Evan Williams White Label Bottled-in-Bond 100 Proof Bourbon (1L)

Some bourbons are balanced or complex; this is an all-around versatile pour with initial notes of lightly toasted oak, brown sugar, and butterscotch. A fun maltiness, concentrated caramel, and slight hints of cinnamon and watermelon Juicy Fruit hammer home its sipping potential, but its short to medium finish suggests that it’s more suited for cocktails. But hey, why not both? (FM, Fall 2017)

The opening aroma is grainy and corn-like, with background touches of paraffin and walnut butter; aeration stimulates green peppercorn, cotton candy and dried fruit scents that are a tad flat. Palate entry is crisp, prickly; by midpalate, the flavor highlights the toasty barrel char as tastes of maple, vanilla bean and dark caramel dominate this stage. Ends fiery, grainy, but lean. (6/2006)