A bottled-in-bond bourbon only makes sense for one of the biggest bourbon brands around.
With Heaven Hill backing it, Evan Williams bourbon has gained quite the big reputation in the whiskey world. Heaven Hill Distillery boasts big names like Henry McKenna, Bernheim, Rittenhouse Rye, Larceny, and the full Elijah Craig collection including Elijah Craig Small Batch and Elijah Craig Rye. But Evan Williams might just be the most recognizable.
Founded in the late 1700s, Evan Williams bourbon has floated around the market on and off for centuries. After being acquired by Heaven Hill, the brand became official and launched Evan Williams Black, Evan Williams Single Barrel, Evan Williams 1783, and their bottled-in-bond bourbon.
To be considered “Bottled-in-Bond,” a bourbon has to be exactly 100 proof, come from one distilling season, and aged at least four years. It’s a hard label to earn, so it’s not surprising that Evan Williams would go for the gold. Unfortunately, the resulting bourbon won’t exactly medal.
The first smell of Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond is certainly inviting. Rich vanilla and caramel are met with dark baking spices and a hint of Evan Williams corn. But the taste offers little of those enticing smells. Although there’s a faint bit of sweet vanilla, the taste is a flat combination of pepper and burnt sugar that abruptly drops off with a very fast finish. Sure
Sure a 100 proof can make it hard to juggle a ton of flavors, but it’s not impossible. For Evan Williams, the proof’s heat comes in so strong that the bourbon almost takes on an ethanol quality. This offering is certainly an affordable one, and makes for a pretty solid mixer, but it’s far from our favorite of the Evan Williams collection.
STATS: Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon
- Price for us: $18 for 750 mL
- Proof: 100
- Aged: 4 Years
- Distillery: Evan Williams, owned by Heaven Hill
- Recommendation: Mixer
