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Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond vs W.L. Weller 12 Year

Comparing Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond and W.L. Weller 12 Year reveals a matchup between a traditional, even-keeled Kentucky staple and a traditional, wheated Kentucky staple.

Key Specifications

Feature Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond W.L. Weller 12 Year
Type / Style Traditional Bourbon Wheated Bourbon
Mash Bill 1 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley Not disclosed
Age 4 years 12 years +8 yr
Proof 100 proof (50% ABV) +10 proof 90 proof (45% ABV)
Approx. Price 2 ~$16 – $22 ~$106 less ~$70 – $180
Availability Widely available easier to find Allocated
  1. W.L. Weller 12 Year does not publish an official mash bill.
  2. US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.

AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes

Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond

Not rated yet

No notes yet.

W.L. Weller 12 Year

No notes yet.

Flavor Profile

Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond W.L. Weller 12 Year
sweetnessspiceoakfruitheatnuttiness

Axis by axis, biggest gap first

spice 5/2 spice: Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond 5 out of 10, W.L. Weller 12 Year 2 out of 10
sweetness 6/8 sweetness: Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond 6 out of 10, W.L. Weller 12 Year 8 out of 10
fruit 4/6 fruit: Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond 4 out of 10, W.L. Weller 12 Year 6 out of 10
heat 5/3 heat: Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond 5 out of 10, W.L. Weller 12 Year 3 out of 10
oak 6/7 oak: Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond 6 out of 10, W.L. Weller 12 Year 7 out of 10
nuttiness 4/3 nuttiness: Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond 4 out of 10, W.L. Weller 12 Year 3 out of 10

Flavor Profile Differences

The gap between these two is mostly about spice.

  • Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond: Arguably the best value in all of bourbon: a bonded 100-proof Kentucky whiskey for under twenty dollars. Straightforward vanilla and caramel with just enough oak, and nothing at all to apologise for.
  • W.L. Weller 12 Year: Twelve years on a wheated mash at a modest 90 proof, which is the combination that made this bottle famous. Deep caramel and baked fruit with polished rather than aggressive oak — the closest widely-discussed analogue to the Pappy profile.

Which One Should You Choose?

  • Go with Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond if you want a bonded, honest, full-proof Kentucky bourbon for the price of a cocktail without hunting for it.
  • Go with W.L. Weller 12 Year if you want age and elegance on a wheated mash, and you are willing to chase it.

Best enjoyed neat, rocks, old-fashioned, cocktails (Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond); neat (W.L. Weller 12 Year).