Evan Williams Bottled in Bond vs EH Taylor Small Batch Bottled in Bond
Amongst all the hype around Buffalo Trace products, it’s easy to forget that EH Taylor Small Batch at its core is a bottled in bond bourbon, held to the same standard as Evan Williams bottled in bond and Jim Beam Bonded among others. This Evan Williams bottled in bond vs EH Taylor Small Batch bottled in bond comparison follows the same theme as my Evan Williams BIB vs Henry McKenna 10 BIB comparison: EH Taylor Small Batch is the highly desired bourbon while Evan Williams BIB is generally an afterthought. The goal is to find out how different these two bottled in bond bourbons are given their different levels of desirability and price.
If you’ve read my review of Evan Williams Bottle in Bond, you may have noticed that I’m a huge fan of this “bottom shelf” bourbon, one of the best “budget” bourbons. I also believe that EH Taylor Small Batch is an amazing bourbon, but it’s often too difficult to find. Both are great bourbons, so let’s get into this Evan Williams Bottled in Bond vs EH Taylor Small Batch Bottled in Bond comparison to see how different they may be.
The below table outlines key facts and figures for each bottled in bond bourbon.
How do they Compare?
How to Read the Chart
Evan Williams BIB is in blue, and EH Taylor Small Batch is in orange. The center of the circle indicates none of a trait. Further out the line indicates a stronger presence of that trait.
The scale (from inside to out):
– None
– Light
– Light-Moderate
– Moderate
– Moderate-Strong
– Strong
EH Taylor Small Batch wins in this Bottled in Bond comparison, but not by as much as you might expect. Even though Evan Williams lost, the fact that it was close is a testament to how good, yet different, it is.
EH Taylor is the brighter and more vibrant bourbon, packed full of perfumey and floral nectar, honey, pears, oranges, sandalwood, and botanicals that I can’t stop smelling. I even get hints of starfruit and guava at times from the rye. It’s not necessarily powerfully fruity, but the fruits wrap themselves very nicely with the honeysuckle sweetness and anise to create a lively and intriguing experience. There’s also a woody presence that adds hints of darkness, mustiness, and cinnamon, but it takes a backseat to the floral and fruity bouquet.
Evan Williams Bottled in Bond offers a very different experience that in some ways is richer and darker with caramel, maple syrup, marshmallows, cherries, nuts, wood, and minty spice, sort of like root beer. Ultimately, Evan Williams didn’t win because it doesn’t have quite as much complexity and nuance, but it’s still great and one of the best “budget” bourbons around. There really are no losers in this bottled in bond comparison.
