Evan Williams 1783 Small Batch Bourbon

I've seen this recommended as an alternative to Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond, the seemingly untouchable value champion in bourbon. So I gave it a try. To my tastes it's not as quite good as the bonded, but it is good. It's kind of hard for me to compare one bourbon to another because so much of the flavor is the same, and maybe that's even more the case here considering these come from the same distillery. But here goes. The nose has charred wood, vanilla, a bit of cinnamon, and some brown sugar. The taste is relatively gentle, with honey and vanilla along with more char. Maybe like burnt toast with honey spread on it? Cinnamon comes in toward the end and lingers through the long-lasting finish. I guess the main things I notice here compared to the bonded is that this is softer, subtler, and has more charred-wood notes. Its sweetness is also different, with more of a lighter honey dimension and less of the darker brown sugar type notes. I may just be talking nonsense here because it's hard for me to put my finger on the differences, but one way or another they do taste different and personally I prefer the bottled-in-bond to this. At $19 this is a few bucks more than the bonded, but still a good value. It's really just a matter of preference probably. But as for me I'll probably stick with the bonded.

I poured this neat as I always do with my whisk(e)y. On the nose, I detected caramel, vanilla, some oakiness, and a little bit of green apple. The green apple wasn't prominent at first. Yet, once I smelled it, I was able to single it out and hone in on it. Coming through on the palate was apple, oak, and vanilla. This has a nice full-bodied texture. A second sipping brought forth some of the nuttiness that's generally expected in Heaven Hill products. The finish is lengthy, and the apple and oak are still coming through. Note from my first tasting of EW1783 in 2018: I revisited this one from a few years ago. When I first tasted EW1783 back then, it was extremely bitter, and I tossed out that bottle after a half-dozen shots or so. My palate wasn't as refined back then as it is now, and it's also possible that I had a bad batch years ago. I feel that it was worthwhile to revisit this, but I'm not sure that this is a keeper in my bar. I've had my bottle of this for six month now, and I'm now starting to taste a slight bit of bitter oak. Perhaps oxidation isn't kind to EW1783.

The nose is full of vanilla, spice, and everything nice. Top notes of both dry and buttery florals, potpourri and plumeria, as well as fruits in the form of Fuji apple and pomelo emerge. These are quickly joined by allspice, clove, fresh dill, and a little chili pepper. Base notes of vanilla taffy, suede, and charred oak with a tinge of tobacco plus a hint of peanut shells permeate the entire experience. Sweet and spicy on the tongue with some funky bitterness and a bit of tang. Typical bourbon sweet notes, dark corn syrup, candied apple, and a bit of peanut brittle are mixed with bitter herbs, cayenne, cinnamon, and tangy orange like citrus. The body is adequate, with a semi thin mouthfeel. In the glass it shows quick paced legs that are sporadic at best and leave behind just a few scattered droplets. The finish is mildly smoky, and oaky, with soft tannins and a bit of copper tinged sweetness hanging on in the form of apple skins, dried cherries, vanilla extract, and just a touch of cocoa nib. Nose: 9 Palate: 8 Body: 6 Finish: 9

Nose: It's like a candy bar that isn't overly sweet. Vanilla, nougat, caramel, honey roasted peanuts, and a little walnut. Beyond that is seasoned oak, cinnamon, and clove. Palate: Medium low viscosity. A nice balance of sweet with a little spicy. Caramel, vanilla, and honey roasted peanuts with a bit of black pepper, soft tannic oak, and clove. Finish: Fairly short with mostly soft oak tannins and clove. Summary: As someone who doesn't like candy sweet bourbon, this one is right up my alley. Especially for summer. Cheap, easy to drink, but has enough going on to keep it interesting. If you're looking for a new daily driver and haven't given this a try for some reason, you won't be disappointed.

It was sweet on the nose for me. I was picking up some peanut butter that made me think of a Reese’s peanut butter cup. I was caught off guard with the spice that came with my first few sips. It was smoky and full of cinnamon like a stick of Big Red. I was ready to give it a lower score, but as it aired out, the neat pour grew on me. I usually pick a rye for most of my cocktails, but I think this would serve as a good base as well. It got sweeter as well and the spice subsided a bit. It does have a nice, long finish that got better the more I drank it. I’ll have to try a pour with a big ice cube next time to see how the flavor changes.

For $20 you can't go wrong with for the price. Exceeds other bourbon in simular price, could possibly even hold it's own over slightly higher bourbons I have tasted. And usually my go-to because it's cheaper and usually I dont have much money left for higher bottles and this will do the job till next pay day. I usually have it tucked in the freezer and one ice cube when I pour a couple fingers in a glass is all I need. I get hints of brown sugar, vanilla, some spice and a slight linger of a woody finish. Solid bourbon at a solid price