Review: Heaven Hill 6 Year Old Bottled in Bond Bourbon

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Bottle purchased by EZdrinking.

Heaven Hill 6 Year Old Bottled in Bond Old Style Bourbon, distilled by Heaven Hill Distilleries and bottled at 50% ABV. 

Price Range: $9-$15

In 1939 Heaven Hill Distillery release their first Bottled in Bond bourbon call Old Heaven Hill. Since then the brand has persisted even though it was supplanted by Evan Williams in 1957 when Heaven Hill decided to make E-Dub their flagship brand. Living in California, I never see Heaven Hill Old Style Bourbon, but this probably due to the fact that it has the same mash bill as Evan Williams. However, while I was visiting Louisville, for ADI's 2015 Conference I found some. I drove out to Liquor Barn and I perused the bourbon aisles I came across Heaven Hill's 6 Year Old Bottled in Bond Old Style Bourbon. I was excited to see this bottle for two reasons. First, because Evan Williams dropped its age statement sometime in the early 2000s, and second, because it was a Bottled in Bond. In the Late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries Bottled in Bond used to be the gold standard of bourbon because it guaranteed a certain level of purity and quality. Today, Bottled in Bond bourbons don't have the same cachet that once did but I see rumblings of a comeback. However, since a bottle of the bourbon was only about $12 I grabbed two to take home. 

TASTING NOTES

Nose: After the pour the nose is surprisingly closed off despite the its higher ABV. Once it has had time to breath the bourbon opens up with aromas of oak, apple, brown sugar, pumpkin bread and maraschino. 

Palate: On the palate the bourbon is a little astringent from oak tannins, the whiskey starts warm and crescendos to a nice level that isn't completely overpowering. In the mouth, flavors of cocoa, cinnamon, and nutmeg play against a pleasant sweetness and balanced with oak.  

Finish: The bourbon has a long finish and while the warmth from the alcohol lingers, notes of sweet maraschino fade into dry oak.

With Water: More caramel, toffee, and hazelnut comes through on the palate and interestingly, the oak flavor intensifies.

Conclusion: In the end Heaven Hill 6 Year Old Bottled in Bond Old Style Bourbonis a solid value bourbon for making cocktails. Taken neat the bourbon is a little too hot, the palate is slightly bitter and the nose is closed off. However, this bourbon works well in classic whiskey cocktails such as the Manhattan and Old Fashioned.

Review: Evan Williams Black Label

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Bottle purchased by EZdrinking.

Evan Williams "Black Label" Kentucky Straight Bourbon, distilled by Heaven Hill and bottled at 43% ABV. 

Price Range: $9-$12

Heaven Hill, the producer of Evan Williams, has a long and fascinating history which I will have to go into further detail  at another time. Heaven Hill launched Evan Williams bourbon in 1957, 22 years after the company's founding. Since then, Evan Williams has become Heaven Hill's flagship brand, selling over $50 million dollars worth of whiskey in the last 12 months. Despite the the fact that Evan Williams is touted as being the second larges selling bourbon in the US, it has less than half the market share of Jim Beam white label and less than one fourth the market share of Jack Daniels.

Evan Williams is thought to use a traditional bourbon mash bill of 75% corn, 13% rye and 12% barley. Also, Evan William use to carry a 7 year age statement, but like many other whiskeys, it has dropped its age statement. Since there is no stated age on the label we know that it is at least 4 years old but some estimate the bourbon is probably more in the 5 to 6 year range. While Heaven Hill produces four versions of Evan Williams that vary by proof and the color of the label, (Green Label 40%ABV, Black Label 43%ABV, White Label 50%ABV, Red Label 50.5%ABV) the Black Label is the most common.

Evan Williams, or as my friends and I affectionately call it E-Dub, is an extremely undervalued bourbon. I was first introduced to Evan Williams three years ago when some friends of mine and I put together a blind tasting of whiskeys $20 and under and I was blown away by its flavor, quality, and price point. Since then Even Williams has become one of my favorite all time whiskeys. E-Dub is extremely versatile, it taste great neat, you can drink it on the rocks if that's your thing, and it makes an amazing Manhattan, all for about 10 bucks a fifth!

TASTING NOTES

Nose: The nose is strong with notes of oak, cherries and vanilla. As the bourbon breaths, aromas of green apple and minerally chardonnay are carried up with a hint of the underlying alcohol.  

Palate: The palate is smooth, with a medium body and a pleasant warmth that fills the mouth. The bourbon tastes lightly sweet with notes of oak, fresh bread and baking spice.

Finish: On the finish, the bready character lingers while higher notes of sweet cherry shine through and a light oak astringency drys the palate for the next drink.

Conclusion: Evan Williams Black Label is a high quality everyday bourbon that's easy on the bank account. As I said before, Evan Williams works neat and it is excellent mixed in cocktails. If you are not enamored with the extra aged, high-priced oak bomb bourbons that seem to be all the rage, then Evan Williams is an excellent bourbon to check out.

Exploring Bottled in Bond Whiskey

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Not that long ago I read Bernie Lubbers' book Bourbon Whiskey - Our Native Spirit.  In the book he wrote fondly of bonded bourbon whiskey.  For those unfamiliar with the term bonded whiskey, also labeled as bottled in bond, refers to whiskey that has been: aged for at least 4 years, bottled at exactly 100 proof (50% alcohol), the product of one single distillery, and the product of one distilling season. To be honest, before reading his book, I hadn't thought much of bonded whiskeys. Most of what I saw seemed to occupy the bottom shelf in the liquor store or back bar of my local watering holes so I assumed they weren't as good as the whiskeys higher up on the shelf.  But, as I discovered in my blind tasting of inexpensive whiskies, price and enjoyment are not always correlated.

Inspired by Bernie's passion for bottled in bond whiskeys I've decided to search them out and allow myself to have an open mind.  According to Bernie's website there are now 17 commercially available bonded whiskeys, up from 13 just three years ago, and two others only available at the Jim Beam Visitor Center and the Heaven Hill Bourbon Heritage Center.

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To the best of my knowledge all of these Bottled in Bond Whiskeys are available for retail purchase somewhere in the US. Updated: 7/3/16, 12/30/17, 06/12/19, 10/7/19

California

Spirit Works Distillery

1. Straight Wheat Whiskey B.I.B.

2. Straight Rye Whiskey B.I.B.

Colorado

Laws Whiskey House

1. A.D. Laws Four Grain Straight Bourbon B.I.B.

2. A.D. Laws Secale Straight Rye B.I.B.

Spirit Hound Distillers

1. Straight Malt Whiskey B.I.B.

Georgia

Old Fourth Distillery

1. B.I.B. Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Kentucky

Brown-Forman

1. Old Forester 1897 B.I.B.

2. Early Times B.I.B.

Heaven Hill Distilleries

1. Old Heaven Hill B.I.B.

2. Heaven Hill 6 Year Old B.I.B.

3. Evan Williams B.I.B

4. Rittenhouse Rye B.I.B.

5. Mellow Corn B.I.B.

6. Old Fitzgerald B.I.B. (Discontinued)

7. Old Fitzgerald B.I.B (Decanter Spring)

8. Old Fitzgerald B.I.B (Decanter Fall)

9. J.W. Dant B.I.B.

10. J.T.S. Brown B.I.B.

11. T.W. Samuels B.I.B.

12. Henry McKenna 10yr Single Barrel B.I.B.

13. William Heavenhill B.I.B. (Bourbon Heritage Center Only)

Jim Beam

1. Jim Beam Bonded B.I.B.

2. Old Grand Dad B.I.B.

3. Old Tub B.I.B (only at Beam Visitor Center)

New Rift Distilling

1. Bourbon B.I.B.

2. Rye Whiskey B.I.B.

Sazerac Company: Buffalo Trace Distillery

1. Very Old Barton 6 Year Old B.I.B.

2. Colonel E. H. Taylor Small Batch B.I.B.

3. Colonel E.H. Taylor Straight Rye B.I.B.

4. Colonel E.H. Taylor Single Barrel B.I.B.

5. 1792 B.I.B. Bourbon

The Old Pogue Distillery

1. Old Maysville Club B.I.B. Kentucky Straight Rye Malt Whisky

Wilderness Trail Distillery

1. Small Batch Bourbon B.I.B.

2. Bourbon Single Barrel B.I.B.

Willett Distillery

1. Old Bardstown B.I.B.

New York

Coppersea Spirits

1. Bonticou Crag Straight Malt Rye Whiskey B.I.B.

Breuckelen Distilling

1. 77 Whiskey Bonded Rye

2. 77 Whiskey Bonded Rye & Corn

Finger Lakes Distilling

1. McKenzie Bourbon Whiskey B.I.B.

Kings County Distillery

1. B.I.B Straight Bourbon Whiskey

New York Distilling Company

1. Ragtime Rye B.I.B.

Ohio

Tom's Foolery Distillery

1. Ohio Straight Bourbon B.I.B.

Oregon

Oregon Spirit Distillers

1. B.I.B. Bourbon Whiskey

2. B.I.B. Wheat Whiskey

3. J. Becher Straight American Rye Whiskey B.I.B.

Pennsylvania

Mountain Laurel Spirits

1. Dad’s Hat Pennsylvania Straight Rye Whiskey B.I.B.

Wigle Whiskey

1. Deep Cut B.I.B. Organic Straight Rye Whiskey

Tennessee

Brown-Forman

1. Jack Daniels B.I.B. (Travel Retail Only)

Diageo: Cascade Hollow Distillery

1. George Dickel TN Whisky B.I.B.

H Clark Distillery

1. Tennessee Bourbon B.I.B.

Virginia

Catoctin Creek Distilling Company

1. Rabble Rouser® Bottled In Bond Rye Whisky