Evan Williams 1783 is Heaven Hill’s “small batch” release that’s meant to elevate itself above the regular Evan Williams Black Label. Well, bourbon 1 was the Evan Williams 1783 and bourbon 2 was the Evan Williams Black Label. Which is slightly interesting to me because it’s the opposite with Jim Beam whose entry level is the white label and “upgraded” version is the the black label. This standard Black Label offering is second only to standard Jim Beam in global sales. Evan Williams (Black Label) Bourbon Review. Jim Beam is being aged for 4 years, whereas Evan Williams is being aged 5-7 years depending on the particular selection. They stared to make this great distilled spirit in the Old South hundreds of years ago, like back in 1783. Current black label Evan Williams is distilled from a low rye mash bill of 78% corn, 10% rye and 12% malted barley, aged for 5 … I found it a bit shocking that I found the "normal" one more to my liking, but that's why I taste blind: I don't want any preconceptions. According to Heaven Hill’s web site the “Evan Williams 1783 is a small batch extra aged line extension of Evan Williams Black Label that is named after the year in which Evan Williams first established his distillery”. The standard issue Evan Williams Bourbon comes with a black label and the “upgraded” bottled-in-bond version comes with a white label. The main differences between Jim Beam vs Evan Williams are: Jim Beam has 40% alcohol by volume, whereas Evan Williams has 43%. It’s a lucky thing for the Evan Williams legacy that he collected the river wharf dues for the town of Louisville, since that cemented his place in the records on top of putting some extra coin in his pocket. In the modern context, Evan Williams Black Label is the #2 mass market bourbon, right after Jim Beam White. And of course, if you haven't had them, try them out, you'll be out maybe $30 for the pair. Jim Beam And Evan Williams Bourbon comes from the area where it was first distilled, Bourbon County Kentucky. Jim Beam And Evan Williams Bourbon is a true American Whiskey that is made from corn or other grains . So which was which? All of the Master Distillers at Heaven Hill have been members of the Beam family, beginning with Joseph L. Beam, Jim Beam's first cousin. By Bill on June 5, 2014 17 ... and bourbon drinkers like Evan Williams. Previously, Evan Williams carried a 7 year age statement. Recently, to meet growing demand, that age statement has been dropped.