The standard issue Evan Williams Bourbon comes with a black label and the “upgraded” bottled-in-bond version comes with a white label. Which is slightly interesting to me because it’s the opposite with Jim Beam whose entry level is the white label and “upgraded” version is the the black label. Though they do now have the Jim Beam Bonded which sports a gold label. Apologies if you don’t find it interesting but I’ve been a marketer for 10+ years so I always find it at least mildly interesting to see how different brands represent their products. Anywho…
Supposedly founded in 1783, Evan Williams is one of Heaven Hill’s 2 flagship brads (the other being Elijah Craig). The story as HH tells it is that Evan Williams was a Kentucky settler who started distilling in 1783 and was the first distiller in KY. However, given the long history of illicit distilling in that part of the country, there’s no way to prove that. Though there is another issue with the origin story that arises from historian Michael Veach who has evidence that Williams didn’t leave London till 1794. Historical quibbles aside, this is still a brand that’s been around for a long time and has been a part of Kentucky’s long Bourbon History.
Evan Williams Bourbon Info
Region: Kentucky, USA
Distiller: Heaven Hill Distillery
Mashbill: 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% barley
Cask: new charred oak
Age: NAS (rumored to be 5-7 years)
ABV: 43%
Price: $12
Evan Williams Bourbon Review
EYE
New leather
NOSE
Dark sweets like caramel and butterscotch pair up with some notes of vanilla frosting and corn to start things off. Hints of dark fruit, red licorice and spice soon shows up and a light touch of woody astringency arrives fashionably late.
PALATE
Caramel corn, peppery spice, dark fruit, citrus rind, imitation vanilla and corn nuts. Not wildly complex, but a far cry from being terrible.
FINISH
Medium and filled with notes of raw corny grain, caramel, peanut butter and a touch of spice.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Balanced for what it is, medium body and a light warm feel.
OVERALL
I like Evan Williams Bourbon. It’s a solid, down-to-earth bourbon that’s easy to drink neat and works alright in cocktails. It’s a bourbon that serves its purpose well when you’re having friends over and is a pleasantly sweet after-dinner whiskey. I do enjoy the Single Barrel Vintage versions of it better than this, the standard Evan Williams Black Label release, but they’re 2x the price and if you’re looking for something that’s cheap and doesn’t taste bad this is the bottle for you.
SCORE: 83/100
EW Black is a winner
Surprised at how much I like EW Black. It strikes me as a better, smoother JD. I was into Jim Beam White before, but now drinking EW Black and really enjoying it.
Cheers!
Good inexpensive bourbon that compares well with the pricier stuff.
Nice review; been drinking Evan Willimas black label for decades; started out looking for a good cheap bourbon for cooking, occasionally sampling it . I liked it so well I replaced my drinking stuff with this. As I progresssed in age and financial status, I figured I should be drinking the expensive stuff. I tried most of them, but kept coming back to EW. Not that the expensive bourbons aren’t good, but at 2-3 times the price, they’re not that much better. I’ll stick with EW.
Ken, that’s exactly how I feel about WT 101. I buy it regularly, Ilove it and when I try new stuff it’s the one that I compare it to in the back of my mind. I’ll happily let others spend hundreds on mediocre bottles of bourbon and then I’ll just sit here happily sipping my WT 101. Cheers!
Evan Williams Black Label is a good everyday bourbon. Not as good as Makers Mark or Bullitt, but much better than Jim Beam. Easy on the mouth, and a good finish.
And easy on the wallet. Cheers Greg!
Evan Williams...first rate whiskey.
I’ve been an Evan Williams drinker for many years…it’s simply the best. Just now drinking some EW 100 proof, with a white label…usually stick with the 86….but very nice.
Nice, I love that white label BiB as well. Cheers Cliff!
As a bartender and part owner in a bar, I have tried many bourbons over the years, My favorite is wild turkey. Evan Williams has always been My #2 pick. If someone was to ask for an inexpensive drinkable bourbon, I’ll recommend Evan Williams.
It’s always a good one, especially the Bonded. I always have that on hand.
New to whiskeys, trying a bit of everything. Evan Williams was my second bourbon, the first being Knob Creek. When I first cracked open the bottle, I got, I thought, a whiff of vinegar. Almost turned me off, but then it turned out to be a pretty darn good sipping bourbon; I like it better than the Knob Creek. It’ll definitely be a budget-friendly mainstay in the shed bar.
Nice, glad you like it Kerry. Cheers!
Well it’s nice to see all these positives about Evan Williams Whiskey especially the Black label which has been my “Go To” whiskey for 20 years. I am a light daily drinker one shot straight (neat) at night after supper or sometimes before to help me sleep off my manual labor body aches.
As advised by my dad’s practice of this ritual for 68 0f his 88 years His favorite was Four Roses.
He never had any health issues due to it. Whiskey does wonders for this purpose. I hit the hay and I am asleep within a couple of minutes. Without it I roll around like a rotisserie chicken trying to fall asleep. Not all alcohol does this for me. Scotch and Irish whiskies although excellent in their own right leave me heartburnin’ and belching into the sandman hour.
Well as far as E.W. Black goes, I love it. it has a pleasant taste smooth as some of the best no burn, no heavy head pop.
I have tasted all of the low end and cost point brands. “Jack Daniels Black label is overrated not even close to E.W. Black. None of the others in my estimation come close for smoothness and reliable taste consistency as E.W. does
The mid to higher end affordable ones. I have tried :Basil Hayden, Bookers, Buffalo Trace, Bulleit, Four Roses, “, J.W. Dant, Knob Creek, Makers Mark, Woodford, and others of that stripe I like. They are all good in their own right. Yet they do not impress me as being a whole lot better than E.W. Black or White label.
I have been gifted with expensive whiskies $50 to $100 1/5 and I wondered about the practical value at my level of consumption.
I declare Evans.William.Black label has a time tested reliable recipe that works for me.
I will continue to enjoy until I run out of my time.
Rick BeauSoleil
Wow, this was a great read. Thank you for sharing this with us Rick!
Evan Williams Black Label is my go to for when I want a decent every day bourbon. Cheaper than Jim Beam (in Canada), and much better tasting. I even request our local liquor board store get in stock, and I found out I am not the only one who loves it. Two thumbs up.
Awesome man, cheers!
Been putting off trying this for years now. My lowest price bourbons were Old Bardstown and Jim Beam Black, both of which I would describe as unimpressive. So I finally grabbed one and found it a bit hot, but a nice spicy note better than a lot of the wheaters and such. I am now enjoying a very nice old fashioned. Not bad at all. Cheers!
Awesome, thanks for sharing Randy. Cheers!
This is MY bourbon
I’ve tried them all, but EW black has long since become my regular bourbon. Used to drink the slightly more expensive (and longer aged) 1783, but I really like the black label best.
Super tasty and a great value to boot. Thanks for sharing. Cheers David!
There are alot better ones
I texted my wife with the instructions to buy Old Forrester but it was sold out so she came home with this EW she did OK I love her. I’m not a huge fan of this because I drink it straight and this is lacking in depth with some bottom shelf flavors. For $5 more the Old Forrester blows it away…hah but this won’t go to waste. For the price I give it a 3
Totally agree with OF being a big flavor jump for just a couple bucks more. Thanks for sharing Ken, Cheers!
EW Black Label has been my ‘go to’ bottle since I started drinking bourbon. Always enjoy having a bottle of Buffalo Trace or Eagle Rare or a Woodford Reserve on hand, but they aren’t always readily available in my market plus more $$. I’ve just bought a bottle of Ezra Brooks for comparison. I think I’m a fan.
Nice, I’m glad you found something that works for ya. It’s a lovely bourbon and if you get the chance to try the white label (Bottled In Bond) jump on it. I think it’s worth the extra couple of bucks for the bolder profile it delivers. Cheers Bill!
Went on the Evan Williams tour this past May. While I am not a huge fan of the black label, it seems it is very well received by most here anyways. I just opened a bottle of the single barrel a few minutes ago. While this is a little costlier I paid $27 in Arizona the color, flavor and finish is absolutely incredible. While on the tour I also tried the BIB which is quite good too I don’t find it anywhere near the single barrel. Also if you ever have the opportunity and some spare money, I would highly suggest getting the red label. This is only available in Louisville or Japan, the problem is I paid $130/bottle, not really worth it but bought 2 on the tour. The red is a 12-year and is incredible. Though would never purchase at that price again as the single barrel comes pretty damn close in every metric to the red
I’m a big fan of that BiB, but have to agree I’ve had some of the single barrels that have been incredible. Good to know about the red label. Thanks for sharing Dan, Cheers!
I really enjoy Evan Williams Bourbon. Where I live Scotch (my preferred liqour costs too much for my favorite, Glenlivet. So I switched to bourbon. I like Evan Williams but I do prefer something with more rye in it…like 1792 or Jim Beam Pre Prohibition Rye.
Cheers!
Great taste, great price.
Evan Williams Black tastes great. Evan Williams BIB is even better, but no complaints either way. I stopped drinking Wild Turkey 101 because after taxes here in Seattle is $28 a fifth or $53 a handle, whereas Evan Williams Black is $33 a handle after taxes. Evan Williams BIB is better but it’s $20 a fifth, so for that reason I am happy to drink black label at $33 after taxes. I hate this liberal, tax happy state. Lol.
Great value and taste
Can’t beat B-I_B I tried them all and for the price, the taste and the proof can’t beat this one. Used to drink Maker’s Mark, then Weller, and recently tried Tin Cup.. After finishing Tin Cup, went back to Williams B-I-B. It’s good over ice, neat, with a splash of water or mixed. Why go with more expensive brands when this one does it all?
Hard to disagree with that. Thanks for sharing, cheers JerryDV!
I’m shocked that there’s no mention of the honeyed sweetness on the finish. It warms the mouth with a syrupy honey taste.
Josh ………….
Straight from Bethany Sherman @ the Heaven Hill website:
Heaven Hill Bourbon Mashbill is: 78% corn, 12% malted barely, 10% rye
This is the mashbill for all HH bourbons. (including EW & EC and others) Thought you might want to know …………. Love your reviews. Keep ’em coming. :)
Rich …………….
Thanks Rich, cheers!
Nice objective review. Bang for the buck a good whiskey. Good luck on further writing endeavors too.
Thank you, cheers!
Hey Josh. I like to try different brands, form my own opinion, then check to see what you think about that brand. I value your opinion, and I agree with you totally on EW. For the money, I think it is great. Tastes good, mixes good and priced right. Always (at least to me) tastes the same. Cannot find your opinion on Ezra Brooks. Have you rated it and I’m just missing it? Thought it was awful. Thanks.
Hey Douglas, I haven’t done EB yet, but it is coming along with some similar stuff. Looking at the queue it’s about 3-4 weeks away, but definitely in the works. And thank you :)
Cheers!
I just compared the more expensive Woodford Reserve distillery special to Evan Williams Black and there is no comparison in my opinion and I am a whiskey – bourbon patron of many years. Evan Williams though much cheaper is by far the better tasting bourbon whiskey. Woodford Reserve has a dull almost medicinal taste on the tongue and palate and the after-effect is about as bad. Give me Evan Williams any day over WR and it is much easier on my pocket book. Expensive bourdons are not necessarily the best tasting bourdons.
Very true. Cheers Allen!
This continues to be my go-to bourbon. HH has the best line up of inexspensine bourbons especially in the bottle in bond area. No other distiller comes close.
They have a great lineup indeed. I’m quite partial to the Bonded myself :) Cheers!
A co-worker who was traveling to my office gave me bottle yesterday. He had planned to drink some of it after hours but never got around to it. I haven’t had any Evan Williams since 1979 when price and color were the driving factors in making a purchase decision. It will be interesting to see how I feel about it nearly 40 years later.
I was very surprised and pleased when I poured the EW last night. Maybe it is not super complex but so what. Sometimes it is the simple things in life that you need, like comfort food and playing Go Fish. EW black has great flavor in spades, is very enjoyable neat, and as mentioned above, has not a hint of acetone. All in all, a very nice bourbon.
Glad you liked it and thanks for sharing. Cheers Tony!
Glad we got to hear the end of that story :)
I love the green label bourbon (not the egg-nog w/ the green label). I use to buy the black label till I discovered the green label, and I can only find it in North Vernon Indiana. It is EW’s best in my book.
Never gotten to try it, but would love to!
I call BULLSHIT on smelling and tasting different fruits and spices that aren’t part of the recipe….but…I have performed a bunch of blind taste tests over the years and most people have liked Evan Williams best. I’m such a fan I have 2 sons 37 and 34 named Kristoffer Evan and Travis William.
Call bullshit all you want, but it’s scientifically proven that there are over 300 flavor and aroma compounds in whisk(e)y that SIMULATE other compounds naturally occurring in other foods. No there aren’t ACTUALLY apples, pears, etc., but compounds that REMIND people of those taste and smell experiences. It wouldn’t have been hard to use Google to discover any of this before dumping that gem of an insight that you so desperately had to get off your chest… but hey. Glad you enjoy Evan Williams. Cheers!
I know it’s been said by a number of people, but I really am blown away by the quality of Evan Williams. In my opinion, it may be the best value in spirits today overall, especially considering that it has to be aged for a number of years. I feel it has great balance between spirit/grain and oak, which I really like. The grain character doesn’t dominate the oak character and the oak character doesn’t dominate the grain character. It also doesn’t have that acetone quality that I unfortunately find with too many bourbons. For some reason, I often find that I prefer the less fancy/expensive bourbons and the more fancy/expensive single malt scotches.
Crazy right? Cheers man!
I just bought my second bottle of this stuff and I love it. I live in BC, Canada, and Evan Williams isn’t widely available. They do however sell it exclusively in my city at one liquor store. I find it sooo much better than other budget bourbons like Jim Beam. Like night and day. I’ve been using it to make old fashioned’s and have not been disappointed. Does alright on it’s own too.
Overall it’s a damn good bourbon. For it’s price, it’s frickin outstanding.
Cheers Dustin!
Hey jimmy ilike your name im a jimmy to so is my big kid your the best EV black lable might make my kid have a jimmy 3 its a very nice bourbon for all places when poured in glass
First try of Evan Williams, I like it. I wasn’t expecting it to be this good. Good price too. With Wild Turkey out of stock again, time to switch.
Thanks for the review Josh. I have tried many higher priced bourbons and love Angels Envy, just to name one. I currently have three 1.75 liter bottles: Evan Williams black, Wild Turkey 101, and Old Forester 86 with the first two outweighing the third.Tried Old Fo for the first time and it has very little taste in my opinion. I will sometimes splurge but some budget bourbons do the trick!
Especially that WT101, cheers Brett!
I picked up a 1.75 LTE bottle of EW for 16.00 best deal I’ve made on whiskey in yrs. Ive always loved the way EW goes down. I like it straight, or over cracked ice.
Evan Williams is the best tasting sour mash whisky I have ever tried. It is super smooth, with no sour after taste. I also enjoy all rye whiskys for the same reason. Bullet Rye, Crown Royal Winter Harvest, (Canadian Whisky of the year 2017), George Dickel Rye, Wild Turkey Rye, Jim Beam Rye & Burbon, all great tasting. But E.W. is inexpensive Whisky, I love it.
Josh,
Just picked up a handle of this for 15.99 and wasn’t expecting much considering the price. Boy was I wrong! This Bourbon is fantastic. I plan on pouring this for the adults on Halloween. Trick or treat for the kids and trick or drink for the adults. Great blog and reviews too.
Trick or Drink, I love it! Thanks Mark, cheers!
Ok. I couldn’t resist EW at $13.95 (on sale) here in NC vs (my fav) Buffalo Trace which goes for $29 here in Raleigh. I realize it’s comparing apples & pineapples but EW in an Old Fashioned doesn’t really cut it. BT smells wonderful, EW, not as nice. The EW 100 proof too is a bit overwhelming. Sorry. Gotta stick with the Buffalo.
Nothing wrong with that. Cheers James!
Hi Josh, I just want to say how much I love your site/blog and your reviews! I want to start by saying that I am definitely more of a single malt guy than a bourbon guy. I’m in the wine & spirits business and I would say I know a thing or two about fine wines and spirits, and I’m not ashamed to say that Evan Williams might be my favorite overall bourbon. For my money, it is probably the best deal in spirits period. You describe it as a being a “down-to-earth” bourbon, and I would concur. I just personally think of bourbon as a more down-to-earth kind of spirit. I have tried a number of “super-premium”, really old bourbons, and I almost always find them unbalanced and not really representing what bourbon is to me. I like Evan Williams because it has the nice typical caramel and vanilla bourbon notes, has a great sweet, corny, grainy, slightly twangy, slightly savory flavor and a great yeasty quality that I just adore. It has a great, but not overpowering, oak presence, a nice spice from the rye, and it does not have the alcoholic acetone character that I find in many bourbons. I suppose I just personally have a bit of a disconnect with many of the “super-premium” bourbons. I know this is long, but I just wanted to share. P.S. I also like Bulleit Bourbon & Rye, especially for cocktails, but they’re like 3x the price and I still can’t say I like them better for sipping.
Cheers Ethan. Thank you and thanks for sharing. I love reading other’s opinions about this stuff. I really like Bulleit Rye for cocktails, but I like the Dickel Rye (same thing charcoal filtered) more for both sipping and cocktails. If you haven’t had it try it!
We Love our *EVAN WILLIAMS*! Drinking *FINE KENTUCKY BOURBAN* while Watching THE KENTUCKY DERBY!!! ALWAYS DREAMING and *EVAN WILLIAMS* BOTH WINNERS
There’s no such thing as a bad bourbon. Some are better than others. I salute Evan Williams. Just mixed with pineapple soda and it’s delicious. BOOM !
I’m going to pretend you didn’t just write that.
This is a very good Bourbon. It is a nice starter for beginners. However it’s also good for more experienced pallets. Jim Beam had been my Favorite cheap Bourbon. But IMHO this is much bett
I think the black lable is the BEST “value bourbon” on the market-bar none. Quite complex for the price. Ironically I love Elijah Craig also, but DO NOT like the BIB? I normally LOVE BIB bourbons; Old Grand Dad, etc, etc. But the Black label tastes better than the BIB White label to me. A strange mystery?
Best damn whiskey at any price outside of the expensive single malt whiskeys.
I’m a fairly new bourbon drinker and EWBL can’t be beat for the value! My palette is still unrefined but I like it much better than Jim Beam White Label, as well as some other more expensive bourbons (Bulleit and Eagle Rare come to mind). This will be a staple and I look forward to trying the BiB, based on Josh’s recommendation.
Cheers Jimmy, thanks for sharing!
This is the great go to ! I’ve also tried the bonded and didnt care for it near as much . It’s one I usually have on hand . I just dont think it can be beat for the money . I honestly cant think of a better bourbon thats equal in price or cheaper . I visited their FB page one time and made a comment on it . They liked the comment , apparently , and sent me a hat , shirt etc .. I thought that was kinda neat . They really do a nice job with this one . In these parts I do see Heaven Hill products quite a bit and the Evan Williams black is very popular from the amount of floor space it takes up . It’s the best deal out there . In the world of pipe tobacco , it would be Mac Baren Golden Extra in bulk .. the best deal in teh pipe tobacco world . The two go together quite amazingly and frequently :)
I like the BiB more than the black label, but to each their own. Cheers John!
Just and outstanding value and maybe the worst label in the whale my game. Looks like a knock off Jack Daniels, even I did it to be far better. It is far better than many of is ten dollar more competitors (looking at you, Bulleit!), and it’s lack of complexity is one of its virtues. We all need that daily drinker that we don’t have to think about. I hate Bkurbons with too much spice, so the simple, caremel, vanilla, corn heavy bourbons are up my alley. All this to say that outside of George Dickel, 8 this is easily my fav of the affordable American whiskeys.
Excuse my typos
I prefer the BiB version a bit more, but I can’t disagree with anything you said. It’s a great simple drinker for sure. Cheers!
I’ve tried any number of whiskeys/bourbons for Manhattans. EW is a terrific balance of price/taste. I’m not cheap. I do not drink bourbon straight. Maybe EW is too harsh for those who do? I recommend it without reservations.
I love it too, though for cocktails I prefer the Bottled In Bond. I always like having something with a bit more kick when I’m mixing, but that’s just me. Cheers!
The bottle says it is charcoal filtered. Does this mean it goes through the Lincoln County Process like Tennessee whiskeys?
No, I believe it’s filtered before bottling. The Lincoln County Process is used on the new make before it enters the barrel.
That makes sense. I am new to drinking whiskey neat and this was my first bottle to try based on your recommendation. Overall it was a great tasting bourbon at an unbelievable price. Thanks Josh
Glad you’re liking it. Cheers Dylan!
Josh, how does Heaven Hill BiB 6-y/o compare with Evan Wms BiB?
Hey Bill. To tell you the truth I have no idea, but I have a buddy who’s going to send me a sample of the BiB so I can find out!
This is my everyday pour. Straightforward, just enough complexity to stay interesting, enough rye (barely) to have a decent kick, not too sweet. A great bourbon at a great price.
Definitely a good value pour. Cheers!
The last bottle of this I bought had a “soapy” aftertaste. So much so that I rinsed my glass, then tried it from a clear pastic tumbler thinking that might be the problem. In my mind, it is definitely worth the extra $3 to step up to the EW BIB. Apparently the extra proof really helps this one.
Never got a soapy note, but still, definitely worth the $3 upgrade for the BiB any day of the week!
This is a pretty amazing bourbon for the price. Plenty good enough to drink straight/on the rocks but inexpensive enough that you won’t get mad if your friends take it with ginger ale.
Ha, indeed. Cheers!
Evan Williams Black label is the best everyday bourbon out there. It is hard to believe that Heaven Hill sells it so cheaply, but let’s keep that a secret. The only other bargain bourbon out there that beats this for me is Ezra Brooks. However, Ezra Brooks has a very unique taste that might not appeal to a lot of people.
IMO, this is the best bargain bourbon out there.
It’s good neat, on the rocks, or in a mixed drink.
It’s a phenomenal value for sure, but for me the Bonded version is where it’s at, but this is nothing to sneeze at.
Josh,
It’s refreshing to read your reviews…you don’t invent flavors that have never existed…(new mown arugula), and you give honest appraisals irrespective of price and reputation. I totally agree with your review of Evan….I have both white and black on my shelf, but black is my go-to everyday pour. We all have high end bourbons that we savor when possible, but it’s nice to read someone who accepts Evan for it’s incredible value, without the obligatory sneer that some other tasters fell obliged to include to “prove'” their oh so superior palate. Well done
Hi Trace,
Wow, thank you very much, you made my night! I always write from experience and since I’ve never mowed arugula I can’t use it (but if I ever do expect that note… and a story).
There’s a reason the awesome “work horse” brands we love exist and that’s because they’re really darn good and I don’t see any reason to poo poo them just because they’re cheap. Just like something that is expensive isn’t necessarily good.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and cheers!
Thanks for a solid review. My father passed away a few years ago and left an unopened bottle of the black label version. He purchased it 1995. My son was born that year so I think we enjoy a glass together.
I just bought a bottle and I agree. Its very pleasant for the price. A solid Kentucky bourbon.