EvanWilliams23Year

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