Compare
New Riff 8 Year vs Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series
Put New Riff 8 Year next to Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series and you have a contemporary, high-rye craft build set against a contemporary, corn-forward craft build.
Key Specifications
| Feature | New Riff 8 Year | Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley | Not disclosed |
| Age | 8 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) | 98.9 proof (49.5% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$65 – $70 | ~$55 – $70 ~$5 less |
- Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series 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.
Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
New Riff 8 Year Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 8/5 spice: New Riff 8 Year 8 out of 10, Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series 5 out of 10
sweetness 6/7 sweetness: New Riff 8 Year 6 out of 10, Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series 7 out of 10
oak 7/6 oak: New Riff 8 Year 7 out of 10, Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series 6 out of 10
fruit 5/6 fruit: New Riff 8 Year 5 out of 10, Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series 6 out of 10
heat 5/5 heat: New Riff 8 Year 5 out of 10, Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: New Riff 8 Year 3 out of 10, Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Rye spice is the dividing line here.
- 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.
- Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series: A blend of Bardstown's own young distillate with older sourced Kentucky whiskey, which is exactly what the name describes. Polished and fruit-leaning, and a clear demonstration that the blending is the skill on show.
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 the texture that comes from skipping chill filtration.
- Go with Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series if you want a well-built modern blend that shows what careful blending does rather than what age alone does at a slightly lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (New Riff 8 Year); neat, rocks (Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series).