Spring is nearly upon us and that means one of the biggest bourbon country events of the year is also not far off: the Kentucky Derby. There are a number of whiskey brands with Kentucky Derby-related releases and sponsorships (generally from Brown-Forman), but Heaven Hill is first out of the gate this year with a limited-edition Evan Williams bourbon.
Evan Williams has served as an official sponsor of the Kentucky Derby Festival for eight straight years. Not to be confused with the Derby itself, the festival is a celebratory string of events held in the month leading up to the big race on May 4, all taking place in Louisville. This new bourbon is the latest release of Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage, Heaven Hill’s only vintage-dated single barrel in its roster of whiskeys. It was distilled in 2016 and bottled at 60.5% ABV.
Unique to the Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage is the fact that it’s hand-bottled and wax-sealed; this Kentucky Derby Festival limited-edition goes a step further, with the bottle dipped in silver wax (as opposed to its usual black wax) and a commemorative 52nd edition Gold Pegasus Pin on the neck. (The Pegasus Pin is modeled after the festival’s traditional symbol of the Pegasus, which has been around since the first Pegasus Parade in 1956, and kicks off the Derby Festival. Gold Pegasus Pins, including the one on the Evan Williams bottle, make the bearer eligible for the Gold Winner Grand Prize of $20,000—the winner will be announced on Friday, May 10.) Bottles of the limited edition 2016 Evan Williams Single Barrel are available at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience on Whiskey Row for $85, as well as at select retailers in Kentucky.
Last year, Heaven Hill decided to make Evan Williams Single Barrel a Kentucky-only release due to supply constraints, and fortunately for fans, this most Kentucky-esque of events still is getting its own unique version of this whiskey.
