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Ancient Age vs New Riff Single Barrel
Comparing Ancient Age and New Riff Single Barrel reveals a matchup between a traditional, spice-driven Kentucky staple and a modern, spice-driven craft expression.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Ancient Age | New Riff Single Barrel |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 5 years |
| Proof | 80 proof (40% ABV) | 105 proof (52.5% ABV) +25 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$14 – $18 ~$47 less | ~$55 – $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 Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Ancient Age New Riff Single Barrel
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 4/9 spice: Ancient Age 4 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 9 out of 10
heat 2/7 heat: Ancient Age 2 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 7 out of 10
oak 3/6 oak: Ancient Age 3 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 6 out of 10
sweetness 5/4 sweetness: Ancient Age 5 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 4 out of 10
fruit 4/5 fruit: Ancient Age 4 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 5 out of 10
nuttiness 4/3 nuttiness: Ancient Age 4 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Rye spice is the dividing line here.
- 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 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 Ancient Age if you want the cheapest honest mixer in the lineup and you are not drinking it neat.
- 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 significantly more proof behind it.
Best enjoyed cocktails, highball (Ancient Age); neat, old-fashioned (New Riff Single Barrel).