Howdy, Junior’s Bourbon Hall. I was able to book the Choc-ology: A Whiskey & Chocolate Tasting Experience at Evan Williams in downtown Louisville, KY. What goes better with bourbon than chocolate? Cigars are one but those are not edible. Steak is another but not really finger food. So maybe chocolate is the best. Time to dig in and find out.
This was a great “Tour” as you started by going downstairs and then having to knock on a safe door. Then they asked you a question so you can get into the prohibition bar and have your tasting and treats. Obviously, they tell you what is going to be asked and the answer but, it was kind of a cool way to get into the tasting.
When you walk into the bar area there is a plethora of antiques and memorabilia from Evan Williams and Bourbon in general. It was interesting to see and the history of Evan in bottles and pictures.
We sit down to a tasting of five different Evan Williams Bourbons and 4 chocolates and one marshmallow on a stick. Very interesting start to the tasting.
The following were part of the bourbon tasting:
Evan Williams Single Barrel
Evan Williams Master Blend
Rittenhouse Rye
Square 6 Wheated Bourbon Evan Williams Black
The Chocolates that correspond to the bourbon
Milk Chocolate
Dark Chocolate
Orange Dark Chocolate (Those chocolate orange ball things)
Orange Mile Chocolate
Charred Marshmallow
For the tasting we learned a bit about the history of Evan Williams and that they are owned by Heaven Hill and they are still a private company. Each distillery operates on its own and they do some collaborative items. This was interesting as many of the other distilleries are owned by a large corporation in Japan or other foreign entities. The person giving the tasting was very good with plenty of knowledge on the bourbon, history of Evan Williams, and why the chocolate was chosen to go with the bourbon.
The Tasting
The first bourbon was the Evan Williams Single Barrel. The proof is 86.6 which is lower then a normal single barrel. When I hear single barrels, I think the 120+ proof bourbon. This bourbon had a nice flavor, and caramel came through for me. Taking a bite of the chocolate with the bourbon the caramel flavor is enhanced. So, I am thinking the higher sugar in the milk chocolate will bring out the flavors you are tasting in the bourbon.
The second bourbon is the Master Blend coming in at 90 proof. This is a blend of the various expressions from Evan Williams. When I sipped the bourbon, I had a very strong flavor of butterscotch and a fruity taste. This tasted so good I ended up buying a bottle of the master blend.
Up next was the 100 proof Rittenhouse rye. This rye is the perfect rye to make all your rye cocktails, especially Manhattan. Good Strong rye flavor and strong enough to stand up with mixes. When you take this spicy flavor and pair it with a bite of chocolate and orange you get a very spicy citrus flavor that makes your taste buds dance.
Fourth was the Square 6 Wheated Bourbon coming in at 105 proof. This did not taste like 105 as it really didn’t have a Kentucky hug or bit on the front or back of your mouth. This came across sweet with a nutty flavor. When you take a bite of the orange milk chocolate the bourbon becomes a touch sweeter and the chocolate orange comes out in your mouth.
The last bourbon we tasted was Evan Williams Black coming in at 86 proof. This is their flagship low-cost bourbon. There was plenty of flavor and you didn’t have much of the alcohol flavor as you do with some of the cheaper bourbons you can drink. When tasting I did get the vanilla flavor coming through on both the smell and taste. Here is where this sample gets fun. You get to toast your marshmallow and when you eat the toasted marshmallow with the bourbon the vanilla comes out and you almost feel like you are eating a smoked smore. Made the bourbon that much better.
This was a fun and exciting tasting experience. You try five of Evan’s stable of bourbons and get samples of chocolates along with it. Anyone that loves chocolate or bourbon should try this tasting. Leave a comment let me know if you have tried this tasting or opinions on the bourbon
Junior
