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Booker’s vs New Riff 8 Year
Booker’s and New Riff 8 Year sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an uncut, rye-forward heavyweight versus a new-wave, rye-forward craft style.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Booker’s | New Riff 8 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon, Barrel Proof | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley | 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley |
| Age | 7 years | 8 years +1 yr |
| Proof | 125 proof (62.5% ABV) +25 proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$85 – $110 | ~$65 – $70 ~$30 less |
| Availability | Limited | Widely available easier to find |
- Booker’s 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
Booker’s
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
New Riff 8 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Booker’s New Riff 8 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
heat 10/5 heat: Booker’s 10 out of 10, New Riff 8 Year 5 out of 10
nuttiness 8/3 nuttiness: Booker’s 8 out of 10, New Riff 8 Year 3 out of 10
sweetness 7/6 sweetness: Booker’s 7 out of 10, New Riff 8 Year 6 out of 10
spice 7/8 spice: Booker’s 7 out of 10, New Riff 8 Year 8 out of 10
oak 8/7 oak: Booker’s 8 out of 10, New Riff 8 Year 7 out of 10
fruit 4/5 fruit: Booker’s 4 out of 10, New Riff 8 Year 5 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
These two land very differently on the palate for heat.
- Booker’s: Uncut, unfiltered Beam at batch strength, and the most concentrated expression of the house peanut-and-oak character. Enormous and hot, with a finish that goes on well past where you expect it to stop.
- 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 Booker’s if you want the Beam house style at full power and you have water on the table with significantly more proof behind it.
- Go with New Riff 8 Year if you want an older, deeper take on New Riff's spicy high-rye recipe at a significantly lower price point and without hunting for it.
Best enjoyed neat (Booker’s); neat, old-fashioned (New Riff 8 Year).