Evan Williams 1783 is Heaven Hill’s “small batch” release that’s meant to elevate itself above the regular Evan Williams Black Label. According to Heaven Hill’s web site the “Evan Williams 1783 is a small batch extra aged line extension of Evan Williams Black Label that is named after the year in which Evan Williams first established his distillery”. Take the origin story with a grain of salt.q
Evan Williams 1783 Info
Region: Kentucky, USA
Distiller: Heaven Hill Distillery
Mashbill: 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% barley
Cask: new charred oak
Age: NAS
ABV: 43%
Price: $15
Evan Williams 1783 Review
EYE
Leather
NOSE
Remarkably fruity with notes of honey, cornmeal, caramel syrup, dried dark fruit, artificial sweetener and peanuts. The peanut isn’t incredibly strong, but definitely noticeable.
PALATE
Watery character with mild notes of caramel, imitation vanilla, grits, citric acid, sugar, peanut butter taffy, wood and mint. It’s an odd tasting whiskey for sure.
FINISH
Short and layered with notes of citric acid, cornmeal, vanilla, peanut butter taffy and wood.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Off balanced, weak thin body and a watery feel. Not a fan of the experience that accompanies the notes.
OVERALL
Evan Williams 1783 is a let down for me. Because it’s the same whiskey it’s easy to see the similarities between this, the Evan Williams Black Label and the Evan Williams Bonded, but I like the EWBL and Bonded more, much more. Tasting them all side-by-side they’re both noticeably richer, tastier whiskeys – especially the bonded – with comparatively deeper characters.
The Evan Williams 1783 is too weak and peanutty for my tastes and with it being “extra aged” I would expect it to taste closer to the Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintages, but instead it comes across more like a water down version of the black label. It’s possible I got an off batch of this “small batch” offering, but at the moment I’m thinking I’d rather save $3 and pick up the EWBL or spend $3 more and pick up the excellent EWB instead. Either one is a better value in my mind.
SCORE: 78/100
I have heard that the bottles differ greatly. I have ffg found it to be a decent sipper. I did not like the bbn lack lable as much but I do like the bib. I get a lot of sweet artificial vanilla from it. While I agree it is not as good as WT 101 I think it is a good ever day sipper and mixer.
They do seem to differ quite a bit. I recently got another bottle and it’s much better than this old one. Weird it shifts so much. Thanks for sharing your thoughts Pete. Cheers!
Just tried the newly revised EWSB and was impressed. The new 90 proof version is a winner. Give it a try and update this review.
Funny you mention this, I just got a bottle of the new one. I’m liking it a lot more as well and an update is coming!
I’m amused by folks who can taste peanut butter, cardamom, oak, veal and other stuff in their whiskey. I have not graduated to that lofty skill after years of drinking bourbon. When I buy bourbon, I go for something in which I cannot taste or smell that “rubbing alcohol” smell, and something smooth and slightly fruity that goes down easily.
I also roast my own coffee, but admit I cannot taste the tobacco, cherry sundae or banana pudding that the revered tasters can detect.
Well there are 2 components. 1 is genetic and the other is connecting vocabulary. Sensory perception at its base is genetic, some people can’t actually pick up a wide range of taste and smell compounds and there’s a vast spectrum of sensitivity to those compounds. You might be one of the less sensitive types who stop at the core sweet, bitter, savory, etc. and might get some of the bolder flavors like oak and smoke. Which is what it sounds like based on what you’ve written. Just because you don’t experience it doesn’t mean no one else does and vice-versa.
If you are more sensitive to flavor and aroma compounds, the second part is connecting your experience to the vocabulary to express it and make the connections between other foods and beverages you’ve had. That’s not genetic, just a skill that can be honed over time.
At the end it’s just about finding what you like and what you don’t. Cheers!
The Black Label is a bit crude for me. I find this is a nice Bourbon, for a bit less than the EWBIB. Something about the 1783 proof and strength, provides more flavor than the Black Label, with better balance that suppresses the negative flavor that comes thru in the 100 proof version. This is one of maybe five Bourbons I will drink neat, under $20 a fifth. – James
Loved reading this, thanks for sharing James, cheers!
I really wanted to disagree with this review because I am a fan of all of the other Evan Williams products I’ve tasted and I appreciate the remarkable value this brand offers . . . but I can’t. For my money EB BiB is far better and less expensive. It surprises me that EB would offer 1783 as a premium product when, in my estimation it isnt as good as the inexpensive Black Label offering. Live and learn I guess.
Thanks for sharing Dan and I feel the same way. EW BiB is just so dang good it’s hard to beat, especially for the price. Cheers!
EWBiB is consistently around $24_1.75L. That’s the best value Bourbon available around here. This stuff (1783) was so peanutty I couldn’t drink it. My personal “well Bourbon” is Wild Turkey 101.
Holy crap, $24 for a liter of EW BiB? That’s awesome. It’s that much for a 750 here.
EWBIB is better, as a mixer, soda is my preference over sweet, the 1783 is a decent value. Once you taste all the higher proof choices, the 80, 86 seem paltry, especially in the 20 buck range. OF rye, knob small batch are to me some of the best values.out there along with EWBIB. Keep up the good work, you are my go to for reviews…
Loved reading your thoughts Donald. Thanks for sharing, cheers!
Solid review. I’d give 1873 a few more points, but I agree it pales in comparison to their BiB which has more flavor and a nice kick on the back end with the 100 proof. I’ve used your reviews a number of times to help with figuring out what to grab at the liquor store. I love the fact you give lower-shelf items like this and other whiskeys priced under $20 a fair shot compared to other reviewers. I also enjoy the fact you share a wealth of information while keeping things nice and succinct!
Thank you Joe, you just made my day. Cheers! :D
Decent bourbon
Josh, first of all, thank you for the excellent reviews. You have steered me in the right direction on many occasions. My go-to bourbons have become Four Roses (particularly single barrel), Dickel 12, and anything Heaven Hill (how do you beat the value of Fighting Cock and EWBiB? Answer: you don’t). In the Scotch column, Talisker Storm has become a staple because Lagavulin 16 isn’t economically do-able outside of a yearly indulgence.
As far as EW small batch, I have to believe you tasted an anomaly. It’s nothing particularly special, but it’s a solid bourbon at a great price. Let me know what you think if you try another! Cheers brother.
Thanks Wil. I’ll definitely update if I get another taste of another batch. After posting this one (and getting some incredulous replies) I looked up other reviews and found them all over the board. Seems like they might be a tad inconsistent in their batches… or I just got an off one :)
Cheers man!
Pretty much watery and medicinal tasting with no character, ‘mouthfeel’ or anything. Short finish. Thin bodied.
So interesting how reports on these seem to vary so much. Thanks for sharing, cheers!
very good in a mixed drink..coke or 7up.would recommend!
Evan Williams 1783 Review
I’ve enjoyed several bottles of EW White Label Bottled in Bond. In my opinion it ranks up there with more expensive pours such as Four Roses and Bulleit just to name a few…especially when enjoyed neat.
I recently bought the 1783 after seeing all the different reviews stating that it had improved so I figured what the hell.
When I tried it neat, I found it okay; in fact, the initial sweetness was quite balanced and it had nice caramel and imitation vanilla on the front. But for my taste it was very thin and watery compared to the EW BiB; especially on the rocks. It was almost tasteless within minutes when I put in on ice. Just my two cents. I am a fan of your reviews Josh…thanks again.
Thanks for sharing, and the kind words, cheers Rick!
This may not be for the cool kids or snobs but for a glass after work or my flask for a pre colts game this is a rock solid choice. Easy drinking, tasty, get the job done, great price. Love it
Cheers Allenx12.
I had a $20 bill I wasn’t doing anything with, so I decided to spend it on the Evan Williams 1783. It can’t touch the single barrel, which I feel is reasonably priced and mostly overlooked. EW 1783 is okay. Not hot garbage like Town Branch which ranks Numero Uno in my trash bourbon list, but something that while drinkable isn’t memorable. Next time I’ll stick with the Old Forester or pay a buck or two more for Jim Beam Black. Appreciate the review, Mr. Peters. Happy Sipping.
Cheers Jeff, thanks for sharing!
I found the current batch of EW 1783 to be a delightful sipper. On MY palate I get doughy vanilla, toasted marshmallow and dark oak. The finish is dry tobacco leaves and just a hint of rye/spice. For $14 per 750ml locally I’m well stocked on the 1783 and my empties are are a frequent, and pleasurable occurrence.
Thanks for sharing Jamie, cheers!
Funny, I find the EWBL to be terrible, borderline appalling. Not that I found the 1783 interesting, but at least it was palatable. To each their own…I suppose.
It also changes quite a bit year-to-year. Need to re-try this one. Cheers Mike!
I’m a Knob Creek and Budweiser fan (go figure) but I use a few shots of EW 1873, brown sugar an lemon juice to marinate baby back ribs. Outstanding favorer.
Nice :) I often use bourbon I’m not a big fan of for cooking. Pancakes, sauces, glazes, etc. Meh bourbon makes a great cooking whiskey :)
Its not smooth. Its a kick in the face and un-balanced. I like Markers and WT way more.
First picked 1783 out after liking Evan SB and preferred liquor store clerk told me she thought it was great value (13.99). I enjoy the spicy/woody notes and have gone back to neat after mixing cheap bourbon with plain Perrier. I also like Larceny (1.75l $39.99 at Costco, equivalent to around $17 for 750ml) for smooth but less complex flavor. Cheapest Evan tastes oily to me, also. Thanks.
Thanks for sharing, cheers!
I think it has improved in recent vintages , I wasn’t a fan several years ago ,but I find it much more enjoyable , even though I would assume my expections would have increased with experience. But even considering that , I think it’s a decent product now
Might be worth revisiting in the near future. Cheers!
I concur with the other folks who posit that this whiskey differs from batch to batch. Bought a bottle a few years ago and had a dram that matched your review. Bought a bottle yesterday, mainly for hot toddies and voila! It is delicious! A huge upgrade over the past bottle I had. So I definitely think it varies batch to batch. The new bottle I purchased is very smooth with a bit of cinnamon spice and nicely integrated wood. Absolutely great for 17 bucks on sale!
Thanks for sharing, cheers Mike!
I’m an avid Jack Daniels drinker, and 1783 runs a close second.
Hey Josh,
I just happened to be meandering through Total Wine looking for something, anything, so I didn’t go home empty handed. I saw this for $14.99, so I picked it up and thought I would see what it had to offer, for shits & giggles. Well, it is a tasty sip, I must say. Not as good as the BIB, but much better than I expected. Very sipable neat.
The nose is a bit sweet to me, presenting some vanilla, maybe cotton candy and some nuttiness.
Taste had a good bite up front with some custard, fruit, and oakiness that followed at the end. Overall, I was quite surprised at how good it was, and how much of a bargain it was!
I really like EW BIB, but this is worth keeping on the shelf.
Now, on to the Single Barrel. They had a 2009 batch there today.
Cheers, man!
I’m not sure why everyone thinks the EW Black is so good. It has a nasty aftertaste that ruins the experience for me. The 1783 is definitely better, not great but better than the EW Black. The EW White label BOB is just an amazing bourbon and an incredible value. It seems that everyone’s palate is a little bit different. Let’s respect that and have a civil discourse. Thanks Josh I always enjoy reading your reviews.
Cheers Richard and totally agree about everyone’s palate being different. I don’t get a nasty aftertaste on the EW Black and definitely like it more than the 1783. Though if you’re the other way around there’s nothing wrong with that! And thanks man!
Love it.
Most of these “experts” will tell you this is garbage. The average cost of this whiskey is $17.99. It is easily as good as any Jack Daniels whiskey you’ll taste and I have nothing against Jack Daniels whiskey. There’s a lot of internet experts out there. For the price you will not beat this stuff. Especially with Jack Daniels and I’m a Jack fan…or you can go high brow and pay $1000 for a bottle of whatever.
Or you could just pay $4 more to get some Wild Turkey 101 which is significantly better. You could also leave a snarky comment that ends with a wild bit of hyperbole that assumes if someone isn’t going to buy a mediocre $18 bourbon then they only buy $1,000 whiskey. You could also do that. Me, I’d rather just go get the Wild Turkey.
This crap ain’t worth the money and the taste is horrible, the black label is 10Xs better than this crap…..
Update to my comment above: I’m still enjoying the 1783, have continued to get consistently good bottles. I enjoy it neat but when I feel like a bourbon on the rocks this is what I pick. (My favorite bourbon is 4 Roses Single Barrel – but that’s too good to water down in my opinion!)
Anyway, for me, the 1783 is a great deal. On my palate it has way more complexity than other bourbons in its price range. It also doesn’t have an artificial tasting sweetness that I’ve tasted in bourbons costing twice as much.
I hope they keep this one going and don’t mess with the recipe.
Thanks for sharing M’Ike. Cheers!
I have tried 1783,and really enjoyed it.I’m an avid Jack Daniels fan,and 1783 runs a close second.
Cheers Nando!
I just bought a second bottle. I love it; especially the finish which is long and ‘traditionally sour mash. I think–since it is 2017–you should review it again and see if it hasn’t improved.
Everyone has an opinion. some will mingle some will clash so don sweat the reviews. if You are interested in a certain whiskey, buy it, try it, if you like buy again if you don’t then leave it After trying many you will find the one you like and enjoy. I smoke cigars and tried many and I learned by trying what I liked, paid a lot for some that were rated high but was not my taste and I respect that. So I you like whiskey trying as many you willing to pay for and find the one you like.
Is it possible to mix some Evan Williams Black label with the 1783 to put some more flavour to it? mix it and store it in another bottle and let it marry for a week or two. I’ve had the 1783 recently, i too find it weaker than than the black label though much smoother kid of silky mouth feel but lesser flavour and the peanut butter and vanilla icing is prominent in mine.
Josh Peters really doesn’t know anything about whiskey. He’s a poser. A self-styled critic. However, The Whiskey Jug presents him as some sort of authority. The most important thing about the enjoyment of whiskey is how it rests on your palette, not on how it greets the tastebuds of one particular individual, even though he may hold himself out to be some sort of authority. I don’t suggest that tasters have nothing to contribute. But I would suggest a critic of the type such as Ralfy–very knowledgeable of tradition and the distilleries’ history.
Blah blah blah. All you trolls sound the same. On one hand you call me a poser while on the other saying that “The most important thing about the enjoyment of whiskey is how it rests on your palette” which is the EXACT same thing I say all the time. Then right after that you say go check out Ralfy… because why? He’s talked about whisky longer? Because he’s Scottish? He’s “very knowledgeable of tradition and the distilleries’ history”? Well how does knowing about history change someone’s palate? I’m not saying Ralfy isn’t knowledgeable, he’s great, but I guarantee he and I have read most of the same books on whisky and I guarantee I know FAR more about bourbon than he does. I also guarantee he knows more about Scotch than I do. But that’s the great thing about whiskey. You can keep learning about whisky until the day you die and you still won’t know it all.
Your argument is asinine because knowing history doesn’t change your palate, nor does it change the fact that I’ve tasted well over 1,400 whisk(e)ys and have an opinion informed by years of experience drinking everything from utter swill to some of the best stuff ever bottled over the last 100 years. You’re just another uninformed ignorant troll who has a mouth bigger than his brain.
Cheers.
Ha ha – well done, Josh! As I sip a 1783 for the first time, bought for that most excellent reason: “it was on sale”. But then I only bought it on sale because the shop was out of the Evan Bonded that was also on sale. I think I’ll save this one for my whiskey-sodas, which I love, but I hate to use really good whiskey in them. (Because I’m cheap.)
At my age, taste and all those nutty test like descriptions are running a far second. I’m going for the effect. A few of these “neat” in a chilled glass wipes out all those fruity nutty chocolate peanut comparisons and allegedly silly comparisons. My father once told me when I asked him why all these old guys were bellied up to the bar he said: Son, when you get old you get very thirsty.” He was 100% correct.
Ha, that’s great, loved reading this. Thanks for sharing Bill!
I just tried this for the first time and found it more sip-able than black EW.
It has less petroleum aroma compared to black label.
I got wood, vanilla, butter and corn notes. There is this other aroma that I couldn’t figure, something very similar to cola. Did you get that too?
I got some notes similar to that, but I’ve never gotten petroleum from EW black. Definitely have from Jack though.
I usually agree with your reviews, but I tried some yesterday and thought it was pretty decent. I thought it had a good cinnamon-spicy taste and a nice long finish. I’m wondering if there isn’t a lot of inconsistency between batches. That’s not a good thing, even for an inexpensive bourbon.
Hey Robert, it’s entirely possible. You’re not the only one whose told me that. I’m wondering if I try another batch if it would be quite a bit different, but to your point that’s not exactly what you want either. Something that’s hit or miss on batches would be hard to be a die-hard fan of.
I just picked up a bottle to use in mixers & food recipes, because I found the EW black label okay but not complex enough when I want a cheap sip. While the 1783 doesn’t rise to the level of Makers Mark, I find it more interesting to sip neat than the black label.
I must’ve got a good batch, because for the additional $3 I felt the 1783 was worth it.
Sounds like it. Cheers man!
Thanks for the review. I won’t need to try this stuff. The EW BiB is quite tasty and has the obvious age statement “Bonded”. The EW SB is typically a bit above 9 years in its age statement, and is tasty, but nothing sensational. Consequently, the 1783 is not on the “try” list.
Virgin Bourbon at 50.5% and marked 7 years is ok with a bit of water. Its first cousin, Old Ezra 50.5% and marked 7 years is about the same, perhaps a bit smoother. All Heaven Hill sourced, but with Age Statement. And, to date, there is the bonded 10yr. Henry McKenna SB, which is always a bourbon “experience”.
Now that Elijah Craig has dropped the age statement, and having no special distinguishing characteristic other than that “12 years”, we can safely move on to other NAS products, without regret, namely, WT 101.
Thanks again for saving me a few bucks!
You’re welcome man and thanks for the great comment. I can’t disagree with anything you said :)
Cheers!
This is a mixing bourbon in my view. When I have it I use Ginger Ale and it balances out quite well almost like a Makers Mark with a slightly sweeter tone. I agree that the mid range on the palate is flat the overall experience isn’t all that offensive when you want a cheap drink at your home bar instead of tapping your Makers, Wild Turkey, Bowman’s, etc.
Cheers Robert!
Yeah, this one kind of veers wildly from place to place. Upfront it’s a bit hot with alcohol, the middle is smoother, but the ending is kind of weak. Overall it’s not a bad whiskey–just one I prefer to mix. It made a pretty decent Old-Fashioned and I’d like to see how it does in a Manhattan.
Overall, this is something I feel no particular shame nor pride in having in my cabinet.
I agree. This one was all over the place. I have described a couple bourbons as tasting like a recipe with all the ingredients added without regard to the measurements. This is one of those. Everything is there, just not in proper proportion. With this being $3 more than the EW BIB, I don’t see another bottle finding its way into my cabinet.
I ended up with a bottle of this when my favorite local store was out of the BiB. It costs a little more and I absolutely hated it. The small batch was just so dilute and lacked any redeeming character for me. I honestly was surprised that Heaven Hill would put it out when they have so many better offerings at a lower price, even within the Evan Williams line.
Exactly how I feel.
Cheers!