The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 6: Battle of the Budget Bottled-in-Bond, Heaven Hill Edition

Sometimes you don’t have to spend $50+ to find a solid pour. Heaven Hill has long offered a lineup of bottled-in-bond bourbons under $20, all sharing the same mash bill (78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley). On paper, they should taste similar—but do they?

I put three contenders head-to-head: J.T.S. Brown, J.W. Dant, and Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond. First neat, then with a twist—adding a cloud of smoke (cherry, apple, peach, and pecan wood) to each Glencairn.

Round One: Neat

Glencairn #1 (J.T.S. Brown)

Nose: Light oak, nutty, caramel, a touch of heat.
Palate: Oak-driven with spice, vanilla, and caramel.
Mouthfeel: Silky and smooth.
Finish: Baking spice and vanilla, medium length.
Score: 71.4

Glencairn #2 (J.W. Dant)

Nose: Proof-forward with a burst of cherry, vanilla, and oak.
Palate: A “cherry bomb” with cinnamon and vanilla.
Mouthfeel: Similar silkiness to #1.
Finish: Spicy, fruity, and satisfying.
Score: 71.4

Glencairn #3 (Evan Williams)

Nose: Nearly identical to #2—cherry, vanilla, oak.
Palate: Spice-heavy with peanuts, cherry, caramel, and vanilla, but a touch sour.
Mouthfeel: Heaviest of the three.
Finish: Sour cherry lingers, shorter than expected.
Score: 71.3

Round Two: Smoked

J.T.S. Brown

Spice takes center stage with added tree fruit notes.
Finish becomes warmer and smoother.
New Score: 73.0

J.W. Dant

Cherry remains but gains cinnamon and caramel.
Mouthfeel turns creamy, finish stretches a little longer.
New Score: 73.1

Evan Williams

Cinnamon ramps up, oak more present.
Sour note softens, sweetness peeks through.
Finish is short but pleasantly sweet.
New Score: 72.3

The Verdict

Going in, I would’ve bet Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond would dominate. Instead, J.W. Dant and J.T.S. Brown edged ahead—nearly dead even after smoke. Dant earned the crown by a hair, with its cherry-forward profile that blossomed beautifully under smoke.

Final podium:
🥇 J.W. Dant
🥈 J.T.S. Brown
🥉 Evan Williams

Not bad for three bottles that each cost less than a decent steak dinner. Proof that Heaven Hill keeps the bond strong at every price point.

About Douglas Blaine

Capnpen is a writer who was a newspaper and magazine journalist in a previous life. A college journalism major, he now works as an English teacher, but gets his writing fix by blogging about a variety of topics, including politics, religion, movies and television. When he's not working or blogging, Capnpen spends time with his family, plays a little golf (badly) and loves to learn about virtually anything.

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