Evan Williams Kentucky Straight Bourbon is a whiskey brand produced and bottled in Kentucky by the Heaven Hill company. Evan Williams Single Barrel Kentucky Bourbon’s are produced in limited quantities for selected markets in North America, and they have been winning awards since 1990 in a variety of Spirit’s journals, magazines and contests including Gold Medals at the Prestigious San Fransisco World Spirits Competition for their 1993 and 1994 bottlings.
In 2009, Single Barrel bottlings from 1998 began to appear in the Alberta marketplace. The particular 1998 vintage bottle that caught my attention was bottle number 413 which was set in oak on September 9, 1998, and bottled April 18, 2008.
Here is a link to the review of the #64 spirit in my Rum Howler Top 100 Spirits Countdown.
#64 – Evan Williams Single Barrel Kentucky Bourbon (1998)
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You may follow my Countdown list of the 100 Best Spirits here: The Rum Howler 2015 – Top 100 Spirits
The Collingwood 21 Year Old is a 100% malted rye whisky. It was aged in both new oak and refill oak barrels and after 21 years of aging the whisky was set down in a stainless steel marrying vat with staves of maple wood just like its younger sibling.
The Centenary Blend (now replaced by the younger Gold Label Reserve) was reputed to contain 15 separate single malt whiskies each aged a minimum of 18 years. Of these single malts four in particular have been noted as being key to the distinctive taste of Johnnie Walker Gold: Talisker generates the general character of the blend; Clynish generates the brine and seaside ambiance; Royal Lochnagar imparts the luxurious palate; and Cardhu lingers in the throat and provides the finish. I have read some claims that grain whiskies are in the blend as well, but whether that is true I have no confirmation. Grain Whiskies if present would certainly add vibrancy and character to the overall blend as well.
The Plantation Guatemala Gran Anejo is a Guatemalan rum blend which is produced from sugar cane syrup (rather than molasses) on a short column still. The rum is aged for a minimum of four years in bourbon casks in Guatemala after which it is transported from Guatemala to France to be placed in used Cognac casks for a finishing time of five months.
Zacapa rums are matured using a complicated process they call ‘Sistema Solero’. The subject of my review, Ron Zacapa Centenario 15, is produced from rums which range in age from 5 years to 15 years. The barrels used for aging are a mixture of American Whisky casks, and Sherry and Pedro Ximenez wine barrels. The combination of high altitude aging and the variety of reused oak barrels creates a complex rum with a rich aroma and flavour. This rum is bottled at 40 % alcohol by volume, and available through the duty-free trade (at major airports).
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