Evan Williams Master Blend

Bourbz Review #9: Evan Williams Master Blend – 90 proof - $80(??)

Enjoyed neat, in a glencairn.

Appearance: Burnt amber. Fat, slow legs. Very viscous looking.

Nose: Apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side, and little ethanol burn.

Palate: Big green apple flavor with some notes of Werther’s caramel. There’s a light woody note that is overshadowed by the green apple, but it’s lingering in the background. This is quite oily and does very well at coating the mouth allowing that big green apple flavor to stay present for a while.

Finish: There’s a very light hug from this one but it lasts for an impressively long time. Some leather notes show up here and outlast the green apple that lingers on the pallet.

Rating: 6.7/10

Overall: When I first opened this bottle I wasn’t that impressed with it. When I tried it at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience, I remember it being a clear favorite, but the bottle did not remind me of it. After having the bottle opened for a few months, it’s really opened up and has returned to what I remembered from the tasting. This is a great Evan Williams expression! While I generally try and separate the price from my reviews, if you like the Evan Williams bourbon profile, for the price, this is a big step up from the standard black label, and a more pleasant experience than their BiB. While I liked the 12 year expression more than this Master Blend, this is a solid $50 less than the 12 year (I’ve slept too many times since we were there, but I believe I paid $80 for this Master Blend and the 12 year was $130). For the price difference, the Master Blend is a no-brainer, but on the same token, I would say the 1783 expression might be the sweet spot for me.

Behind the Bottle: The Evan Williams Master Blend can only be purchased at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience on Whiskey Row in Louisville, KY, (or at select retailers in KY). I’ve never been a big fan of the Evan Williams profile, but I can appreciate it from time to time, and when I sampled this one it really impressed me and I felt obliged to bring a bottle back home (exclusivity certainly had a role as well).

Evan Williams Master Blend is a blend of 5 expressions from Evan Williams:

• Signature Black Label
• Bottled-in-Bond
• 1783
• Single Barrel
• 23 Year

While they don’t specify what the percentage is of each, one can only assume it’s probably some really low percentage of the 23 year (I’m going to speculate 1% or less – there’s really not enough oakiness to make this seem like any substantial amount of 23 year juice. Plus, I think the 23 year in the mix is solely for marketing…). The rumors I was hearing from folks at the Evan Williams Experience was that the majority of the blend is believed to be 1783 and BiB expressions – this makes sense to me based on the robust flavor profile.

If you get a chance to try this out, I wouldn’t pass it up! Particularly if you like other Evan Williams expressions. It’s a fun sip, and I’ve made a few cocktails with it and that green apple profile makes for a delicious Horse’s Neck (2oz bourbon, 3oz ginger ale, 2 dashes bitter, lemon peel).

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I’d rather have.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect