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New Riff 8 Year vs Basil Hayden’s
Put New Riff 8 Year next to Basil Hayden’s and you have a contemporary, high-rye craft build set against a classic, high-rye stalwart.
Key Specifications
| Feature | New Riff 8 Year | Basil Hayden’s |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley | 63% corn, 27% 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 | ~$38 – $45 ~$26 less |
- Basil Hayden’s 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.
Basil Hayden’s
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
New Riff 8 Year Basil Hayden’s
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 7/3 oak: New Riff 8 Year 7 out of 10, Basil Hayden’s 3 out of 10
heat 5/2 heat: New Riff 8 Year 5 out of 10, Basil Hayden’s 2 out of 10
spice 8/6 spice: New Riff 8 Year 8 out of 10, Basil Hayden’s 6 out of 10
sweetness 6/5 sweetness: New Riff 8 Year 6 out of 10, Basil Hayden’s 5 out of 10
fruit 5/5 fruit: New Riff 8 Year 5 out of 10, Basil Hayden’s 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: New Riff 8 Year 3 out of 10, Basil Hayden’s 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Barrel influence is the main separator.
- 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.
- Basil Hayden’s: Built on the high-rye Old Grand-Dad mash but bottled at just 80 proof, which makes it the lightest thing in the Beam range by a distance. Peppery and herbal, but very thin — the price reflects the packaging more than the liquid.
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 Basil Hayden’s if you want an unusually light, peppery, low-proof pour and you do not want any weight in the glass at a lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (New Riff 8 Year); neat, rocks, highball (Basil Hayden’s).