🥃 Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond
The White Label of Evan Williams: a Kentucky straight bourbon under the Bottled-in-Bond law; 100 proof (50% ABV), at least four years old.
Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond is an expression of the Evan Williams brand with a white label, which is why it is called White Label. It is a Kentucky straight bourbon bottled at 100 proof, or 50% ABV. According to Difford's Guide, it is at least four years old, and its mash bill is the same: 78% corn, 10% rye and 12% malted barley.
The Bottled-in-Bond designation is governed by US law, 27 CFR § 5.88. The whiskey must come from one distilling season, one distiller and one distillery, age at least four years in wood, and be bottled at exactly 50% ABV with no additives. The official website stresses that the bourbon is aged under government supervision.
Why it matters to you. Compared with Black Label, this expression is 7 percentage points stronger and has a minimum age guaranteed by law. If you pay attention to strength, remember that 50% ABV is noticeably sharper than 43%. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 50% ABV (100 proof) |
|---|---|
| Minimum maturation | at least 4 years (Bottled-in-Bond requirement) |
| Raw material | corn 78%, rye 10%, malted barley 12% (per Difford's Guide) |
| Cask type | new charred oak barrels (a bourbon requirement) |
| EU category | 2 — whisky/whiskey |
| Legal basis | 27 CFR § 5.88 (US): bottled in bond; 27 CFR § 5.143: bourbon whisky |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond → kind of → 🥃 Whisky → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Rye and corn in whisky, 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Evan Williams, 🥃 Bourbon whiskey, 🥃 Whisky
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Evan Williams Black Label, 🥃 Evan Williams Black Label, 🥃 Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage, 🥃 Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage, 🥃 Bottled in Bond
Frequently asked questions
Are White Label and Bottled-in-Bond the same bourbon?
Yes. White Label is an unofficial name for the Bottled-in-Bond expression, after the colour of its label.
What does the Bottled-in-Bond designation guarantee?
One distilling season, one distillery, at least four years in wood and bottling at 50% ABV (27 CFR § 5.88).
How does it differ from Black Label?
The mash bill is the same, but the strength is 50% instead of 43% ABV, and the age of at least four years is set by law.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky — Malted barley is the base of whisky: malt enzymes convert starch in the mash, and EU whisky is distilled below 94.8% vol.
- 🥃 Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage — Single-barrel expression of Evan Williams: the label shows the year of filling into oak, the bottling year and the barrel number; 7–8 years, 86.6 proof (43.3% ABV).
- 🍷 Drunk driving — Never drive after drinking wine: alcohol slows your reactions.
Similar
🥃 Evan Williams 1783 Small Batch · 🥃 Evan Williams Black Label · 🥃 Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage · 🥃 Crow 86 · 🥃 Woodford Reserve Malt · 🥃 Old Crow Bourbon
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Evan Williams (official): Bottled-in-Bond (100 proof; aged under government supervision; white label)
- Difford's Guide: Evan Williams Bottled-In-Bond (White Label) Kentucky Straight Bourbon (50 % ABV, min. 4 years, mash 78/10/12)
- Heaven Hill: new proprietary bottle and updated packaging for the Evan Williams bourbon family (12.06.2013; Black Label flagship, White Label Bottled-in-Bond; 1783 Small Batch and Single Barrel Vintage)
- 27 CFR § 5.88 Bottled in bond (one distilling season, one distiller, one distillery; min. 4 years in wood; bottled at 100 proof), text via Cornell LII
- 27 CFR § 5.143 Standards of identity for whisky (bourbon: mash min. 51 % corn, charred new oak; straight: min. 2 years), text via Cornell LII
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)