Evan Williams 1783 Small Batch Bourbon

NEW EW1783 Been looking forward to this since I received several surveys from Heaven Hill a couple years ago about the redesigned packaging. Looks very similar to the final mock-ups I saw, though I believe the designs I saw and some of the early press released publicity shots had a large wooden cork (ala Elijah Craig). The screw cap on the final design was a bit of a letdown. Let's see how the bourbon inside the newly dolled up bottle does with the added proof points. *NOSE: Oak and Vanilla jump out of the Glencairn on first sample. There's a touch of sour/tart that almost wants to be Peach but doesn't quite make it. Definitely Oak Heavy. A little more time and the Evan Williams Cola Note that I get makes a welcome appearance along with plain old Canned Planters Peanuts as the Sourness fades away. *NEAT: Vanilla Vanilla Vanilla. My palate doesn't typically get bold vanilla notes. I usually pick it up as more Toffee, Brown Sugar or Caramel, but this is all Vanilla Bean. Probably the most Vanilla Forward Bourbon I've had. Heavy Oak and Toasted Marshmallow shows up mid-palate followed by a nice Warming Finish and a decent KY Hug. The mouthfeel is Medium and clings to the palate nicely layering Cola and Oak notes. It's a Simple Straight forward Oak and Vanilla Bomb, but my Sweet Tooth really likes it. *SPLASH: Brings the Peanut note from the Nose to the Palate. With a large cube the Oak really takes center stage. *Verdict: I really like this one. Once the sour note faded from the nose there was very little (if anything) to complain about. I liked the previous incarnation as well but rarely bought it because the bottle was just so damn ugly. They've rectified the looks and upped the proof to justify the slight price bump (just under $20 out the door). I can definitely see that this has joined the ranks (along with Rebel 100 and Dickel 8) as favorite sub $20 Bottles. It's kind of like EWBIB's slightly more refined city cousin. Good job outta' you Heaven Hill. 3.75 for the liquid, but I'll bump to a 4 because this drinks way above its price tag.

Too much "sawdust" taste for me at the beginning

This is an EXCELLENT bourbon for the price. Well rounded, sweet, a little spicy, and smooth.

A quality pour for the price point. Molasses and fig funk with back end heat and spices. Try TX bourbon if you like funky dark fruit path this starts down.

Noses like French toast, palate better than the 86 1783 but has a slight funk that I'm tolerant of yet not thrilled with (probably a mix of molasses and tart raisin). Tasted in a flight with Clyde May's, Eagle Rare, and Michter's small batch. 1783 came in 3rd beating out CM, but couldn't take down ER or Michter's (the latter winning the flight). Still, an improvement to the previous offering. After trying this the previous version tastes bland, almost like water.

I wish I had never tasted this bourbon. Just so I could have the first sip again. Once again Evan Williams produces a bourbon that is easily worth twice what you'll pay for it. The nose is honeyed buttered oats, a very homey aroma. The taste is sweet vanilla... and what is that... raisins? I can't quite place it, but I will be happy as hell to keep tasting it to figure it out. The finish reminds me of molasses cookies; sweet and spicy but this thing likes to linger thank goodness. The ABV is just right, the sting and burn is just enough to let you know it means business, but not so much you regret too big of a sip. Seriously, how they can sell this for $20 is a complete mystery. You can buy that rot-gut Jim and Jack for about the same price is unbelievable. I would serve this at a tasting right after sharing my Blanton Single Barrell & Colonel Taylor without hesitation. My rating it purely based on flavor. If I were to go flavor+value/price, this would be a 6 star review.