This is a cousin barrel to the Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage 2004 barrel 270 I reviewed a couple of weeks ago. Same distillation and bottling dates and stored one barrel away, yet noticeably different in the overall character and delivery. It’s always fascinating to me to see the differences that can emerge in whiskey from barrel to barrel.
Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage 2004 Info
Region: Kentucky, USA
Distiller: Heaven Hill
Mashbill: 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% barley
Cask: new charred oak
Age: 9 years (4/5/04 – 2/5/14)
ABV: 43.3%
Barrel: 268
Price: $23
Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage 2004 Review
EYE
Dark amber
NOSE
Bourbon spice, caramel and citrus zest lead the pack with some nice notes of vanilla, burnt toffee, dark fruit, nuts, wood and mint coming up behind. It’s not an overly complex aroma, but it’s really nice.
PALATE
Wood, molasses, burnt citrus, caramel, vanilla, bourbon spice dark fruit and mint. The mint is a bit lighter the rest and kicks up more towards the end, but other that it all comes through in roughly even increments.
FINISH
Long woody finish with notes of caramel, baking spices, dark fruit, mineral water and mint.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Moderately well balanced, a medium body and a smooth, but not watery, texture.
OVERALL
Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage 2004, Barrel 268, comes across as a good solid bourbon. Nothing amazing of groundbreaking, but still a good representation of Evan Williams and the bourbon category in general. It’s direct and bold without being overbearing and all-in-all is quite good. Definitely recommend picking up a bottle of Evan Williams Vintage if you haven’t already.
SCORE: 86/100
