Evan Williams Single Barrel is one of those bottles I find myself recommending more than almost any other bourbon at this price point. The 2015 vintage carries a hand-selected single barrel designation from Heaven Hill — one of Kentucky's largest and most prolific distilleries — bottled at 43.3% ABV. At around £42.50, it sits in a sweet spot where you're getting genuine single barrel character without the premium markup that so many brands have started attaching to that label.
What makes this bottling interesting is the vintage dating. Each bottle carries a specific barrel date and bottling date, which means you can track the approximate age yourself. Heaven Hill's approach here is straightforward: select barrels that show strong individual character, bottle them at a gentle proof that doesn't require you to add water, and let the whiskey speak. There's no cask strength theatrics, no finishing in exotic wood — just well-made Kentucky straight bourbon from a single barrel.
At 43.3%, this is a bourbon that doesn't demand anything from you. It's approachable from the first sip. The lower bottling strength means the barrel influence comes through without any ethanol burn getting in the way, which makes it genuinely easy to drink neat. That said, there's enough concentration here that it doesn't fall apart with a cube of ice either.
Tasting Notes
I'll be honest — I'm not going to fabricate specific notes I can't verify for this particular vintage. What I can tell you is that Evan Williams Single Barrel, as a category, sits firmly in the classic Heaven Hill bourbon profile: expect the kind of warm, grain-forward character that Kentucky straight bourbon is known for, shaped by new charred oak barrels and the limestone-filtered water that defines the region. The 2015 vintage should carry good barrel maturity at this proof point.
The Verdict
This is a bourbon that punches well above its weight. At £42.50, you're paying less than many blended bourbons charge, and you're getting a single barrel product with vintage dating and genuine traceability. It's not going to compete with barrel-proof monsters or 12-year age-stated releases, but that's not what it's trying to do. It's trying to be an honest, well-made bourbon at a fair price — and it succeeds completely.
I'm giving the Evan Williams Single Barrel 2015 a 7.5 out of 10. It loses half a point for the lower proof — I'd love to see what this barrel tasted like at 46% or higher — and it's not the most complex bourbon I've ever poured. But for the money, the quality-to-price ratio is genuinely hard to beat, and that counts for a lot in a market where bourbon prices have gone sideways.
Best Served
Pour this one neat or with a single large ice cube to start. It's already at a comfortable drinking strength, so you don't need to dilute it much. If you're in a cocktail mood, this is a brilliant Old Fashioned bourbon — the single barrel character gives you enough depth to stand up to the bitters and sugar without disappearing, and at this price you won't wince about mixing with it. A dash of Angostura, a sugar cube, an orange peel — that's all you need.
