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Evan Williams Black Label vs Eagle Rare 12 Year
Evan Williams Black Label and Eagle Rare 12 Year are cut from similar cloth: two takes on traditional bourbons, where the real difference is price (~$14 – $18 vs. ~$50 – $80).
Key Specifications
| Feature | Evan Williams Black Label | Eagle Rare 12 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | 12 years |
| Proof | 86 proof (43% ABV) | 95 proof (47.5% ABV) +9 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$14 – $18 ~$49 less | ~$50 – $80 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Allocated |
- Eagle Rare 12 Year does not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Evan Williams Black Label
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Eagle Rare 12 Year
Top 3, behind George T. Stagg and Jack Daniel's 14.
Flavor Profile
Evan Williams Black Label Eagle Rare 12 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 5/7 oak: Evan Williams Black Label 5 out of 10, Eagle Rare 12 Year 7 out of 10
fruit 4/6 fruit: Evan Williams Black Label 4 out of 10, Eagle Rare 12 Year 6 out of 10
heat 3/5 heat: Evan Williams Black Label 3 out of 10, Eagle Rare 12 Year 5 out of 10
sweetness 6/7 sweetness: Evan Williams Black Label 6 out of 10, Eagle Rare 12 Year 7 out of 10
spice 4/5 spice: Evan Williams Black Label 4 out of 10, Eagle Rare 12 Year 5 out of 10
nuttiness 4/4 nuttiness: Evan Williams Black Label 4 out of 10, Eagle Rare 12 Year 4 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Oak is doing most of the differentiating here.
- Evan Williams Black Label: The everyday black label, and a perfectly competent well bourbon. Softer and sweeter than the bonded version, with less to say but nothing objectionable.
- Eagle Rare 12 Year: Two more years and five more proof points than Eagle Rare 10. Brown sugar and toffee lead, with a drier, more astringent oak finish.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Evan Williams Black Label if you want a dependable, inexpensive mixing bourbon and nothing more complicated than that at a significantly lower price point.
- Go with Eagle Rare 12 Year if you want an older, richer step up from Eagle Rare 10 with more brown sugar and oak with slightly more proof behind it.
Best enjoyed cocktails, highball, rocks (Evan Williams Black Label); neat, rocks (Eagle Rare 12 Year).