Availability:

Standard: Located in many liquor stores.

Single: Found only in stores that partake in a private barrel program. Not very common.

‍Price:

Standard: $25

Single: $25 (paid $25)

‍Age:

Standard: NAS (Used to carry a 8 year age statement)

Single: NAS

‍Proof:

Standard: 93.7

Single: 93.7

Nose: Surprisingly, the standard bottle has the better nose of the two. It’s richer and thicker than the single barrel. In fact, the single barrel’s nose is faint and very unassuming.

‍Palate: Again, the standard bottle outshines the single barrel. The single barrel is dryer and a tad lighter on flavor. Both pack a lot of flavor, but it’s the standard version that stands out more.

‍Finish: Both taste stronger than the 93.7 proof listed on the bottle and that’s a great thing. The finish on 1792 really shines and thankfully both bottles have great finishes. Like the palate, the private selection tastes a little bit dryer on the finish. Although, that change actually makes it taste less like 1792 and more like something else entirely.

‍Value: The price of the single barrel was the same as a standard bottle and I’m not sure this is going to be the case everywhere that sells a private selection of 1792. Since the standard bottle won in each of the categories above and is easily found in most stores, that’s a great thing for bourbon drinkers. Now they just have to bring back the age statement and I’ll be really happy.

Conclusion:

The standard bottle of 1792 wins out over the private single barrel. This came as a surprise to me since I automatically thought a single barrel version of one of my favorite $20 bourbons would be better because of it. Again, that’s not to say another store’s 1792 private selection would have the same results I found with mine, but my pick between the two I have, would easily be the standard 1792.