geologyjane
Evan Williams Black Label
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed
January 26, 2020 (edited January 27, 2020)
This review of Evan Williams Black Label is a simple head-to-head tasting against Jim Beam Original (White Label) - two bottom shelf, entry level, budget bourbons that can be found pretty much anywhere.
There's a bar not far from where I work that does a rotating happy hour special for people having bad days - for $6, you get to pick your combination of poison: a beer + a shot. The last time I was there, you got to choose between a can of Modelo + a shot of Jose Cuervo, or a can of PBR + a shot of EW Black Label. Now, if I really wanted to recreate what the bar was going for, I would have pitted this EW Black Label up against some Jose Cuervo, but they rotate the bottles and cans of poison every now and so in theory, Jim Beam could be up against EW Black some day. So it got me thinking - which would win out between the two? (And let's be honest - I've tasted some terrible whiskies in my time, and yet I don't think any of them have come close to the appallingly repulsive dumpster fire that is Jose Cuervo "Especial". I'm staying away so I don't feel horrifically "especial" afterwards.) Enough tangential backstory, let's see what this budget bourbon has to offer.
Mash Bill: 78% Corn, 12% Malted Barley, 10% Rye
Age: NAS (at least 4 years and thought to be between 4-7 years)
ABV: 43%
Price: $9.99 (typically $10-$17)
Nose: Still fairly weak like the Jim Beam Original, but this is a bit brighter and more lively. Fresh, dark caramel and corn with vanilla. Rye spice, anise, and barrel char. Artificial cherry candies.
Palate: Fairly thin, with dark caramel and sweet corn mirrored from the nose. More vanilla, anise, and rye spice, with woody astringency. A bit more richness and oiliness by comparison to the Jim Beam Original.
Finish: Short and thin. Watery sweetness and oak dominates.
Verdict: Well, this is about as brawny as a prepubescent. And while it's not a total game changer, the extra 3% ABV really makes a difference and helps this stand out from the Jim Beam. I picked the PBR + EW Black combo that night and split it with a buddy - now I know I'd do the same again if Jim Beam showed up on the list of choices next time. I'm giving this 0.25 and a point over the Jim Beam Original.
2.75 ~ 73 ~ Below Average
10.0
USD
per
Bottle
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@jonwilkinson7309 @geologyjane I'm right there with you on the Cuervo. The most "Especial" I ever got was thanks to Señor Cuevo (Plus a half pint of Rock n' Rye...Don't ask). I have come to appreciate good 100% agave tequila, but a single whiff of Jose Especial and I swear I'm going to be sick.
@jonwilkinson7309 haha it took a bit for me to recover from the experience too. Thankfully I also came around - Especial was the first and last “mixto” I ever had.
@BDanner EW BiB seems to be harder to come by but I’m glad to hear it should be worth it once I bump into it. The last times I had EW Black, I seem to recall getting more chocolate/heath bar notes but I didn’t in this bottle. Maybe there is a bit of variation between batches?
Nice review, and l totally agree about the Jose Cuervo Especial It was the first tequila I ever had, and the last for quite a few years due to it's "especial" assault on my palate. Fortunately, I was convinced to try a good tequila many years later and learned that it had been a mistake to black list the entire category.
@geologyjane EW Black and Beam White are usually $14-$16 here. The EW BIB is definitely worth the extra couple bucks which is why I don’t often purchase EW Black, so I’m looking forward to diving back into a bottle. For $10 around here we can get the rather tasty Benchmark as a consolation.
@PBMichiganWolverine - Gag! That sounds worse than terrible. Remind me to never try their offerings. 😖
So, for $10, if I don’t like a whiskey, I’ll write off easily, because of the price. But there was this one abomination of a whisky I bought, Abhainn Dearg. Inaugural release, rare as hen’s teeth. Paid a pretty penny for it. Tasted like fermented road kill.
@BDanner - I think EW Black is probably one of the better $10 purchases I made. However, trying it next to the EW SiB, it was no contest. I think I’d like to give the EW BiB a try too if I can track it down. Looking forward to your re-reviews!
EW Black is definitely my preference of the two as well. In fact, these are two that I have purchased recently to re-visit. My last bottle of EW had a definite "soap-y" note to it which was a first. Hopefully that was an anomaly.