Evan Williams Single Barrel 1986 Vintage First Release 750ml

Evan Williams Single Barrel 1986 Vintage First Release — the founding vintage of Heaven Hill's Evan Williams Single Barrel program, which launched in 1994 as the first American distillery single barrel vintage program to carry a specific bottling date on each bottle. The 1986 First Release is the program's inaugural expression and the oldest documented vintage in the program's history.

Heaven Hill launched the Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage program in 1994 with the 1986 vintage as the First Release — drawing on barrels that had been aging since 1986, approximately 8 years, to establish the program's foundational vintage. As the inaugural release, the 1986 First Release is the rarest and most historically significant expression in the entire Evan Williams Single Barrel program.

Each Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage bottle carries a specific bottling date stamped on the label — the first American distillery to implement this individual barrel dating system. The 1986 First Release established that standard.

Specs

• Distillery: Heaven Hill, Bardstown, Kentucky
• Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Single Barrel, Vintage
• Vintage: 1986 — First Release (founding)
• Program: Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage
• Size: 750ml

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the 1986 First Release historically significant?

The 1986 is the founding vintage of the first American distillery single barrel vintage program to carry specific bottling dates — a practice that became standard across the industry and defined the modern single barrel collecting category. As the inaugural release, this bottle is the origin point of that tradition.