Evan Williams 23 Year Old Bourbon

23 years. Single barrel. Heaven Hill's most age-forward Evan Williams expression — the high-rye mashbill at 23 years of Kentucky aging, producing the deep oak integration, leather complexity, and concentrated dried fruit that only extended maturation achieves.

Evan Williams was a Welsh immigrant who settled in Kentucky and established a distillery on the banks of the Ohio River in Louisville in 1783 — making him one of the earliest commercial distillers in Kentucky's history. Heaven Hill's Evan Williams label honors this founding heritage. The 23 Year represents the brand at its most extreme age point — Heaven Hill's high-rye mashbill (75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley) at nearly a quarter century of barrel aging.

At 23 years, the rye grain's natural assertiveness has been fully integrated into the oak structure rather than expressing as separate spice. The caramel and vanilla of Heaven Hill's production have deepened to extraordinary concentration, joined by aged leather, dried fruit, and the profound oak character that 23 annual Kentucky temperature cycles produce. As a single barrel, each bottle is a unique expression of this 23-year program — slight variation in proof and character between barrels making every Evan Williams 23 Year a distinct individual.

Tasting Notes

• Appearance: Very deep amber with the extraordinary color concentration of 23-year maturation.
• Nose: Deep and complex — caramel, leather, aged oak, and dried fruit from the high-rye mashbill at 23-year maturity.
• Palate: Rich and full — deep oak integration, dried fruit, leather, and warm spice in a unified, complex expression.
• Finish: Long and oak-forward — the extended aging producing a finish that evolves rather than simply fades.

Specs

• Distillery: Heaven Hill Bernheim Distillery, Louisville, Kentucky
• Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Single Barrel
• Age: 23 years
• Size: 750ml

Browse all bourbon at Wooden Cork.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Who was Evan Williams? A Welsh immigrant who established one of Kentucky's earliest commercial distilleries on the Ohio River in Louisville in 1783. Heaven Hill's Evan Williams label honors his status as one of the founding figures of Kentucky's distilling heritage.
• How does Evan Williams 23 Year compare to Elijah Craig 23 Year? Both are Heaven Hill expressions from the same high-rye mashbill at the same 23-year age statement. The Evan Williams label honors the distilling heritage side of Heaven Hill's founding story; the Elijah Craig label honors the charred oak barrel legend. In the glass they are from the same production program at the same age — the specific barrel selection and warehouse position producing the variation between individual bottles.
• Is this the oldest Evan Williams age statement? Yes — 23 years is the oldest commercially released Evan Williams age-statement expression, representing the outer boundary of what Heaven Hill releases under this label.
• Is the Evan Williams 23 Year still available? Yes — available now in limited quantities.