Evan Williams is the second largest bourbon producer in the US after Jim Beam. It was the first licensed distillery in Kentucky in 1783, nine years before it became a state. Back in the day, producers couldn’t control the alcohol content of their product, so whisky ranged from 90 to 140 degrees proof. Today, it is controlled to 139 to 162 degrees proof before being watered down to 125. Jack Daniels isn’t considered bourbon by the Louisville experts because a whiskey has to be at least 51% corn to be considered a bourbon. Evans Williams’ mash bill contains 78% corn, 12% malted barley, and 10% rye.
Evan William’s black label it’s easy to find and comes at under $20, but it isn’t easy to drink. It’s got notes of vanilla and spice with hints of almond in a throat-cleansing pour. Their green label is a step up but nearly impossible to find outside of Kentucky, it has caramel and walnut with a smoother delivery. The next mass-market step up is the white label, which is heavy on the charred oak, caramel, and vanilla with a touch of peach. Finally, the $200 red label has everything the white label has with a hint of honey. Their black label is the second best-selling bourbon in the US, but even their priciest red label isn’t as good as Woodford Reserve’s double oaked. Maybe that’s why Woodford Reserve is the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby.
The bourbon experience tour in their original building in downtown Louisville includes a bit of history on prohibition. Before prohibition, Louisville had 12 saloons in an 11-block stretch, some of them had their own distillery in the back. But many Americans either had to ask for limited prescriptions of alcohol at a pharmacy, illegally bootleg whiskey from Canada, or make their own at home to circumvent the 13-year-long dry spell. Visit, but don’t buy anything until you get to a duty-free store on your way out of the country, then buy Woodford Reserve.
