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Bulleit Bourbon vs New Riff Single Barrel
Bulleit Bourbon and New Riff Single Barrel are cut from similar cloth: two takes on high-rye bourbons, where the real difference is price (~$25 – $32 vs. ~$55 – $70).
Key Specifications
| Feature | Bulleit Bourbon | New Riff Single Barrel |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 68% corn, 28% rye, 4% malted barley | 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | 5 years |
| Proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) | 105 proof (52.5% ABV) +15 proof |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$25 – $32 ~$34 less | ~$55 – $70 |
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Bulleit Bourbon
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
New Riff Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Bulleit Bourbon New Riff Single Barrel
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
heat 4/7 heat: Bulleit Bourbon 4 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 7 out of 10
spice 7/9 spice: Bulleit Bourbon 7 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 9 out of 10
sweetness 5/4 sweetness: Bulleit Bourbon 5 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 4 out of 10
oak 5/6 oak: Bulleit Bourbon 5 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 6 out of 10
fruit 5/5 fruit: Bulleit Bourbon 5 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Bulleit Bourbon 3 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Proof and heat dominate the difference.
- Bulleit Bourbon: The bottle that put high-rye bourbon in every cocktail bar in the country. Peppery and dry with the familiar MGP dill note, and it earns its place behind the bar more than in a glass on its own.
- 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 Bulleit Bourbon if you want a dry, peppery, high-rye bourbon built for cocktails and available absolutely everywhere at a significantly lower price point.
- 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 more proof behind it.
Best enjoyed old-fashioned, cocktails, highball (Bulleit Bourbon); neat, old-fashioned (New Riff Single Barrel).