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Evan Williams Black Label vs New Riff Single Barrel
Evan Williams Black Label and New Riff Single Barrel sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, classically built classic versus a new-wave, rye-forward craft style.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Evan Williams Black Label | New Riff Single Barrel |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley | 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | 5 years |
| Proof | 86 proof (43% ABV) | 105 proof (52.5% ABV) +19 proof |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$14 – $18 ~$47 less | ~$55 – $70 |
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Evan Williams Black Label
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
New Riff Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Evan Williams Black Label New Riff Single Barrel
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 4/9 spice: Evan Williams Black Label 4 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 9 out of 10
heat 3/7 heat: Evan Williams Black Label 3 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 7 out of 10
sweetness 6/4 sweetness: Evan Williams Black Label 6 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 4 out of 10
oak 5/6 oak: Evan Williams Black Label 5 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 6 out of 10
fruit 4/5 fruit: Evan Williams Black Label 4 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 5 out of 10
nuttiness 4/3 nuttiness: Evan Williams Black Label 4 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The gap between these two is mostly about spice.
- Evan Williams Black Label: The everyday black label, and a perfectly competent well bourbon. Softer and sweeter than the bonded version, with less to say but nothing objectionable.
- New Riff Single Barrel: The single-barrel expression of New Riff's 30% rye mash, non-chill-filtered and at higher proof than the bonded version. As dry and peppery as bourbon gets before it stops being bourbon.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Evan Williams Black Label if you want a dependable, inexpensive mixing bourbon and nothing more complicated than that at a significantly lower price point.
- Go with New Riff Single Barrel if you want the most aggressively spice-driven bourbon in this list, with single-barrel variation on top with more proof behind it.
Best enjoyed cocktails, highball, rocks (Evan Williams Black Label); neat, old-fashioned (New Riff Single Barrel).