Sunday, June 23, 2013

Blind Tasting - Jim Beam vs. Evan Williams

Yesterday, my wife and I conducted a blind tasting of the #1 and #2 selling bourbons in the world.  All of the reviews I have posted so far have focused on mid to top shelf pours.  The lack of attention to bottom shelf or house brands has been a glaring omission on my part as I now realize that it is important to establish a base for your palette.  I unfortunately did not do this when I began drinking bourbon, so shame on me.  My first bottle was Blanton's.

Jim Beam - the world's #1 selling bourbon - Produced in Clermont, Kentucky since 1795, when Jacob Beam sold his first barrels of corn whiskey.  The distillery was first known as Old Tub, and the whiskey was called Old Jake Beam.
Currently, the standard Beam white label is distilled from a mash bill of 75% corn, 15% rye, and 10% malted barley.  It is aged for 4 years and bottled at 80 proof.

Evan Williams - Standard black label is the world's #2 selling bourbon - Evan Williams began distilling whiskey near Louisville, Kentucky in 1783.  The brand is currently produced by Heaven Hill Distilleries.  Founded in 1935, Heaven Hill is the largest family owned distillery in Kentucky, and the largest independently operated producer of distilled spirits in the U.S.
All of the Master Distillers at Heaven Hill have been members of the Beam family, beginning with Joseph L. Beam, Jim Beam's first cousin.
Current black label Evan Williams is distilled from a low rye mash bill of 78% corn, 10% rye and 12% malted barley, aged for 5-7 years and bottled at 86 proof.



First, setting up a blind tasting is simple.  Grab a glass for each whiskey you plan on comparing.  Label each glass and designate someone to decide which whiskey goes in each glass, keeping this a secret from the tasters of course.
Next grab a pen and paper, then start nosing and sipping.  Consider having a glass of water handy, and perhaps something without much flavor to snack on between sips such as saltine crackers, tortilla chips, or nuts.

Without getting too much into the details of the tasting notes, we both ended up preferring the Evan Williams over the Jim Beam by a narrow margin.
Surprisingly, we were actually able to determine during the tasting which whiskey was in each glass even though we had little experience with either, likely due to the Evan Williams having a slightly higher alcohol content.

The Beam was a bit flat and lacking flavor.  I could detect some of the butterscotch qualities I get from another Beam product, Old Grand Dad.

The Evan Williams was a bit dry, yet despite having a lower rye content tasted slightly spicier.  After sitting in the glass for several minutes, it exhibited a nice sweetness on the nose, and maple/caramel sweetness on the tongue.

The Jim Beam will cost around $13, and the Evan Williams about $10.

Both expressions are a great introduction to American Whiskey.


31 comments:

  1. Loyal to the Beam....tried evan williams after reading this. Taste the cheapness is all i can say. Not awful, jus not as good. Spend the extra couple dollars for the quality. My opinion is all

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    1. Nonsense... if you search reviews all over the web... Williams beats Beam consistently.

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    2. I agree. Beam white label is much better than EW. I usually drink JB Black, which for me is the best Damn bourbon for the price point available. You can buy a 1.75 bottle of JBB here for $30.

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    3. I drink both. Jim Beam is smoother and has a little less whiskey taste. If you are a whiskey connoisseur, you'd probably prefer Evan Williams. If you want just something smooth and easy, Jim Beam is the route. Like everything else, it's subjective to taste. I think the writers assessment was spot on.

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  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    Replies
    1. You learned to spell where?

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    2. "...They learned to spell from your mom so quit being a jackass...". Not an intelligent mature reply.

      The reason folks cannot properly spell is because when spelling mistakes are made they are not corrected. Also, there is apathy towards proper spelling instilling that mediocrity is acceptable. Thus that person was correct and helpful bringing it to that person's attention.

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  4. If you're in this market, Evan Williams cask strength costs just about as much as the base Jim Beam and hands down beats it. Elijah Craig, Bulleit, and Wild Turkey are solid upgrades from here as well.

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  5. Wow. I couldn't believe that somebody else had said that Jim Beam White tastes flat. That is exactly the way that I have described it to other people as well. Even Williams is more comparable to Jim Beam Black then White. That's just my opinion though and it's a lot cheaper too. Great review !!!

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    1. Williams is really good. Beam Black beats it but for the cost, Williams bonded is very good

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  6. Evan Williams is a fine bourbon. Cost aside during a blind taste test I put my money on that even the most avid Beam drinker will pick Evan Williams ...taste and proof prove this bourbon true

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  7. I prefer Jack Black as my favorite whiskey, but for every day go to I had been drinking Evan. Recently purchased a bottle of Beam White because my regular store was out of Evan. I actually prefer the Beam, and for a few extra dollars I will probably stick with Beam. Usually drink neat or on the rocks.

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  8. I like Evan Williams, not a long drinker of whiskey but Jim Beam taste cheaper. I think the Williams is more spicy and goes down like fire which is the whole purpose of the experience I think. I'm drinking Beam right now and disappointed it's not Williams.

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  9. I really appreciated this review and may try Evan Williams myself. To me Jim Beam White just doesn't hold a candle in flavor to Jack Daniels. I heard there are other reasonably priced options though.

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  10. After mixing Beam with iced tea and then coke, it does do very well mixed. I just appreciate Jack better neat. I may acquire a taste for Jim Beam though. It is getting better...

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  12. Both Jim and Evan offer a good value. Evan is slightly better for less money, so preferred.

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  13. Im a whiskey drinker and agree with the majority; Evan taste better than many whiskeys at a very affordable price.Every time a try orther brands I always returned to good old Evan whiskey

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  14. It really comes down to the pallette of the individual. Both are an exceptional value. But if you are going to compare thee two brands, you should compare them equally... and compare black black vs. black. in my opinion the Jim Beam Black is slightly better. But again it comes down to individual pallette, as both are good.

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    Replies
    1. Jim beam black is basically the same level as evan Williams white . E.W Green is on the same level as jim beam white

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  15. Higher Price is not indicative of quality. I would not personally consider it but rather use my senses first. Just because it costs more or less doesn't make it better or worse for that matter. I think its a mistake to gave price to much weight in assessing quality or what you like. In any recipe the higher the quantity the more likely you are to get something you want. decreasing errors/ small batches you really need to be spot on with what your doing. Evan williams is underrated in my opinion. Put a drop of water in it if you want smoother and release more flavor.
    Cheers

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  16. Everyone has different opinions and taste preferences. For me, EW wins every time. Smoother with a richer caramel hint. Great nose when a little water is added and swirled in a nosing glass. A problem I have with Beam is inconsistency. You’ll get a nice bottle, then the next one is bitter and harsh. Also, EW makes a far better Manhattan.

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  17. Everyone has different opinions and taste preferences. For me, EW wins every time. Smoother with a richer caramel hint. Great nose when a little water is added and swirled in a nosing glass. A problem I have with Beam is inconsistency. You’ll get a nice bottle, then the next one is bitter and harsh. Also, EW makes a far better Manhattan.

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  18. Everyone has different opinions and taste preferences. For me, EW wins every time. Smoother with a richer caramel hint. Great nose when a little water is added and swirled in a nosing glass. A problem I have with Beam is inconsistency. You’ll get a nice bottle, then the next one is bitter and harsh. Also, EW makes a far better Manhattan.

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