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Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon vs New Riff Single Barrel
Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon and New Riff Single Barrel sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: a blender-built, classically built bottling versus a new-wave, rye-forward craft style.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon | New Riff Single Barrel |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | Not disclosed | 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 2 | ~$85 – $100 | ~$55 – $70 ~$30 less |
- Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon 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
Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
New Riff Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon New Riff Single Barrel
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
sweetness 8/4 sweetness: Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon 8 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 4 out of 10
spice 5/9 spice: Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon 5 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 9 out of 10
fruit 8/5 fruit: Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon 8 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 5 out of 10
heat 5/7 heat: Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon 5 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 7 out of 10
nuttiness 5/3 nuttiness: Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon 5 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 3 out of 10
oak 6/6 oak: Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon 6 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 6 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The clearest split is how sweet each one drinks.
- Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon: Finished in Oloroso sherry, Pedro Ximenez sherry and Cognac casks. The casks layer dried fruit, orange and dark chocolate over the bourbon and leave a long, clove-spiced finish.
- 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 Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon if you want a sherry-and-Cognac-finished bourbon full of dried fruit and dark chocolate.
- Go with New Riff Single Barrel if you want the most aggressively spice-driven bourbon in this list, with single-barrel variation on top at a significantly lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat (Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon); neat, old-fashioned (New Riff Single Barrel).