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New Riff 8 Year vs Ancient Age
New Riff 8 Year and Ancient Age sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: a new-wave, rye-forward craft style versus an old-guard, rye-forward classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | New Riff 8 Year | Ancient Age |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley | 75% corn, 15% rye, 10% malted barley |
| Age | 8 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) +20 proof | 80 proof (40% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$65 – $70 | ~$14 – $18 ~$52 less |
- Ancient Age 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
New Riff 8 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Ancient Age
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
New Riff 8 Year Ancient Age
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 8/4 spice: New Riff 8 Year 8 out of 10, Ancient Age 4 out of 10
oak 7/3 oak: New Riff 8 Year 7 out of 10, Ancient Age 3 out of 10
heat 5/2 heat: New Riff 8 Year 5 out of 10, Ancient Age 2 out of 10
sweetness 6/5 sweetness: New Riff 8 Year 6 out of 10, Ancient Age 5 out of 10
fruit 5/4 fruit: New Riff 8 Year 5 out of 10, Ancient Age 4 out of 10
nuttiness 3/4 nuttiness: New Riff 8 Year 3 out of 10, Ancient Age 4 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The gap between these two is mostly about spice.
- 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.
- Ancient Age: The bottom rung of the Buffalo Trace ladder and priced accordingly. Thin and simple at 80 proof, but it is recognisably the Mash Bill #2 recipe and it does its job in a highball without complaint.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with New Riff 8 Year if you want an older, deeper take on New Riff's spicy high-rye recipe with more proof behind it and with the texture that comes from skipping chill filtration.
- Go with Ancient Age if you want the cheapest honest mixer in the lineup and you are not drinking it neat.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (New Riff 8 Year); cocktails, highball (Ancient Age).