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Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 7 Year vs New Riff Single Barrel
Comparing Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 7 Year and New Riff Single Barrel reveals a matchup between a traditional, even-keeled Kentucky staple and a modern, spice-driven craft expression.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 7 Year | New Riff Single Barrel |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley | 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley |
| Age | 7 years +2 yr | 5 years |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) | 105 proof (52.5% ABV) +5 proof |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$35 – $45 ~$23 less | ~$55 – $70 |
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 7 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
New Riff Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 7 Year New Riff Single Barrel
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 5/9 spice: Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 7 Year 5 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 9 out of 10
sweetness 6/4 sweetness: Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 7 Year 6 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 4 out of 10
heat 5/7 heat: Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 7 Year 5 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 7 out of 10
nuttiness 5/3 nuttiness: Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 7 Year 5 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 3 out of 10
oak 7/6 oak: Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 7 Year 7 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 6 out of 10
fruit 4/5 fruit: Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 7 Year 4 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 5 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Rye spice is the dividing line here.
- Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 7 Year: Seven years, bonded, and priced sensibly — the specification sheet reads like something from twenty years ago. Balanced and oak-leaning without ever getting heavy.
- 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 Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 7 Year if you want a bonded, age-stated Kentucky bourbon that gets the fundamentals right for under forty dollars.
- 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, rocks, old-fashioned (Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 7 Year); neat, old-fashioned (New Riff Single Barrel).