williams (great event!), and another at the 2024 Kentucky Bourbon Festival.

Tasting Notes: Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Please be sure to read our approach to Tasting Whiskey if you haven’t already.

Mashbill – 78% corn, 12% malted barley, 10% Rye
Age – 7-8 Years
Proof – 86.6
Price Paid – $49.99 (plus tax)

Color – Golden honey.

Aroma – Honey is very dominant and then there are notes of cinnamon. As it opens up, the light and pleasant nose includes vanilla and graham crackers.

Tasted Neat – Like the nose, the honey it right up front on the palate with notes of vanilla and cinnamon. It is reminiscent of a vanilla wafer, or vanilla yogurt with drizzled honey, as well as a honey and cinnamon graham cracker.

Finish – While not a strong finish, it does linger with cinnamon and oak.

Tasted with dried cranberry – This pairing is very light, bright, and with orange zest. It is also incredibly sweet, with hints of confectionary sugar, but the honey is gone. The finish is medium.

Tasted with a pecan – Notes of chocolate, caramel, and nutmeg really come forward with this pairing. The finish is long and lingering with some sweet barrel notes.

Tasted with dark chocolate – Interestingly, this pairing returned the honey and graham cracker. It tastes similar to a honey graham dipped in chocolate. Unfortunately, the finish is almost non-existent.

Final Notes and Video

The Evan Williams Single Barrel boasts a rich golden honey color. The aroma is dominated by honey, perfectly complemented by enticing notes of cinnamon. As it opens up, the light and inviting nose reveals layers of vanilla and graham crackers. Tasting it neat elevates the honey flavor, which takes center stage on the palate, harmonizing beautifully with vanilla and cinnamon. The experience is akin to indulging in a vanilla wafer or vanilla yogurt drizzled with honey, alongside the delightful combination of honey and cinnamon graham crackers. While the finish may not intense, it lingers with satisfying notes of cinnamon and oak.

While exploring the various pairings, we discovered that none were bad, indicating that the Evan Williams Single Barrel has versatility and could be easily paired with a variety of menu items. Wayne found the dried cranberry most interesting while I leaned toward what the pecan brought forward.

Its 7-8 year age helps bring character to this low-proof bourbon. While we believe this could be improved as a 100 proof offering, it might be a solid selection for someone who prefers a lower proof bourbon as it does have an interesting flavor profile. However, with other major distilleries starting to offer this age statement in the $25-30 range, its price point of $50 might deter some possible fans.

Embracing the Craft,
Rebecca & Wayne

Photos and video by Rebecca Herman McBrayer

NOTE: The bourbon in this review was purchased by us. We were not compensated by the spirit producer for this review. This is simply our opinion based on what we tasted on this day. Please drink responsibly.

Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey: Such whiskeys have all the requirements of bourbon: Made in the U.S, distilled at <= 160 proof, barreled at <= 125 proof, aged in new, charred oak containers, bottled at >= 80 proof. Straight bourbon means it is aged at least 2 years (and must have an age statement if less than 4). In addition, to be Kentucky Straight Bourbon, it has the additional requirement that it must be produced and aged at least 1 year in the state of Kentucky. For additional information on bourbon requirements, please read this post – Bourbon Whiskey.

July 2024 Evan Williams 23 Year Old Tasting

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July 30, 2024
By Rebecca Herman McBrayer 

Last weekend, Wayne and I each selected a bottle not-yet-opened that we wanted to taste. Wayne selected the Evan Williams 23 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. I was very pleased with his choice! We originally tasted this offering on National Bourbon Day, June 14th, and had the opportunity to purchase it at the Evan Williams “A Toast to Bourbon” dinner.

Please be sure to read our approach to Tasting Whiskey if you haven’t already.

Evan Williams 23 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Mashbill – 78% Corn, 12% Malted Barley, 10% Rye
Age – 23 Years
Proof – 107
Price Paid – $399.99 (plus tax)

Color – Dark copper with very nice legs on the glass.

Aroma – Deep and dark come to mind first, including dark chocolate. Spice and honey blend in an inviting way. It is evident this is an older bourbon based on the aged oak notes. But then the sweetness surprises you with vanilla, marshmallow, and crème brûlée. Allspice, nutmeg, and leather add another dimension. What a nose!

Tasted Neat –  Similar to the nose, the tannins from the wood come forward to start, but the sweetness will not be denied. There is vanilla cream, sweet corn, rich cherry, and a lovely honey. Next, rich notes of dark chocolate, toasted nuts, and marshmallow are present. Finally, warm leather, nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon let you know this bourbon has some great barrel influence.

Finish – There is a medium length finish. The finish includes sweet notes such as toffee, the richness of dark chocolate, some dryness from the tannins including oak, licorice, tobacco, and orange peels, plus a bit of black pepper.

Tasted with dried cranberry – The sweetness of the dried cranberry created a strong oak presence with leather and the finish was greatly reduced.

Tasted with a pecan – This brought the dark chocolate front and center with a hint of cinnamon and tobacco. Again, the finish is very short.

Tasted with dark chocolate – The chocolate actually removed the dark chocolate notes and replaced it with mostly a light cinnamon without a lot of taste and virtually no finish.

Discussion and Final Notes

We definitely preferred drinking this neat. The pecan wasn’t bad and this might be good with a steak or perhaps a nice cigar. But when having a bourbon of this maturity, we will savor and enjoy it neat and on its own.

Obviously, this is an expensive bottle of bourbon. There are not a lot of bourbons offered at 23 years and even fewer that have such an inviting nose, amazing journey on the palate, and a great finish. Given the price of some 20+ year bourbons, we find this to be of good value. While this would not be an “every-day-drinker,” we are thrilled to have it and will enjoy it whenever we feel the desire to dive into some extra age and complexity. With the warm notes from the barrel, we plan to enjoy this once the weather gets cooler. It could be that perfect pour to sink into on a cold night.

Cheers,
Rebecca & Wayne

Photos by Rebecca Herman McBrayer

Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Spirit Requirements

Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey: Such whiskeys have all the requirements of bourbon: Made in the U.S, distilled at <= 160 proof, barreled at <= 125 proof, aged in new, charred oak containers, bottled at >= 80 proof. Straight bourbon means it is aged at least 2 years (and must have an age statement if less than 4). In addition, to be Kentucky Straight Bourbon, it has the additional requirement that it must be produced and aged at least 1 year in the state of Kentucky.

For additional information on bourbon requirements, please read this post – Bourbon Whiskey.

NOTE: The bourbon in this review was purchased by us. We were not compensated by the spirit producers for this review. This is simply our opinion based on what we tasted on this day. Please drink responsibly.

June 2024 A Toast To Bourbon Dinner at Evan Williams

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June 17, 2024
By Rebecca Herman McBrayer


June 14th was National Bourbon Day! We were thrilled to acquire tickets for this event at Evan Williams Bourbon Experience that included a premium tasting led by Artisanal Distiller, Jodie Filiatreau followed by a plated dinner and exclusive shopping experience.

Tickets included a premium tasting flight, 3 cocktails, a multi-course dinner, and an opportunity to purchase a bottle of Evan Williams 23-Year-Old Bourbon.

We received a welcome cocktail of their take on a Horses Neck. Instead of Brandy, they used 1 part Evan Williams white label bottled-in-bond, Angostura bitters, and 3 parts Ginger Ale. We requested just a splash of Ginger Ale and enjoyed that very much.

After everyone was served, we moved to the lower level – the same room where we have previously enjoyed their Speakeasy Tasting Experience. A live band was playing as we arrived.

We found seating and admired the beautiful setup with the tasting pours prepared for us. We enjoyed terrific passed appetizers with our Horses Neck cocktail while everyone was getting seated. The appetizers included a puff pastry with ham, cream cheese and guava as well as a small bite sandwich of pimento cheese, chipotle, and a pickle on brioche.

Premium Tasting Led by Artisanal Distiller, Jodie Filiatreau

Evan Williams Single Barrel, Square 6 Wheated, Old Fitzgerald 13-year, and Evan Williams 23-year

Jodie introduced himself and shared a bit of his nearly 43-year tenure with Heaven Hill. He started at 20 years old working in the rickhouses and accepted opportunity after opportunity to learn and grow with the organization. He even had the honor of learning under Parker Beam. Jodie loves his role as Artisanal Distiller at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience on Louisville’s historic Whiskey Row.

Jodie was masterful at leading everyone through the four-part tasting. He gave us ample time with each expression and happily answered questions. He also visited with each table to meet, greet, and get to know the guests.

Wayne, Jodie, & Rebecca

Salad Course

This was a kale salad with smoked almonds, crispy bacon, goat cheese, and a bourbon champagne vinaigrette. It was quite tasty.

Dinner Course





While I wasn’t able to record all of the details of the entrée cocktail, it drank like a very well-balanced peach old fashioned. I did note that it was made with Evan Williams 12-year-old bourbon, peach bitters, and garnished with a brûléed peach.

Surprisingly, it was not overly sweet and paired extremely well with the pork entree.



The entrée included a seared pork chop, bourbon achiote sauce, roasted sweet potatoes, and braised greens. Every bite was fabulous!



Dessert Course

We were then treated to a Bourbon Espresso Martini made with Evan Williams black label. We have had something similar served at other dinner events; however, this was by far the best ever. All guests at our table felt it was the best cocktail of the evening.

The dessert was bread pudding with bourbon dulce de leche. It was amazing!

Note: The Mayan Cafe catered the event. Every bite was fantastic and the staff was outstanding.

Shopping and Bottle Signing

At the conclusion of the meal, we visited the gift shop. Each guested was permitted to buy one of the Evan Williams 23-year-old bottles as well as other items available in the gift and bottle shop. We greatly enjoy the Square 6 Wheated and used this opportunity to acquire a back-up bottle. Jodie was also kind enough to sign bottles.

This was the FIRST dinner that Evan Williams Bourbon Experience has held. Wow – what a tremendous first-time event. They knocked it out of the park! We hope that they will add more events as we would be honored to attend.

Cheers until next time!
Rebecca & Wayne

May 2024 Kentucky Derby Tasting

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May 5, 2024
By Rebecca Herman McBrayer 

Woodford Reserve Bottle Neck Wrapper

In honor of the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby, Saturday May 4, 2024, Wayne and I tasted a THEME of bourbon inspired by this iconic event. In addition to the annual Woodford Reserve release, we also opened and tasted two special bottles.

Selected for this Tasting

Woodford Reserve Kentucky Derby 150; 1974 James B. Beam 100th Kentucky Derby Decanter; and Evan Williams Kentucky Derby Festival 2023.

Please be sure to read our approach to Tasting Whiskey if you haven’t already.

Woodford Reserve Kentucky Derby 150

Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Mashbill – 72% corn, 18% rye, and 10% malt
Age – NAS; KSBW is at least 4 years
Proof – 90.4
Other – The whiskey is also triple distilled and has a low proof when it enters the barrel to mature for at least six years.
Price Paid – $37.59

Color – Light to Medium Amber

Aroma – Surprised by the amount of ethanol at first as this is pretty low proof. Once we go past that notes of honey, vanilla, light baking spices, hints of oak.

Tasted Neat –  Very light and with limited viscosity. Similar to the nose, there is vanilla, honey, orange zest, and a woodiness. The finish is dry with pepper and oak.

Tasted with dried cranberry – The cranberry brought the orange zest very forward, less sweetness, and the finish is also lighter.

Tasted with a pecan – Tobacco leads the way but there is also strong wood notes and a light hint of cocoa powder.

Tasted with dark chocolate – Very similar to when it was tasted neat except that the chocolate has added a creaminess.

We both liked it best with the cranberry as it had a very nice brightness; however, due to the tobacco notes, we might want to taste it with a cigar as well.

1974 James B. Beam 100th Kentucky Derby Decanter


Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Mashbill – 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malt (estimated based on today’s Jim Beam white label)
Age – 100 months (8.33 years) when bottled in 1974
Proof – 86
Price Paid – Gifted from Family Collection
Other – From “A Guide To Jim Beam Bottles” by Cembura & Avery: The 100th anniversary of the famed Kentucky Derby Classic is honored with a bottle bearing cameos of the first winner Aristides in 1875 and Cannonade in 1974. Red roses fill the numerals. The back list the names and dates of previous winners. Height 7.5 inches. Originally sold for $10.00.

Color – Dark Amber

Aroma – Lovely nose … sweet and rich at the same time. There is a nice wood note with caramel, buttered popcorn, and baking spices and perhaps a hint of fruit.

Tasted Neat – Caramel and oak with a vanilla custard and cinnamon. The fruit from the aroma seems to be dried apricot and there is a hint of citrus as well. The finish lingers nicely with cinnamon and oak. It has a lot more character and complexity than we typically see today in an 86 proof bourbon.

Tasted with dried cranberry –  This took away the sweetness and brought the baking spices forward with more woodiness.

Tasted with a pecan – Very rich as the caramel turns darker and the wood became quite dominant. The finish is black pepper and oak.

Tasted with dark chocolate – The caramel returned and there is cinnamon more mid-palate. Finishes with a strong woodiness and cinnamon.

Neat would be preferred but with the pecan was very nice.

Evan Williams Kentucky Derby Festival 2023

Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Mashbill – 78% corn, 12% malted barley, and 10% rye
Barreled 10/27/15; Bottled 01/20/23; Barrel #5
Age – 7.24 years
Proof – 119
Other – Dipped in iridescent teal wax. The bottle also features a special face label with the Kentucky Derby Festival logo in teal and gold, and each bottle comes with a 2023 Pegasus Pin in an envelope. Only 800 bottles were released.
Price Paid – $84.79

Color – Medium Amber

Aroma – Vanilla, cherry, floral, and perhaps tea.

Tasted Neat –  Caramel, honey, vanilla custard, and a hint of cherry. The finish has nutmeg and a light mint.

Tasted with dried cranberry – This really brightened it up. Now there is citrus coming forward such as orange or lemon zest, still with a hint of cherry and the finish is very nice and with a pleasant cinnamon.

Tasted with a pecan – Now there is chocolate covered cherries with nutmeg and an additional woodiness. Very nice.

Tasted with dark chocolate – The cherry got really bold in the middle with a hint of chocolate but there wasn’t much of a finish.

This is a great bottle and we liked it neat but some of the other options were also very interesting.

Discussion and Final Notes

For a nose preference, it was clearly Jim Beam, Evan Williams, then Woodford.

From a taste perspective, it is hard to compare something that was distilled and barreled in 1966 to today’s products. Based on the older products that we have been able to taste, they tend to have a bit more character than today’s exact counterpart.

The 1974 bottle of Jim Beam was fantastic. If you can get your hands on an unopened decanter of this vintage, we highly recommend giving it a try. And, if ever in Northern Kentucky, just south of Cincinnati you will find Covington, KY and the home of Revival Vintage Bottle Shop where each day you might have an opportunity to taste from a dusty bottle! From a current Jim Beam offering, we would recommend the Jim Beam Black 7 Year as a good substitute.

The 2023 Derby Festival bottle by Evan Williams is truly terrific. We have also had several of their single barrels and since finding this specific bottle might be a challenge, give their single barrel a try.

Woodford Reserve, at least for us, is not preferred for drinking neat. However, it is fantastic in cocktails as its taste holds up very even though it is a lower proof. If you love the Kentucky Derby, you will want to collect their beautiful commemorative bottles.

Everyone has a different palate and different taste preferences. We are confident that at least one of these would be great for most people.

Cheers,
Rebecca & Wayne

Photos by Rebecca Herman McBrayer

Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey:
Such whiskeys have all the requirements of bourbon: Made in the U.S, distilled at <= 160 proof, barreled at <= 125 proof, aged in new, charred oak containers, bottled at >= 80 proof.

Straight bourbon means it is aged at least 2 years (and must have an age statement if less than 4). In addition, to be Kentucky Straight Bourbon, it has the additional requirement that it must be produced and aged at least 1 year in the state of Kentucky.

For additional information on bourbon requirements, please read this post – Bourbon Whiskey.

NOTE: The bourbons in this review were purchased by us. We were not compensated by the spirit producers for this review. This is simply our opinion based on what we tasted on this day. Please drink responsibly.