Every now and then, the Bourbon Cheapskate has to put a favorite back on trial.
That’s especially true when the bottle in question keeps making bold claims from the shelf.
Once again, I’m putting Evan Williams America 250 to the test. This time, it’s in a blind single barrel challenge against a couple of new bottles and an old favorite — all store picks, all serious contenders, and all carrying proofs that suggest they did not come to this tasting to whisper politely.
The lineup:
Pinhook Single Barrel — 111.4 proof
Old Forester Single Barrel — 126.9 proof
Green River Single Barrel — 137.8 proof
Evan Williams America 250 Barrel 222 — 117.76 proof
That Green River is sitting right on the edge of Hazmat country, the Old Forester is bringing that classic Brown-Forman muscle, and Pinhook comes in with a 10-year age statement. Meanwhile, the Evan Williams shows up with its patriotic 117.76 proof and the burden of being the “cheaper” bottle in the room.
Of course, we’re doing this blind.
Maybe I can tell them apart. Maybe I can’t. Maybe the Evan Williams gets exposed. Maybe it doesn’t beat any of these more expensive and more highly regarded bourbons.
But maybe — just maybe — it can at least stand in their company.
And maybe that’s enough.
The Blind Tasting
Glencairn A
The color is deep, rich copper.
The nose is very sweet and dessert-like. I think I’m picking up traces of banana, which makes me wonder immediately if this might be the Old Forester. There’s also nutmeg and caramel, and overall, it’s very inviting.
On the palate, the proof jumps up a little quickly, but then settles down enough to let the flavors come through. I get caramel, brown sugar, some toasted oak, and I still think there’s a touch of banana hanging around.
The mouthfeel is lightly creamy, and the finish is decent, though not overwhelming. Hints of baking spice, toffee, and light chocolate linger after the sip.
Score: 83.44
Glencairn B
The color is rich mahogany.
The nose, like A, is rich and dessert-like, but this one feels a little deeper. I get buttery toffee, brown sugar, milk chocolate, and light baking spice.
The palate leads with a touch of oak, but brown sugar, cinnamon, caramel, and tart cherries come in quickly behind it. This one has more structure and more balance than the first pour.
The mouthfeel borders on oily, which helps the flavors hang together nicely, and the finish lasts longer than expected. Cinnamon-brown sugar and caramel carry it through to the end.
Score: 84.96
Glencairn C
The color is solid copper.
Compared to the first two pours, the nose is on the lighter side. There are light notes of toffee, chocolate, oak, and brown sugar, but it doesn’t quite reach out of the glass the same way.
Proof is the first thing to appear on the palate, followed by oak, toffee, and nutmeg. Then there’s another note I can only compare to fresh-cut grass. It’s not necessarily unpleasant, but it does pull the pour in a slightly different direction from the others.
The mouthfeel is lightly creamy, and the finish hangs on to that grassy note at first before pushing back toward sweetness with honey and caramel.
Score: 82.89
Glencairn D
The color is mid-copper.
On the nose, we’re back in dessert territory. I get buttery toffee, brown sugar, mild baking spice, and lightly toasted oak. It’s a comfortable, familiar profile.
Cinnamon makes an early appearance on the palate, followed by cotton candy, light oak, caramel, and vanilla. It’s pleasant and easy to enjoy, but it doesn’t quite separate itself from the pack.
The mouthfeel is just shy of viscous, and the finish has nice length to it, with toasted oak, toffee, and brown sugar dominating.
Score: 82.46
The Reveal
Glencairn A: Old Forester Single Barrel
Glencairn B: Evan Williams America 250 Barrel 222
Glencairn C: Green River Single Barrel
Glencairn D: Pinhook Single Barrel
The Finish Line
1st Place — Evan Williams America 250 Barrel 222
84.96
2nd Place — Old Forester Single Barrel
83.44
3rd Place — Green River Single Barrel
82.89
4th Place — Pinhook Single Barrel
82.46
Closing Thoughts
Well, so much for the little underdog knowing its place.
The Evan Williams America 250 was supposed to be the curiosity bottle in this lineup. It was the patriotic novelty. The commemorative single barrel. The bottle with the oddly specific proof and the “sure, let’s see what happens” energy.
Instead, Barrel 222 walked into a blind tasting with a 10-year Pinhook, an Old Forester Single Barrel, and a Green River Single Barrel flirting with Hazmat territory — and it won.
Not by a mile. Not in some dramatic, “throw away your allocated bottles” kind of way. But it won honestly. It had the richest mouthfeel, the best balance, and the most complete finish of the group. The brown sugar, caramel, cinnamon, and tart cherry notes all worked together instead of fighting for attention. It tasted like a bourbon that knew exactly what it wanted to be.
The Old Forester was very good, and I was pleased to pick up that banana note before the reveal. It brought the classic Brown-Forman dessert profile, but the proof jumped early and the finish didn’t quite carry it to the top.
The Green River was interesting, but at 137.8 proof, it felt more like a bourbon that still needed to settle down and explain itself. There were good flavors in there, but the proof and that grassy note kept pulling focus.
The Pinhook may have suffered most from expectations. At 10 years old, I wanted a little more depth and a little more separation from the pack. It was pleasant, dessert-like, and easy to enjoy, but in this field, “pleasant” wasn’t enough.
That’s what makes the Evan Williams result so satisfying. It didn’t win because it was cheaper. It didn’t win because I wanted it to win. It won blind, against respectable competition, because it delivered the best pour of the night.
That doesn’t mean every America 250 bottle is going to punch above its weight like Barrel 222. These are single barrels, and single barrels live and die by variation. But this one keeps making its case.
And for the Bourbon Cheapskate, that’s the whole point. I’m not trying to prove that cheaper bourbon is always better. It isn’t. I’m trying to find the bottles that can stand on the shelf next to pricier, flashier, more highly regarded pours and refuse to look embarrassed.
Evan Williams America 250 Barrel 222 didn’t just stand there.
It planted a flag.
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Copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt
