🥃 Evan Williams
A Kentucky straight bourbon brand from Heaven Hill, named after Evan Williams, who according to the brand's legend opened the first commercial distillery in Louisville in 1783.
Evan Williams is a Kentucky straight bourbon brand from Heaven Hill in Bardstown, Kentucky. It is named after Evan Williams, who, according to the brand's legend, opened the first commercial distillery in the state, in Louisville, in 1783. The producer says that Black Label is among the most popular Kentucky bourbons in the world.
History. The brand refers to Evan Williams, who opened a distillery on the banks of the Ohio River in Louisville in 1783. This is the story on which the brand is built, not a recipe for today's drink. Heaven Hill now produces the bourbon, and the company calls Black Label the second-best-selling Kentucky straight bourbon in the world. The Evan Williams Bourbon Experience, a visitor attraction, operates on Whiskey Row in Louisville.
What bourbon is. Under US rules (27 CFR § 5.143), a whisky is called bourbon if it is made in the United States from a mash containing at least 51% corn, matured in new charred oak casks, and bottled at no less than 40% ABV. The word 'straight' requires a further maturation of at least two years. According to Difford's Guide, the grain bill of the Evan Williams brand bourbons is 78% corn, 10% rye and 12% barley malt.
Range. Black Label is 43% ABV, and Bottled-in-Bond (White Label) is 50%, matured for at least four years. There is also 1783 Small Batch (45%) and Single Barrel Vintage (43.3%).
Why this matters to you. Check the type, age and strength on the label: the versions differ, and 50% ABV is noticeably stronger than 43%. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Year founded | 1783 — the year of the brand's legend (Evan Williams, Louisville); owner — Heaven Hill |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | 27 CFR § 5.143 (USA): bourbon, straight bourbon |
| EU category | 2 — whisky/whiskey |
| Raw material | corn 78%, rye 10%, barley malt 12% (according to Difford's Guide) |
| Cask type | new charred oak casks |
| Minimum maturation | straight — at least 2 years; Bottled-in-Bond — at least 4 years |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | Black Label — 43%; Bottled-in-Bond — 50%; 1783 — 45% |
What it includes
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Evan Williams → kind of → 🥃 Whisky → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Previous step
- 🥃 Heaven Hill Brands, 🥃 Bardstown
- Packed in
- 🐝 American white oak, 🍷 Oak barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Rye and corn in whisky, 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What it contains
- 🧪 Water, 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 Americans
- Part of
- 🥃 Bourbon whiskey, 🥃 Whisky
- Related to
- 🌍 North America
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Old Crow, 🥃 Old Crow, 🥃 Mackmyra, 🥃 Mackmyra, 🥃 Elijah Craig, 🥃 Sour mash
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Evan Williams opened the first Kentucky distillery in 1783?
That is what the brand tells. It is a brand legend; today the bourbon is produced by Heaven Hill.
What does Bottled-in-Bond mean?
In the US it means bottling at a minimum of 50% ABV (100 proof) from a single distillation season, matured for at least four years. White Label Evan Williams matches this description.
What is Evan Williams bourbon made from?
Corn (78%), rye (10%) and barley malt (12%), according to Difford's Guide.
What is the strength of Black Label?
43% ABV. Single Barrel Vintage is 43.3% and 1783 Small Batch is 45%.
Who produces Evan Williams?
Heaven Hill Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🧪 Water — ~87% of milk.
- 🐝 American white oak — A North American oak that gives wine strong vanilla and coconut notes.
Similar
🥃 Four Roses · 🥃 Woodford Reserve · 🥃 Old Crow · 🥃 Baker's · 🥃 Elijah Craig · 🥃 Blanton's
⚠️ 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
- 27 CFR § 5.143 (US TTB): Standards of identity, whisky (bourbon, straight whisky, new charred oak)
- Difford's Guide: Evan Williams Bottled-In-Bond (White Label) Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (50 % ABV, 4 years)
- Heaven Hill Distillery: Evan Williams Bourbon (Black label, named after Evan Williams, 1783, Louisville)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)