Evan Williams Single Barrel 1999 Vintage

Evan Williams makes some excellent bourbon and has released single barrel vintages since 1990. The latest in stores is the 1999, bottled in February of this year, so not quite 10 years old. It's bottled at 86.6 proof, or 43.3% ABV. 10 years is a long time for bourbon to spend in a barrel, and this one shows it. The color is quite a light gold, but the wood hits the nose right off the bat. Vanilla is in there (as one would expect from oak barrels) and it is spicy and sweet at the same time. It has a very round mouth feel -- soft and smooth. Adding water brings some more sweetness forward, but it still has lots of wood. I would recommend trying this one on ice. The chill softens the wood and brings out more of the spicy notes.