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Booker’s vs New Riff Bottled-in-Bond
Booker’s and New Riff Bottled-in-Bond 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 Bottled-in-Bond |
|---|---|---|
| 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 +3 yr | 4 years |
| Proof | 125 proof (62.5% ABV) +25 proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$85 – $110 | ~$38 – $45 ~$56 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 Bottled-in-Bond
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Booker’s New Riff Bottled-in-Bond
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
nuttiness 8/3 nuttiness: Booker’s 8 out of 10, New Riff Bottled-in-Bond 3 out of 10
heat 10/6 heat: Booker’s 10 out of 10, New Riff Bottled-in-Bond 6 out of 10
sweetness 7/4 sweetness: Booker’s 7 out of 10, New Riff Bottled-in-Bond 4 out of 10
oak 8/5 oak: Booker’s 8 out of 10, New Riff Bottled-in-Bond 5 out of 10
spice 7/9 spice: Booker’s 7 out of 10, New Riff Bottled-in-Bond 9 out of 10
fruit 4/5 fruit: Booker’s 4 out of 10, New Riff Bottled-in-Bond 5 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The house grain character is what splits these.
- 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 Bottled-in-Bond: At 30% rye this is about as spice-forward as bourbon gets before becoming rye whiskey. Peppery and herbal with mint and dill, non-chill-filtered for texture, and noticeably dry rather than sweet.
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 and with an older age statement.
- Go with New Riff Bottled-in-Bond if you want aggressive rye spice and a dry, herbal profile from a modern craft distillery at a significantly lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat (Booker’s); neat, old-fashioned, cocktails (New Riff Bottled-in-Bond).