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Four Roses Single Barrel vs New Riff Single Barrel
Four Roses Single Barrel and New Riff Single Barrel are cut from similar cloth: two takes on high-rye bourbons, where the real difference is price (~$45 – $55 vs. ~$55 – $70).
Key Specifications
| Feature | Four Roses Single Barrel | New Riff Single Barrel |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 60% corn, 35% rye, 5% malted barley | 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | 5 years |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) | 105 proof (52.5% ABV) +5 proof |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$45 – $55 ~$13 less | ~$55 – $70 |
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Four Roses Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
New Riff Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Four Roses Single Barrel New Riff Single Barrel
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
sweetness 6/4 sweetness: Four Roses Single Barrel 6 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 4 out of 10
fruit 7/5 fruit: Four Roses Single Barrel 7 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 5 out of 10
spice 8/9 spice: Four Roses Single Barrel 8 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 9 out of 10
heat 6/7 heat: Four Roses Single Barrel 6 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 7 out of 10
oak 6/6 oak: Four Roses Single Barrel 6 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 6 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Four Roses Single Barrel 3 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Sweetness is where these two part ways.
- Four Roses Single Barrel: The OBSV recipe on its own at 100 proof — the highest-rye mash Four Roses uses, paired with their most floral yeast. Cherry and clove in equal measure, and a genuinely distinctive glass.
- 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 Four Roses Single Barrel if you want the most expressive, spice-and-fruit-forward single recipe in the Four Roses range at a 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 the texture that comes from skipping chill filtration.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (Four Roses Single Barrel); neat, old-fashioned (New Riff Single Barrel).