Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage 1992

[boone]

Critical Acclaim for the Newest Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage.

While the Evan Williams Single Barrel 1992 Vintage won't start shipping to comsumers until January, it was unveiled to a select group of writers in August and is already receiving major awards. Following on the tradition of previous bottlings named "Whiskey of the Year," the major honors. 1992 vintage has just received two Food & Wine magazine named the 1992 vintage "Spirit of the Year" in the American Whiskey catergory, noting that this particular vintage is "a killer" and "has been polished to a warm, gorgeous glow." It was also named as a "Best Bottling of 2001" by Wine Enthusiast and F. Paul Pacult. It received the Highest Recommendation (sore of 96-100) and was noted as "Best Buy." He also awarded the 1992 vintage the five star "classic" designation in The Spirit Journal, the highest possible honor awarded.

This is from our "new" newsletter.

Yes, Linn I will get a bottle before you do and no I will not drink it.

boone

[Guest **DONOTDELETE**]

Great post Betty Jo! You just love to torture me don't you? That's OK I can take it. I'm lookin forward to yet another killer bottling of Evan Williams Single Barrel. I think the '91 showed up around March. A ray of warming sunshine on cold winter's day. I'll be sure to do a tasting on it. Even though all those other awards are nice to have - a high pants rating is where it's at. I've never had a five pants bourbon. Maybe the '92 vintage EWSB could be the first. We shall see.

Linn Spencer

Have Shotglass. Will Travel.

[Guest **DONOTDELETE**]

Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage 1992

Barrel #18 Barreled on 09/16/92 and bottled on 01/04/02

Proof: 86.6

Distiller: Heaven Hill Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky - U.S.A.

Master Distiller: Parker Beam

Mashbill: 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley. A set back of 30% is used to sour the mash. This is the classic Heaven Hill recipe.

In Your Eye: A classic 'red-eyed' amber.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full body that coats the tongue like a light corn syrup.

Up Your Nose: Very spicey with topnotes of nutmeg and cloves, and some subtile cinnamon also. Dawn breaks over the mountains and the rays of first light slowly slinks down onto the forest below.The autum air is crisp and clean. A pair of does nuzzle through the freshly fallen oak leaves to find their favorite food - acorns! This bourbon has that very distinct aroma of the whitetail woods. Fresh oak leaves and acorns on the forest floor.If you listen to your glass very carefully you can hear the chipmonks playing in the leaves. Very earthy in every way. There are some very subtile undertones of a field of ripening corn still on the stalk and just a whiff of hand cranked vanilla ice cream.

On The Buds: Very herbal and woody. There is a playful yeasty-malty thing (that's a technical term) going on that I can't describe. In the south east from Danville, Virginia on down through both of the Carolinas and on into Georgia there is a special kind of red clay soil. Tobbacco loves to grow in this stuff, but not much else. It also makes great bricks. Most seven and eight year old girls swear by it in the making of their award winning mud pies. If you've never tasted a red clay mud pie you're in for a real treat! All you have to do is drink a bottle of this stuff and you'll know right away just how special the flavor of a red clay mud pie truly is!

The Finish Line: Tart, slightly tannic, somewhat hurried and very very DRY.

Overview: Heaven Hill is clearly following Buffalo Trace's lead in the earth mother/ musty/ musky flavor profile for bourbon. It's interesting, but not what I expected at all. It's different from any Heaven Hill whiskey I have ever had.

Pants Rating - You only need to wear one pair of pants with this bourbon.

Linn Spencer

Have Shotglass. Will Travel.

[Guest **DONOTDELETE**]

I received a letter from Mike Sonne the Quality Control Manager at Heaven Hill. It reads in part: "I received your bottle and set it up against our library sample of barrel # 18. I brought in all my bourbon tasters and let them nose the samples, no one could see any difference or could get any musty character what so ever. I am at a loss for any explanation to your dissqtisfaction of this barrel."

It must be that I just don't like the flavor profile that was chossen for the '92 vintage. Oh well there is always next years Vintage 1993 to look forward to.

Heaven Hill also reimbursed me for the cost of the bourbon plus shipping.

Linn Spencer

Have Shotglass. Will Travel.

[cowdery]

For the record, I'm on my second bottle of the '92 and I love it. Yes, I'm drinking the one Parker signed.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://cowdery.home.netcom.com>--Chuck Cowdery</A>

[Guest **DONOTDELETE**]

That's what I love about this forum, Chuck. Great diversity of personal preferences and opinions. No political correctness nazis shoving the 'must like everything' mantra down our throats.

I should think that anyone that favors wheaters - Maker's Mark in particular; or enjoys a dry sherry, vermouth, or cognac will adore this bottling.

I'm not going to bad mouth or bash it in any way. I just don't like it. For the same money I'd much rather have Russell's Reserve or Knob Creek. Or for a little more Woodford Reserve. Or I could buy twice as much Elijah Craig 12 y.o. which I also think tastes much better that EWSB V '92.

The more I think about it the more the v '92 reminds me of 'Fighting Cock'. Some people call this the 'kickin' chickin', I call it the 'krappy klucker'. It is the very worst stuff I've ever tasted from Heaven Hill. The very last thing I want to drink is a single barrel version of the 'Krappy Klucker'.

BA-Gaha!!!

[That's 'kickin' chickin' for put your pants back on and buy a better bourbon!]

Ba-GA-HA=Ha-HA!! > > That's 'kickin' chickin'' for if you want really good bourbon drink Wild Turkey!!!!!!

Good God somebody say "Amen"!

Russel's Reserve; Rare Breed' and Kentucky Spirit.

May the Good Lord Almighty bless us all!

Some people sin. Other's drink Wild Turkey!

Linn Spencer

Have Shotglass. Will Travel.

[Bob]

I picked up a bottle of the Evan Williams 1992 Single Barrel, and like it. My bottle was from barrel number 57, so it may be that some of the barrels were not so good, but I think #57 is quite nice. It was barreled on 9/22/92 and bottled on 1/29/02. Not as complex flavors as some of my favorite Wild Turkey's (Rare Breed, Kentucky Spirit) but nice nonetheless, especially for the price (approx $20 in NY). Has anyone else tried Barrel 57? I will try to post better tasting notes in the future.

Bob

[Guest **DONOTDELETE**]

Well Bob! Thanks for your first post, and welcome to bourbonia! Post your tasting notes when you can.

Linn Spencer

Have Shotglass. Will Travel.

[Bob]

Linn,

Indeed I will post some tasting notes. We communicated together on Yahoo's Bourbon Club a few months ago, you had recommended that I check this site out. It's much more informative. Did you get a new bottle from Heaven Hill, as I think I saw posted? If so, what barrel was it from, and did your impressions change?

Bob

[Guest **DONOTDELETE**]

Oh! OK Bob now I remember. It's good you found your way here. I just had to re-read this thread just to be sure of what I had said.

No, I never did bother to buy another bottle. If the bottle I sent back truely matched the flavor profile as Mike Sonne said it did (I've no reason not to believe him) then all this means is that I don't like this vintage.

Chuck likes it, but no one else from the forun has weighed in on the matter. So if anyone else has had the '92 vintage speak up and let us know what you think of it.

Linn Spencer

Have Shotglass. Will Travel.

[redwizard6]

I'm having some Ev sb bottled 11-04-02 barrel # 397.What an absolute joy!! I love this stuff.. Cinnamony cloves. hint of vanila on the nose, Spicy, yeast, oaky on the pallet. Dry finish. It is the Bomb!! But then I'm drinking it with an FF OPUSX #5.(see smokes) so I'll try it solo and check back in. But his is, IMHO, some very fine stuff!! 3 1/2 pants!! Tim

[cowdery]

By the way, the 1993 should start to appear in stores any day now.

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Stopped by my favorite retailer today here in Houston to pick up another EWSB93....but there in the back of the row were two bottles of EWSB92. Picked up one of each. Can't wait to try them side-by-side.

[Paradox]

I'd love to know what you think of them both after trying them. There are many here who did not like the 92 but a few, myself included, found the 92 very good. Hey, before you know it the 94 is going to be out and you'll be able to try 3 side by side!

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Finally got to match up the EWSB92 and 93. Generally speaking they have similar flavor profiles. The 92 is much darker in the glass than 93 with a heavier, earthier nose and taste. The 93 is noticably lighter (relatively) and more spicy. Right now I prefer the 93, but its still hot and humid here in Texas and lighter is better when sitting outside with a cigar. I'll go back for the EWSB92 this winter. Looking forward to the 94.