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Ancient Age vs New Riff 8 Year
Ancient Age and New Riff 8 Year sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, rye-forward classic versus a new-wave, rye-forward craft style.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Ancient Age | New Riff 8 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 15% rye, 10% malted barley | 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | 8 years |
| Proof | 80 proof (40% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) +20 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$14 – $18 ~$52 less | ~$65 – $70 |
- Ancient Age does not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Ancient Age
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
New Riff 8 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Ancient Age New Riff 8 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 4/8 spice: Ancient Age 4 out of 10, New Riff 8 Year 8 out of 10
oak 3/7 oak: Ancient Age 3 out of 10, New Riff 8 Year 7 out of 10
heat 2/5 heat: Ancient Age 2 out of 10, New Riff 8 Year 5 out of 10
sweetness 5/6 sweetness: Ancient Age 5 out of 10, New Riff 8 Year 6 out of 10
fruit 4/5 fruit: Ancient Age 4 out of 10, New Riff 8 Year 5 out of 10
nuttiness 4/3 nuttiness: Ancient Age 4 out of 10, New Riff 8 Year 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The gap between these two is mostly about spice.
- Ancient Age: The bottom rung of the Buffalo Trace ladder and priced accordingly. Thin and simple at 80 proof, but it is recognisably the Mash Bill #2 recipe and it does its job in a highball without complaint.
- New Riff 8 Year: The older, deeper version of New Riff's bonded bourbon. Same 30% rye recipe, but eight years add richer oak and darker sugar while keeping the spice front and center.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Ancient Age if you want the cheapest honest mixer in the lineup and you are not drinking it neat.
- Go with New Riff 8 Year if you want an older, deeper take on New Riff's spicy high-rye recipe with more proof behind it and with the texture that comes from skipping chill filtration.
Best enjoyed cocktails, highball (Ancient Age); neat, old-fashioned (New Riff 8 Year).