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Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel vs New Riff 8 Year
Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel 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 | Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel | New Riff 8 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley | 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | 8 years |
| Proof | 94 proof (47% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) +6 proof |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$60 – $80 | ~$65 – $70 |
| Availability | Limited | Widely available easier to find |
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
New Riff 8 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel New Riff 8 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 5/8 spice: Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel 5 out of 10, New Riff 8 Year 8 out of 10
sweetness 8/6 sweetness: Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel 8 out of 10, New Riff 8 Year 6 out of 10
oak 9/7 oak: Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel 9 out of 10, New Riff 8 Year 7 out of 10
nuttiness 5/3 nuttiness: Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel 5 out of 10, New Riff 8 Year 3 out of 10
fruit 4/5 fruit: Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel 4 out of 10, New Riff 8 Year 5 out of 10
heat 4/5 heat: Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel 4 out of 10, New Riff 8 Year 5 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The gap between these two is mostly about spice.
- Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel: Finished in a second toasted (not charred) barrel, which produces an unmistakable toasted-marshmallow note. Sweet and heavily wooded, and one of the more distinctive finishes any major producer makes.
- 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 Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel if you want a distinctive toasted-oak, marshmallow-sweet finish you will not find in a standard bourbon.
- Go with New Riff 8 Year if you want an older, deeper take on New Riff's spicy high-rye recipe with slightly more proof behind it and without hunting for it.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel); neat, old-fashioned (New Riff 8 Year).