Evan Willams Honey

Evan Willams Honey is listed as a bourbon, and the name points to a honey-flavored expression. The listing gives no proof, age or ABV, so expect the profile below to follow the category. Honey bourbons typically start with the usual corn-forward mash, vanilla and light oak, then add a noticeably sweeter, rounder body than a straight bourbon. Expect honey on the nose and mid-palate, with caramel and a little baking spice behind it. The finish is likely softer and shorter on char and tannin than an unflavored bourbon, because the sweetness covers some of the oak's dryness. Neat is the best way to find out how sweet this one runs. Pour a small measure and let it sit a minute before the first sip. If the honey comes across as syrupy, one or two drops of room-temperature water will loosen it and bring the grain and vanilla forward. On the rocks suits it well. Honey-style bourbons usually hold their flavor as the ice melts, and the chill keeps the sweetness from feeling heavy. A single large cube dilutes more slowly than several small ones. In cocktails, treat the sweetness as an ingredient and adjust around it. An Old Fashioned works with the sugar cube or syrup cut to a bare teaspoon, or left out, with two dashes of Angostura and an orange peel. A Whiskey Sour is probably the best fit: the lemon balances the honey, so you can use less sweetener than usual. A Manhattan is also worth making. Use a drier vermouth or add an extra dash of bitters so the drink doesn't turn cloying. For a highball, pour two ounces over ice, top with ginger ale or soda water, and finish with a lemon wedge. The ginger version leans sweet, so soda water gives a drier drink. For glassware, a Glencairn helps if you want to pick out the honey, vanilla and oak on the nose. A rocks glass is better for ice, and for building an Old Fashioned directly in the glass.