Evan Williams 1783 Small Batch
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
45% ABV
$20
Website
What the Distillery Says
Evan Williams 1783 Small Batch honors the year that Evan Williams founded Kentucky’s First Distillery. Pulled from fewer than 300 barrels, this extra-aged small Batch Bourbon won the 2019 Consumers’ 2019 SIP Award.
Proof: 90 Proof
Age: 6-8 Years Old
Tasting Notes
Color: Brilliant honey
Aroma: Oaky vanilla, sautéed butter, and sweet corn
Taste: Semi-sweet, oaky, and honeyed
Finish: Lean, off-dry, and regal
What Gary Says
Nose: Salted caramel, vanilla, richhouse mustiness with a hint of cocoa.
Palate: Sweet vanilla, caramel, honey, bit of clove and cinnamon with subtle mint.
Finish: Short to moderate in length, drying with oak, caramel and bitter chocolate.
Comments: One of the first dusty bourbons I ever had the good fortune to buy was the 10 year age stated Evan Williams 1783. From what I recall from that, it had quite a bit more mint than this – although it would have been pre-fire Heaven Hill – so entirely different distillate. This is not that whiskey. When I first tried this, I thought it was quite nice – a solid albeit, sweet bourbon. It got me thinking how it might compare to Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond (which is a few dollar cheaper, but higher ABV). In a blind side-by-side-by-side (which included Benchmark Bonded), this was very similar/close to the Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond. On the nose, they were incredibly similar, with this having just a touch more oak, and on the palate, this had a bit more spice – although these differences were subtle. I actually preferred the BIB over this by a hair, but both were quite nice – and liked both more than the Benchmark Bonded (which was the most expense in that three-way tasting).