2014

Evan Williams Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Single Barrel Vintage 2003
Barreled on 3-31-03
Barrel No. 486
Bottled on 5-23-13
43.3% ABV
$20 to $27
Website

What the Distillery Says:
The world-renowned Single Barrel Bourbon from 6th and 7th generation father and son Master Distillers Parker and Craig Beam has garnered many prestigious awards since it was introduced in 1994. These include “Spirit of the Year – American Whiskey” from Food & Wine Magazine; “Domestic Whiskey of the Year” from Whisky Advocate; and “Whiskey of the Year” from The Spirit Journal, the first Bourbon upon which the publication has bestowed this prestigious title.

“Even though the mashbill—the grain recipe—is the same from year to year, we try to achieve a particular flavor profile with each vintage,” noted Parker Beam. “As this is our 18th vintage in the Evan Williams Single Barrel series, we feel like we have got the process of determining the taste profile and finding barrels that meet that profile pretty much perfected. This vintage is maybe a bit softer, with barrels drawn mostly from the middle floors of three of our best ventilated rickhouses.”

As with the previous 17 vintages, which are now highly sought after collector’s items, each bottle of the 2003 edition of Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage Bourbon is marked with the exact date that it was placed in oak and bottled, in addition to the exact serial number of the single barrel from which it was drawn.

The 86.6 proof Bourbon is matured in natural open-rick warehouses under the careful supervision of Heaven Hill’s father and son Master Distillers, who monitor the progress of each year’s vintage to ensure it maintains its intended flavor profile and superb quality.

What Richard Says:
Nose: A slight smokiness floats in over the stone fruits and vanilla.
Palate: Light and ridiculously easy to drink. A little spice pinches around the edges but mostly its a nice mellow vanilla and toffee sweetness. Honey, mint, and something that reminds me of store bought pina colada mix show up as you give it time to roll around on the tongue.
Finish: Mild and of medium length, the finish leaves wood to the side and slowly fades out on cinnamon, vanilla, mint.
Comments: If you’re a long time reader or just someone who took a look at our review archive you can see we’ve been reviewing these annual releases for years. I don’t have much to say about this release that I haven’t said of previous releases. In a nut shell, it’s a great buy and you can’t go wrong so pick one up.
Rating: Stands Out, Great Value

Heaven Hill Old Style Bourbon Bottled in Bond, 6 Years Old
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
50% ABV
$12

What Richard Says:
Nose: Slightly alcoholic opening up to sweet caramel covering vanilla pudding before easing into a nice honeysuckle.
Palate: Creamy with more vanilla and caramel sweetness with just a hint of leather and black pepper. Very easy to drink. On a follow up tasting session this was more corn forward than the earlier sessions. A bit of fluid bourbon (no pun intended) that changes a good bit depending on the situation and precedents.
Finish: A like hot at first and then it smooths out to a little woodiness and a good dose of black pepper and cinnamon.
Comments: No “the distillery says” section you ask? Well, that’s because they don’t say much of anything. Even in this day and age you’d be hard pressed to find a website from Heaven Hill featuring or even mentioning this version. It’s an old one that’s been around a while. It doesn’t get a lot of press but like the Very Old Barton Bottled in Bond we just reviewed this is an often overlooked very solid bourbon at a ridiculously good price. It’s not going to rock your world but for $12 you can sit back and enjoy good drink while all the Johnny-come-lately’s are paying $500 for a bottle of Van Winkle 10 year old.
Rating: Stands Out, Great Value

Very Old Barton Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Bottled in Bond
50% ABV
$12-$15
Website

What the Distillery Says:
Very Old Barton has been carefully distilled and aged for generations in Bardstown, Kentucky. This classic bourbon whiskey has a bold and rich taste that goes down smooth, just as it has for decades.

The opening sip rushes opulent flavors of vanilla bean, exotic close and worn leather over the tongue. As the experience progresses, the shear mass of this whiskey is realized. The velvety body flows through the pallet leaving a trail of royal splendor. The finish is as decadent as the beginning.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Vanilla, caramel, cornbread, cinnamon, and clove.
Palate: Burnt caramel syrup, black pepper, polish wood, oiled leather.
Finish: A little rough around the edges at first but it settles into a mellow oakiness.
Comments: You’ll notice from the photo that this is “Aged 6 Years”. You won’t find that anymore. Instead you’ll find a “6” on the neck in conspicuously the same place. Sazerac owns Barton and it’s brands along with Buffalo Trace. In recent years they keep touting their inventory shortages. I can understand that. Demand for bourbon keeps rising. But what I don’t understand is how the company is handling that. Several of their lowered priced brands have seen their age statements disappear to “allow them the flexibility to bottle the bourbon when it’s ready not when it hits a certain age.” Fair enough, but what isn’t fair is that a number of these bottle still have the number in the same place but without the “aged” and “years” to accompany it. Sazerac says the bourbon in here is still six years old and the taste profile hasn’t changed noticeably to me. However, I do take severe umbrage to leaving the six on there. Sazerac says they did market research and this was the best choice to the consumer but I don’t care. I still think its blatantly dishonest, misleading, and is just another in a series of moves like this by the company. I used to be a Buffalo Trace and Sazerac super fan but the way they are handling their inventory (or profit) problems I find appalling. They still make great whiskey and this is a great bourbon and the price is pretty hard to beat. But integrity is important to me too. It’s up to you to decide how you feel about the labeling (and potential product) changes the company is undergoing.
Rating: Stands Out, Great Value