Updated May 2026.
These are two grocery-aisle Kentucky straight bourbons from different companies. Jim Beam White Label is 80 proof / 40% on Beam pages used in prior rewrites — one NIAAA drink per 1.5 ounces. Evan Williams Black Label commonly prints 86 proof / 43% on US bottles (1.08 drinks). That 86 figure is common labeling, not a Heaven Hill PDF fetched — read the neck. This is not a 2022 winner.
Related: Jim Beam, Evan Williams, what proof is Jim Beam.
Proof is the printed split
| Jim Beam White | Evan Williams Black | |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Beam / Suntory | Heaven Hill |
| Typical US proof | 80 / 40% | 86 / 43% |
| 1.5 oz drinks | 1.00 | 1.08 |
| Black / bonded SKUs | Beam Black is a different bottle | Bottled-in-Bond is 100 |
A 750 mL 40% bottle is about 17 drinks; 43% is about 18. Four Beam White pours are four drinks. NIAAA binge pattern is a health line, not a target. Pour math: whiskey drinks.
Sources
- Jim Beam White 80 / 40% — prior Beam official / FAQ. Mash-bill % still unpublished.
- Evan Williams Black 86 — common US labeling, not a PDF. Confirm the neck.
- TTB 27 CFR 5.143; 5.88 (bonded). NIAAA December 2025.