I went back to Evan Williams Single Barrel 250 again, partly because I like it and partly because this bottle has been messing with my expectations.

I’ve been so used to the standard Evan Williams Single Barrel that I didn’t really think much about the “single barrel” part of the label. I knew each bottle came from a different barrel, of course, but at 86.6 proof, the differences between barrels can get softened. Watered down, literally. The bourbon is still good, but the unique fingerprints of each barrel don’t always shout.

But the Evan Williams Single Barrel 250 bottles come in at 117.76 proof. That means less water, more intensity and a better chance for each barrel to show what makes it different.

So I decided to test that.

I opened three different bottles and blinded them against each other to see which one I preferred. I think I have bottles from five or six different barrels now, but for this experiment, I went with Barrels 92, 139 and 222.

The Blind Tasting

Sample #1

Sample #1 came in with a light copper color. The nose carried light oak, caramel, vanilla and a note of cherry cola. That cherry cola slipped past the oak on the palate, with caramel and cinnamon following behind it. The mouthfeel was borderline creamy, and the finish closed with cinnamon, toasted nuts and caramel.

Score: 82.89

Sample #2

Sample #2 was a deeper copper color. The nose opened with rich, buttery caramel, followed by oak and nutmeg. Those buttery notes continued on the palate, joined by the same cherry cola note I found in Sample #1, along with cinnamon and toasted oak. The mouthfeel upgraded to oily, and the finish capped things off with cherry cola, cinnamon and caramel.

Score: 86.04

Sample #3

Sample #3 was also light copper. The nose led with caramel and toasted oak, with some butterscotch and nutmeg following. Cinnamon dominated the front end of the palate, followed by toasted nuts, cherry cola and light oak. The mouthfeel was borderline creamy, and cinnamon and caramel dominated the finish.

Score: 82.68

The Thoughts

All three were delicious and more than worth the $40 asking price.

But Sample #2 was clearly a step ahead of the other two.

In fact, it was hard to believe they were essentially the same bourbon. Same brand. Same release. Same proof. Same general idea. But Sample #2 had more depth, more texture and more richness. It took the same basic flavor profile and turned up the volume.

That’s the beauty and the danger of single barrel bourbon.

When people talk about a “single barrel,” it’s easy to treat that as a label instead of a reality. But a single barrel really does mean a single barrel. Same distillery. Same mash bill. Same bottle design. Same price tag.

But not the same bourbon.

Different spots in the same rickhouse can yield drastically different results. One barrel might sit higher. Another might sit lower. One might bake a little more during the summer. Another might age more gently. Over time, those differences matter. And when the bourbon goes into the bottle at 117.76 proof, those differences don’t hide as easily.

So let’s find out which one was which.

The Reveal

Sample #1: Barrel 139 — 2nd place

Sample #2: Barrel 222 — 1st place

Sample #3: Barrel 92 — 3rd place

Barrel 92 was the first bottle I purchased, and I loved it. That bottle is the reason I paid attention to this release in the first place. But Barrel 222 was a surprising find, and I’ve snapped up several bottles to make sure I have some on hand, since I suspect Evan Williams will not continue this higher-proof single barrel journey forever.

One important thing to remember with this release is that Evan Williams Single Barrel 250 wasn’t just one big batch poured into a bunch of bottles. Heaven Hill released 250 different barrels for this commemorative bourbon, which means 250 different versions of the same basic idea are floating around out there.

That’s what makes this release so interesting.

There are certainly similarities between the barrels I’ve tasted. The cherry cola note keeps showing up, along with caramel, cinnamon, oak and toasted nuts. But the balance changes from barrel to barrel. One may lean a little more cinnamon-forward. Another may push harder into oak. And another may land on that richer, buttery caramel note that made Barrel 222 stand out so much.

So no, you might not land something quite as great as Barrel 222. That one felt special. But the other two were still surprisingly excellent pours, especially at around $40 a bottle. That’s a pretty good gamble for a higher-proof single barrel bourbon from a major Kentucky distillery.

And that’s where the cheapskate part comes in.

At around $40, Evan Williams Single Barrel 250 isn’t exactly bottom-shelf pricing, but it’s also not playing in the ridiculous “allocated bourbon museum piece” category. For a 117.76-proof single barrel from a major Kentucky distillery, this is still a very fair price. Honestly, it may be one of the better values sitting on shelves right now, assuming you can still find it.

The catch, of course, is that not every barrel is going to be Barrel 222.

That’s the gamble.

But it’s also part of the fun.

With the old 86.6-proof Evan Williams Single Barrel, the charm was consistency and easy sipping. With this 250 release, the charm is discovery. The proof gives each barrel more room to speak for itself, and some barrels are clearly louder, richer and more interesting than others.

Barrel 139 was good. Barrel 92 was good. But Barrel 222 was the one that made me sit up a little straighter. It had that richer buttery caramel note, that cherry cola sweetness, that oily mouthfeel and just enough oak and spice to keep everything balanced. It didn’t taste like a different product. It tasted like the best possible version of the same product.

That’s exactly what I want from a single barrel.

Evan Williams Single Barrel has always deserved more attention than it gets, and this higher-proof version feels like the release that finally lets it flex a little. It takes a familiar name and reminds you that familiar doesn’t have to mean boring.

So, yes, I’m glad I grabbed multiples of Barrel 222.

No, I don’t feel bad about it.

And, yes, if I see another bottle from a different barrel, I’m probably going to check the number, pretend to be responsible and then buy it anyway.

Because sometimes the Bourbon Cheapskate finds a bargain.

And sometimes he finds the barrel.

Enjoyed this? Subscribe and get future reflections, bourbon notes, and assorted nonsense delivered straight to your inbox.

Copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt