Evan Williams is one of Kentucky’s most prominent bourbon brands, with a portfolio that includes a multitude of bourbons, flavored whiskeys, and liqueurs. Evan Williams Bottled in Bond, otherwise referred to as Evan Williams White label, was introduced to the market in 2012. It shares the same mashbill as many other Heaven Hill brands.

This is a Bottled in Bond (BiB) bourbon. To be labelled BiB, the whiskey must be the product of one distillation season and one distiller at a single distillery, aged in a federally bonded warehouse under U.S. government supervision for at least four years, and it must be bottled at exactly 100 proof. Additionally, the BiB label must clearly identify the distillery where it was distilled and where it was bottled, if different.

Tasting Notes:

Nose:
Loads of sugary sweetness. Vanilla, caramel, a hint of gingerbread, and candied dark fruit pour forth from the glass in a balanced array sweet scents. It’s light on alcohol and absent of any woody or oak notes making it quite nice, albeit heavy handed with the sweeter elements.

Palate:
It almost flattens out on my tongue, settling in the base of my mouth without the spicy, tingly pop on the roof of my mouth that I sometimes notice with higher proof bourbons. Like the nose, flavors of wood and oak are absent here, as sweet notes of vanilla, caramel, burnt brown sugar, and a touch of black pepper take over. It’s full flavored and assertive with a welcomed amount of heat, though I would still describe it as smooth for its proof. It has character, but it’s not complex by any means as it has a somewhat one-dimensional focus on sweeter elements.

Finish:
The sweet elements from the palate dissipate quickly with a crisp and abrupt drop-off. A subtle bit of oak creeps in after that, giving way to a fairly dry, medium-length finish.