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Evan Williams 1783 Small Batch Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed
July 16, 2021 (edited June 20, 2022)
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.
19.0
USD
per
Bottle
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Haven't seen the new package yet. Have always liked the bang for buck in EW1783. Nice review
HH and Dickel bit seem to consistently clock in as high flavor, low dollar and thankfully low fanfare