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Blanton’s Single Barrel vs New Riff Single Barrel
Blanton’s Single Barrel and New Riff Single Barrel are cut from similar cloth: two takes on high-rye bourbons, where the real difference is price (~$80 – $150 vs. ~$55 – $70).
Key Specifications
| Feature | Blanton’s Single Barrel | 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 | 93 proof (46.5% ABV) | 105 proof (52.5% ABV) +12 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$80 – $150 | ~$55 – $70 ~$53 less |
| Availability | Allocated | Widely available easier to find |
- Blanton’s Single Barrel 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
Blanton’s Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
New Riff Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Blanton’s Single Barrel New Riff Single Barrel
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 6/9 spice: Blanton’s Single Barrel 6 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 9 out of 10
heat 4/7 heat: Blanton’s Single Barrel 4 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 7 out of 10
sweetness 6/4 sweetness: Blanton’s Single Barrel 6 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 4 out of 10
fruit 6/5 fruit: Blanton’s Single Barrel 6 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 5 out of 10
oak 6/6 oak: Blanton’s Single Barrel 6 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 6 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Blanton’s Single Barrel 3 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The gap between these two is mostly about spice.
- Blanton’s Single Barrel: The bottle that invented the single-barrel category and still trades largely on its horse-stopper cork and its scarcity. The whiskey itself is genuinely good — honeyed and citrus-led with nutmeg spice — but at secondary prices you are paying for the bottle as much as the pour.
- 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 Blanton’s Single Barrel if you want the original single-barrel presentation and a honeyed, citrus-led profile, and the hunt is part of the appeal.
- Go with New Riff Single Barrel if you want the most aggressively spice-driven bourbon in this list, with single-barrel variation on top at a significantly lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Blanton’s Single Barrel); neat, old-fashioned (New Riff Single Barrel).