Evan Williams Black (A Betty Jo Question??)

[ACDetroit]

Oh Betty Jo!! You has some susplaining to do!!!!

Not in a bad way, but let me explain. So I'm on my way home from work today (late...I got out of the office late) and traffic on the freeway was a mess, so I took it on my Magellan self to find my way home on the surface streets (it was just as fast).

My issue with this is I passed about 15 liquor stores I had never seen... well those of you who have been here a while you know the SOP for new territory! I had to stop, I look way up high and see a couple old 1.75L bottles of dusty lookin Evan Williams Black Label. I ask to see one and here is were it gets a bit odd?

Oh Betty Jo, this is where your :bowdown: expertise comes in! Not that this was a bad thing but for pete sakes!

When did it lose a year off the age? How long was this strange beast made?

"EVAN WILLIAMS BLACK 8 year Old 90 PROOF

I have to say I almost fell over when he handed me the bottle, the twin of this one followed me home as well.

If I did not have a 7yr old 90 proof 1.75L open currently I'd open this tonight.

BETTY JO?!?!?!?! Last question, Why is it this is the first time I've ever run across such and oddity! I truly look forward to opening this in the near future! (Like next week at Oscars pad...Oh big dog I may crash at your place Wednesday! if that's ok with you).

Cheers!

Tony

[spun_cookie]

Tony,

Thanks for the call man... that is a cool juice... I bet it taste great... Got to love the Mich bourbon lists

[Gillman]

Good post, Tony.

How about a comparative tasting, the eight vs. the seven vs. the current. A blind tasting would be best.

Gary

[ACDetroit]

Gary I really like the way you think, I would truly enjoy doing that in your company!

Tony

[theDon]

What year is it? I have a couple of Heaven Hill Old Style Bourbon 7 year old 86 proofs that appear to have been discontinued in the early 90's. These could have been replaced by an Evan Williams 7 year 90 proof and then transitioned to the 86 proof.

[ACDetroit]

Don the bottom of the bottles have a 93 in them so early 90's would be the time frame.

Tony

[theDon]

Don the bottom of the bottles have a 93 in them so early 90's would be the time frame.

Tony

[theDon]

Sorry here's the pics.

[ACDetroit]

Sorry here's the pics.

[theDon]

Sorry I wasn't able help a length of time the 8 year was made. I was trying to nail down a time they switched to the 7 year. I've never seen the 8 year till your pics. I too have several 7 year 90 proof, but they are more late 90's era. Enjoy the juice!

[Josh]

Sorry I wasn't able help a length of time the 8 year was made. I was trying to nail down a time they switched to the 7 year. I've never seen the 8 year till your pics. I too have several 7 year 90 proof, but they are more late 90's era. Enjoy the juice!

I wonder if the 8 yr. was a special thing. The neck says 200th anniversary. Assuming its not from the future, say the 2130's, I would think it would be around 1983, 200 yrs from the year listed on the Evan Williams label.

[funknik]

I wonder if the 8 yr. was a special thing. The neck says 200th anniversary. Assuming its not from the future, say the 2130's, I would think it would be around 1983, 200 yrs from the year listed on the Evan Williams label.

I've definitely seen EWB that still has the 200th anniversary logo from much more recently.

[Josh]

I've definitely seen EWB that still has the 200th anniversary logo from much more recently.

Interesting! So I guess the question would be during what timespan did they use the 200th anniversary label.

[funknik]

Interesting! So I guess the question would be during what timespan did they use the 200th anniversary label.

Or I could be lying . . . :slappin: Maybe they were dusties and I didn't notice.

[Josh]

Or I could be lying . . . :slappin: Maybe they were dusties and I didn't notice.

Well I just saw that Bettye Jo is on Facebook, so hopefully she'll grace us with her gracious presence soon!

[funknik]

Interesting! So I guess the question would be during what timespan did they use the 200th anniversary label.

Now you got me all flustered wanting to go back to my dusty spots and check the EWB labels -- never thought I'd say THAT.

[p_elliott]

I wonder if the 8 yr. was a special thing. The neck says 200th anniversary. Assuming its not from the future, say the 2130's, I would think it would be around 1983, 200 yrs from the year listed on the Evan Williams label.

I'm going with Josh on 1983 as they had 225 yrs on the 2008 bottles.

[funknik]

I'm going with Josh on 1983 as they had 225 yrs on the 2008 bottles.

That must be what I'm thinking of . . . thanks, Paul.

[ThomasH]

In one of Jim Murray's whiskey books dated around 1997, he did mention that EW black was available in CA. as a 5yr. old and at 86 proof while much of the rest of the country was the 7yr. 90 proof version. It could be that this 8yr. old was a special bottling to honor a prticular occassion such as the 200th anniversary mentioned. Nice find Tony!

Thomas

[OscarV]

I truly look forward to opening this in the near future! (Like next week at Oscars pad...Oh big dog I may crash at your place Wednesday! if that's ok with you).

Cheers!

Tony

Oh Hell Yeah!

Bring that big black 8 year old beauty over and we'll show Parker, Craig and Max how we do it up here in the Mitten.

All ya'll may be driving Japanese but were still doing the,.....

By day I make the cars

By night I make the bars

...I know, you wish you were here.

[theDon]

I've definitely seen EWB that still has the 200th anniversary logo from much more recently.

This is a 1998 bottle that has the 200th Anniversary label.

[spun_cookie]

Now I think of it... the two decanters I had (Antabellum and the 200th) were both 8 yr... that is some great juice....

[boone]

As most of you know, before my present position at HH (IMTJ) Industrial Maintence, Technician, Journeyperson I held the title "label machine operator" for 7 years.

8 year was not a special bottling although not as common as the 7 year (back then). We ran lots of different age and proofs...commonly known as "junk" in terms used by operators. Junk was (simply put) not a long run--not to belittle it's reputation

Many ages...6,7,8,10,12,15,20 and 23 Never did a 9 or 13 year...does not mean that it didn't exist at one time but it's something that I didn't make the run on

Each line had different rules :bigeyes: :bigeyes: There were some (for awhile) that made me wonder...like the 1.75 handle EW going to California...5 Year was inside the bottling but the colar stated genuine sour mash (or something to that tune) Back then, if the bottle didn't have a age statement it was 4 years old---otherwise you had to put the age on it. You can put older in the bottling (cept bond) but not younger product. Bond had to be 100 proof, state the year and the DSP# Bond back. Now I see product at 100 proof and not classified as bond. EW 1783 has metalic cap on 1.75 and the squat 750 but on the liter it's plain gold :skep: :skep: Lots and lots of in's and outs

The old rules for bond and government supervision are different. Marks on the floor (steel posts--now removed) that surrounded each line when bond was running kept other's out and the government man as the visor The government man (our reference ) back then was Paul Civils. He's still around and very active in his community---Hodgenville Ky. His son works at Heaven Hill - in the dump room keeping track of barrels, tanks of bourbon and tractor trailer's loading product in and out of Heaven Hill

Hope this helps

Oh...Happy belated BIRTHDAY! :grin:

[p_elliott]

Thanks

Bettye Jo

[ACDetroit]

Thank you Betty Jo! That did help and Oscar and I opened it the other night! Great stuff, we did a side by side with some old 7yr 90 proof I have open as well. Both were stellar!

Tony