Tastes

Nothing too crazy but plenty tasty. The nose is apple and sweet cinnamon on top of a doughy base, like an apple coffee cake. On the palate there is a bit of that doughy flavor especially as you first sip, and the spice becomes more prominent, with a tangy, woody vanilla that is, to me, strongly reminiscent of bourbon. Perhaps an influence of the bourbon cask? The finish is fairly hot but in a pleasant way and leaves you with a nice warm feeling. This is somewhat different from the (admittedly few) other Irish whiskeys I've tried, especially in its bourbon-like notes. It's got a satisfying rich, warm character. The flavors are fairly bold, although not super complex. I do wish for a bit more of the typical hearty-bread pot still flavor, but this has its own charm. In a weird way I almost like the "afterglow" of this more than the sip itself, sort of like how you may only appreciate how comfortable you were snuggled up in a chair when you have to get up. When I try to pay attention to the separate components of it none of them seems that great, but after taking a sip I feel nice and cozy. The bottle cost only $28. I haven't seen many if any other single pot stills at this price. I could definitely see getting another bottle somewhere down the line.

I tried this because I heard it was incredible for the price and. . . it is incredible for the price. The aroma and flavor both hit all the expected bourbon notes. On the nose there's vanilla and cinnamon, and the taste hits with powerful spice, charred oak, and a hint of dark maple syrupy sweetness. The spice lingers through the finish along with a bit of tangy corn. Yep, it's bourbon. I'm not a bourbon expert by any means. I've tried 8 or 10 of the bourbons that are most commonly recommended as affordable but quality: Knob Creek, Wild Turkey 101, Eagle Rare, Elijah Craig, etc. I can notice some differences in flavor profile but overall they mostly taste, well, like bourbon, and I've found that when it comes to bourbon what I want is basically just something that tastes like bourbon. Maybe if I tried really hard in a blind test I could painstakingly conclude there are one or two other bourbons that I've liked a smidgen more than Evan Williams bonded, but it'd be a close call. Recently I did a side-by-side comparison with this and Knob Creek 9 and I actually liked this more. It costs half as much. I'm starting to think there's not much reason for me to buy other bourbons. I mean, every once in a while maybe I'll try a new one just for variety's sake. But in a way it seems almost dangerous. What if I realize I like something else noticeably more than this? I'd have to start spending $30 a bottle or whatever that other one costs, instead of getting this one over and over for $15. My exploration of liquor is still fairly limited, but so far this is the starkest example yet for me of a product that "clears the neighborhood". It's not mind-blowingly delicious, but there's a lot of stuff that costs significantly more and isn't significantly better, and Evan Williams bonded is so darn cheap and so darn tasty that it's hard to find anything with a better value for the price.

I found this underwhelming. Overall it is very light, almost watery. The aroma is faint, with just a hint of vanilla. The flavor is also very thin. There's a bit of spice and a pleasant honey sweetness but it's all quite subdued. There's nothing bad about this, but there's nothing great about it either. It's just okay and doesn't even stand out to me as being a relaxing, easygoing sipper. I was given a half-size bottle of this as a gift and that was the perfect way for me to try this. A regular bottle of this goes for about $40 and to be honest if I paid that much for it I would feel swindled. I'm not an expert by any means, but even in my limited experience there are too many other bourbons out there that are much better and much cheaper. I'm glad I got a chance to sample this and I wouldn't turn it down if someone offered me a glass, but I don't see much reason to spend money on it.

C'mon, it's kind of hard not to like this. It's nothing complex or powerful but it's just mild and pleasant. The nose has honey sweetness and a sort of fresh-baked-bread smell. The flavor is delightfully sweet with a nice malty base and a hint of lemon. It's very light but in a way that feels appealingly gentle, smooth, and creamy rather than just weak or bland. No one is going to reach for this to showcase the bold experience of hardcore whiskey, but it's a nice accompaniment to a relaxing evening and it's dangerously easy to drink. Basically this is the whiskey equivalent of a basic glazed donut. It's simple and straightforward but darn if it isn't pretty tasty. Also, this bottle cost less than $15. (Okay that part isn't like a donut.) Considering that price this is a winner for me.