Compare
Eagle Rare 12 Year vs New Riff 8 Year
Eagle Rare 12 Year and New Riff 8 Year sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, classically built classic versus a new-wave, rye-forward craft style.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Eagle Rare 12 Year | New Riff 8 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley | 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley |
| Age | 12 years +4 yr | 8 years |
| Proof | 95 proof (47.5% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) +5 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$50 – $80 | ~$65 – $70 |
| Availability | Allocated | Widely available easier to find |
- Eagle Rare 12 Year does not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-10; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Eagle Rare 12 Year
Top 3, behind George T. Stagg and Jack Daniel's 14.
New Riff 8 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Eagle Rare 12 Year New Riff 8 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 5/8 spice: Eagle Rare 12 Year 5 out of 10, New Riff 8 Year 8 out of 10
sweetness 7/6 sweetness: Eagle Rare 12 Year 7 out of 10, New Riff 8 Year 6 out of 10
fruit 6/5 fruit: Eagle Rare 12 Year 6 out of 10, New Riff 8 Year 5 out of 10
nuttiness 4/3 nuttiness: Eagle Rare 12 Year 4 out of 10, New Riff 8 Year 3 out of 10
oak 7/7 oak: Eagle Rare 12 Year 7 out of 10, New Riff 8 Year 7 out of 10
heat 5/5 heat: Eagle Rare 12 Year 5 out of 10, New Riff 8 Year 5 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Rye spice is the dividing line here.
- Eagle Rare 12 Year: Two more years and five more proof points than Eagle Rare 10. Brown sugar and toffee lead, with a drier, more astringent oak finish.
- 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 Eagle Rare 12 Year if you want an older, richer step up from Eagle Rare 10 with more brown sugar and oak with an older age statement.
- Go with New Riff 8 Year if you want an older, deeper take on New Riff's spicy high-rye recipe without hunting for it and with the texture that comes from skipping chill filtration.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Eagle Rare 12 Year); neat, old-fashioned (New Riff 8 Year).