Evan Willams Peach

Evan Willams Peach is listed as a peach-flavored bourbon, so expect a Kentucky-style grain base (corn-forward, with vanilla and caramel from charred oak) with ripe stone-fruit character layered over it. Peach bourbons usually taste sweeter and rounder than a straight bourbon, with fruit leading on the nose and the oak and spice sitting underneath. The ABV and age aren't stated in the listing, so check the bottle label. Flavored whiskeys in this style are typically bottled at a lower proof than standard bourbon, which makes them easy to pour. For sipping, a rocks glass over one large cube or a few regular ones works well. The chill tightens the sweetness and keeps the peach from turning syrupy as it opens up. Drinking it neat at room temperature gives the fullest fruit, and a Glencairn is worth using if you want to compare the peach aroma against the vanilla and oak. A few drops of water are rarely needed at lower proof, but they can soften any candied edge. This is a natural fit for a peach-leaning Old Fashioned. Stir two ounces with two dashes of aromatic or orange bitters and a small bar spoon of simple syrup, or skip the syrup entirely, since the bottle already supplies sweetness. Garnish with an orange peel. In a Whiskey Sour, use less sugar than the usual recipe: about two ounces of whiskey, three-quarters of an ounce of lemon juice, and a barspoon of syrup, shaken hard. The acidity gives the peach a clean edge. For a highball, pour over ice and top with ginger ale, club soda, or iced tea for a Southern-style long drink. A Manhattan is the least obvious choice, because sweet vermouth stacked on a sweet whiskey can get heavy. If you try it, use dry vermouth or a very small measure of sweet, with plenty of bitters. At the table, it goes well with grilled pork, smoked chicken, glazed ham, and peach cobbler or other baked fruit desserts.