Review: Evan Williams 1783 Bourbon

What is feckin whiskey doing on the net's leading independent rum website? There's a reason, read on, but it's not my fault! Honest...
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How do you rate Even Williams 1783, 86 proof (five is best)?

5
0
No votes
4
1
100%
3
0
No votes
2
0
No votes
1
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 1

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Capn Jimbo
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Review: Evan Williams 1783 Bourbon

Post by Capn Jimbo »

Evan Williams 1783 Bourbon: its balance, balance, balance...


Evan Williams is name well known to bourbon lovers. It's a big seller (second I think in the US) which is a LOT of bourbon - and like all big producers offer a wide selection of products including:
  • Evan Williams Green Label, 80 proof
    Evan Williams White Label, 100 proof (bottled in bond)
    Evan Williams Black Label, 86 proof
    Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage, 86.6 proof
    Evan Williams 1783, 86 proof
    Evan Williams Red Label, 101 proof
    Evan Williams Blue Label, 107 proof
Not to mention specialty products like a bourbon egg nog, etc. Compared to single malts and even rums, bourbon is really quite inexpensive, with $10 to $20 being a fair range for the typical products.

Although the bourbon heads do love their tipple, they seem to be especially influenced by price and proof. Though some water their bourbon, there's a sense of good old boy, I can handle that 114 thinking. Bourbon heads are drinkers, not sippers. Another issue is that despite the fact that bourbon has been among the most honest and pure brown spririts for centuries - a fact which spoiled the bourbon drinkers - in their naivety they have fallen prey to the notion that somehow an illegal dunk in ex-sherry barrels somehow implies a premium experience.

Of course, it does not. Enter a remarkable bourbon called EW "1783" - with the 1783 marketing hook based on their founding, like Mount Gay's 1703. Pure marketing of course. Better yet for Project readers is it's price - down in the $10 range. This is reminiscent of some (actually most) of the Seale's offerings like the Doorlys, with even his magnificent 10 year now down to just $21 for a world class rum.

In our ongoing quest to find top performing spirits at reasonable prices, the Evan Williams 1783 made itself known first by Cowdery who called "perhaps the best value in bourbon" and no less that F. Paul who gave this low shelf product an amazing 5 stars for a number of reasons: first, it's shocking age of 10 years. His restated comments:

"...brilliant, the color of new honey... opening is fruity/floral, banana, muted rose petals, fields, and marzipan. (After 7 minutes) adding ...deeper more fundamental aromas of oaky vanillan, brown butter, fried pork rind, and buttered sweet corn. An amazing bouquet... stately and understated with a semi-sweet, oaky, honeyed developing into toffee and light caramel, as well as a gentle bite but balance by the vanilla bean, honey and wood, and merging with the caramel/toffee element. Finish is light, off-dry, and regal. I'm shocked... an American beauty."

To be fair the 1783 did not make his 111 Top Spirits (of all kinds) list, but I'll be it was pretty damn close. Jim Murray had nice things to say as well. At Total Wine just $11, and with reviews like this a no-brainer.


A Pre-review:

To be honest, my first dram of the Evan Williams 1783 was a turn-off, almost completely. I found overpowering sour leather wood, surprisingly single minded. It was harsh! And to the point I wondered whether this was the same spirit, or had I lost my marbles? How could the 1783 have gotten such glowing reports?! Still, I have enough faith in these particular experts, that I decided the problem was me, and became determined that I must, must, must come to an understanding of just why the 1783 earned this accolades. Consider it a step in understanding what is still a new spirit. But I was not about to allow a single dram define the effort, so the next day during my prime time early morning tasting time, tried again, and this time?

Completely different. I'd forgotten our own repeated advice that no spirit can be judged before it reaches the shoulders of the bottle. Newly opened spirits really do need to breathe and have the opportunity to air off the typically harsh effects. What a difference. Now I picked up the fruit, the vanillan, the floral, the honey - but - well balanced by the dry oaky leather. An honest green edge of leather (10 years is a WELL aged bourbon after all). Now the balance and integration, and the complexity became apparent.


Add a pipe...


Although the preceeding is not our review - as always I defer to Sue Sea's amazing palate for that - it just seemed entirely appropriate to light up a bowl of Navy Flake in my Ralfy's recommended Falcon. The two went together like priests and choirboys, lol. Seriously, a completely pleasant and relaxing experience designed to keep our facked up world at bay for a brief hour or so.

But I will share my current impressions, which I'll sum up in remarkable complexity and balance, balance, balance. Sweet/heat. Sweet/dry.The 1793 is not hollow, there is no dominant element, and its quite complex enough - not only with the mash bill and distilling, but the 10 years in wood cannnot be ignored. How this can be sold for $10 or $11 is beyond me.

Stay tuned for the real review, Sue Sea, where are you?




*******
Note to da'rum: I was enjoying the 1783 (and Navy Flake) in my Falcon - perfect - then on a whim decided to also try a first smoke in my restored Savinelli Fiamata, a true work of art, but this time with Carter Hall, a great break-in tobacco for new/refurbished pipes, burley-based (which has that toasty sensation). As much as I didn't much "get" the Navy Flake, I do now. The Carter Hall is nice, gentle, easy smoking but not particularly distinctive - no doubt why the CH is the daily smoker for so many, but in comparison? No contest.
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Post by bearmark »

You should try Ralfy's advice of letting the dram sit (covered) for 1 minute per year of aging in order to let it "open up" after pouring. After that, compare that dram to a freshly poured one to discover the changes that have occurred. He recently reviewed GlenDronach 21 Year Old Parliament and found similar sour notes that put him off a bit.
Mark Hébert
Rum References: Flor de Caña 18 (Demeraran), The Scarlet Ibis (Trinidadian), R.L. Seale 10 (Barbadian), Appleton Extra (Jamaican), Ron Abuelo 12 (Cuban), Barbancourt 5-Star (Agricole)
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Post by Dai »

down in the $10 range. This is reminiscent of some (actually most) of the Seale's offerings like the Doorlys, with even his magnificent 10 year now down to just $21 for a world class rum.
You want to come and buy booze from the UK, then you could double that price.

Recently I bought a bottle of Buffalo Trace £20 and for that I got a very nice drink a lot better quality than I thought it would be. Let's put it like this. I thought it would make a nice mixer as the Jim Beam did but, low and behold it makes quite a nice sipper which surprised me so much so that I'll be buying another bottle when this one has gone. In fact it's Tuesday so might try it as a mixer tonight. Normally have one or two mixers of rum on a Tuesday.

Buffalo Trace reminds me of Pusser's not in taste but, in quality for a reasonable price VFM (Value For Money) a good all round VFM drink that most people will appreciate, well I do anyway.

I'll be looking into the Evan Williams 1783
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Dai
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Post by Dai »

Like I said come to the UK if you want to get fleeced.

£31.95 For the Evan Williams 1783.
https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/P-25507.aspx

Ooh, must be good stuff the guy was a Welsh man.

Evans the whisky.
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Post by Capn Jimbo »

The review:


Well now, you've certainly had enough background so let's go to the fore: Evan Williams 1783 is called a "small batch" and is delivered in a dark labelled, understated stumpy squat bottle at a nice 43%. The marketing story tries to justify the "small batch" claim by uh, claiming that a selected number of barrels of this sour mash bourbon are "chosen", then "merged", ergo "small batch". Early versions claimed to be 10 years old, but recent bottles are NAS, wonder why?

Who really cares? Not you I hope.

Nonetheless this is a nice bourbon. As years have passed I have begun to note a certain simplicity among younger rums and bourbons. Now this is not a bad thing but to be fair, there's a reason why single malts remain THE Noble Spirit. It's just the way it is.

Let's begin. A nice brilliant and clear amber dram with a not quite green edge. I doubt this is ten years old, so the NAS statement is appropriate. The nose is lovely and features an unmistakable sensation of baked, warm spiced apple pie. I'm dead serious. Further exploration reveals a wispy floral perfume and just a touch of vanillan as you near the glass. As you get deep, you may find a background of a touch of leather.

All are reflected with great consistency and balance into the palate, where the apple pie theme is carried forward with an added sense of honeyed sweetness. This lovely dram ends with a solid astringent leathery, black pepper/clove finish. Add a touch of water? The dram softens and becomes thin and more remote as a vanillan peeks forth, the perfume comes forward and the leather astringincy and spices are pushed back.

Ergo, this dram is near perfect at its delivered 43%, but you can absolutely try a touch of water, but start with drops! I mean it.



Bottom line: although the Evan Williams 1783 is not what I'd call a classic bourbon, it's very, very good and for it's low price, a Best Buy. But if you like classic, corn-based tones you'll do better to head to EW's 100 proof, BIB White Label.
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