Introducing our great Single Barrel Bourbons to new customers just may be the most enjoyable part of being Master Distiller. About a week before Christmas, I helped conduct a tasting of the latest Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage Bourbon at a large spirits retailer up in Louisville. It was late in the afternoon when most people were getting off work, so you can imagine how busy the store was.
Actually, I got the feeling most people wanted to be someplace else at that time of day-tuckered out after a week of working or beat up after being stuck in holiday traffic. Some even had that "get-me-out-of-here-as-quick-as-you-can" look in their eyes, so by the time they reached us, they had their shopping carts in high gear. But when they saw my partner and me at our little table, a lot people stopped and took us up on our invitation to sample our whiskey.
It wasn't gulp and go, either.
They'd sip thoughtfully, savor the taste and when they found out I was the guy who made the whiskey, they'd hit me with all kinds of questions. I told them if they didn't like the Bourbon, to blame me. Of course nobody did. Either everybody was too polite or they really did like the smooth taste of the Evan Williams Single Barrel.
Most folks wanted to know what makes a vintage-dated Single Barrel Bourbon so special. Now, you know me, that's just about my favorite subject. So I'd start by showing them the label. I'd point out the date our whiskey went into the barrel, what barrel it went into and why that barrel was chosen over all the others for such an exclusive bottling. I'd explain how the whiskey inside had come to embody all the qualities of the flavor profile we had set out to achieve and that it had now become a truly great Bourbon. Those harried customers stopped being harried for a minute and we had some fun.
One for Uncle Joe, one for...US!
The store owner was featuring the Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage Bourbon gift pack that included a couple of glasses along with the bottle. For a true Bourbon lover, the package made a great gift. And once folks got to taste the whiskey, they realized that, too. A number of people even came back to pick up a second set. One couple said they couldn't bear to give the Bourbon away so they had to get a "gift" to give themselves.
If folks wanted me to, I'd sign their bottle in gold ink to make it a kind of special souvenir. Now I know what Barry Bonds feels like autographing baseballs. Good feeling. Mighty good.
Parker Beam,
Master Distiller
