Evan Williams 1783 Review
In-Depth Review
Heaven Hill is a distilling behemoth in Kentucky known for its famous brands like Evan Williams, Elijah Craig, and Rittenhouse Rye. Historically, one of its entry level whiskies has been Evan William 1783, a small batch product that for many years was sold at 86 proof and in a less than stellar bottle design. As the bourbon industry has gone through its massive boom, 1783 has always stayed a little bit stuck in the past. However, in 2021 Heaven Hill introduced a revamped 1783 that cranked the age of its barrels to between 6 and 8 years, increased the proof to 90, and bestowed it with a new premium bottle design that they hope will propel 1783 into the consideration set of Buffalo Trace, Wild Turkey 101 and more.
So has this marketing and product shakeup worked? Let’s dive into the reimagined Evan Williams 1783 Small Batch and find out if the changes make this a compelling entry level contender.
Age: Non-Age Stated (Around 6-8 years)
ABV: 45%
Cask: New American Oak
MSRP: $20.00
Distillery Name: Heaven Hill
Review Date: 11/1/22
Color: Classic Caramel Gold
Nose: Big, classic notes of brown sugar, toffee, and a faint hint of wood polish and earthiness. As it settles, more vanilla and toasted oak come through and builds on that classic Kentucky bourbon profile. If this was baseball, the nose on this would be a pitch straight over the plate. Nothing unexpected, but a bit surprising given its entry level price point.
Palate: On the palate, it immediately hits the tongue with chocolate covered cherries, vanilla, and toasted wood. In the background is a touch of lemon zest and fruity sweetness, but the chocolate cherry flavor takes center stage. Even so, the palate – much like the nose – is gentle and easy going. A bit more wood forward than say a Frey Ranch bourbon, but never too oaky. It never goes too sweet and instead rests on the more savory end of the bourbon spectrum. The mouthfeel can be thin at times, but the increase to 90 proof does help compared to the original 86 proof.
Finish: Short finish with only the faintest touch of spice and heat. The heat is restrained but builds after a few sips, leaving lingering notes of clove and nutmeg.
Final Thoughts: This is a good bourbon - especially for something at this entry level price and widespread availability. The addition proof points are a welcome addition and brings a touch of spice and heat that were missing from the original iteration of Evan Williams 1783. Even compared to Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond, there is more oak in this new 1783. It ranks as one of the better entry levels bourbons available at this price point and I suspect would put up a decent fight against even some of the Eagle Rare store picks ‘I’ve had recently. Is it better than Wild Turkey 101? Hard to say as this lacks some of the typical Wild Turkey spicy notes and instead focuses in on the oak. And while likely not complex enough for a night of neat pours, this would make an excellent addition to a light and gentle whisky cocktail.
