Evan Williams BIB White Label

Just like the nose, Evan Williams White hits my mouth with sweet caramel, vanilla, cherries, and figs, followed by a light floral nuttiness in the middle of my palate, and ending with moderate charred wood, cinnamon, and nutmeg. It’s definitely sugar forward with supporting dark fruits, nuts, and wood. The combination of dark sweetness, vanilla, mint, and something herbal that I can’t quite identify create a pleasant root beer scent. “Chewing” provides the same wave of sugars, but now I taste a little more fuji apple and marshmallow, as well as cinnamon, nutmeg, and buttery and coconut-y corn mash. The mint and anise is light, but that’s not surprising since rye only makes up 10% of the mash. The alcohol overall also is fairly moderated. If anything, the extra proof adds extra sweetness that help boost the flavors without much extra heat.

The finish is lightly sweet with caramel, marshmallows, and dried orange peel that transition into slightly bitter wood tannins and cocoa. Chewing allows the alcohol to linger a little longer, as well as the sweet corn, honey, citrus peel, and wood tannins. Anise, from the rye, finally comes forward after 20 or so seconds as everything else fades. Although Evan Williams BIB may not have the most complex flavors, it does a lot of things well, although I can see some not liking it, especially the nuttiness.