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New Riff 8 Year vs Four Roses Small Batch
New Riff 8 Year and Four Roses Small Batch are cut from similar cloth: two takes on high-rye bourbons, where the real difference is price (~$65 – $70 vs. ~$32 – $38).
Key Specifications
| Feature | New Riff 8 Year | Four Roses Small Batch |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley | 75% corn, 20% rye, 5% malted barley |
| Age | 8 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) +10 proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$65 – $70 | ~$32 – $38 ~$33 less |
- 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.
Four Roses Small Batch
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
New Riff 8 Year Four Roses Small Batch
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 8/6 spice: New Riff 8 Year 8 out of 10, Four Roses Small Batch 6 out of 10
oak 7/5 oak: New Riff 8 Year 7 out of 10, Four Roses Small Batch 5 out of 10
fruit 5/7 fruit: New Riff 8 Year 5 out of 10, Four Roses Small Batch 7 out of 10
heat 5/4 heat: New Riff 8 Year 5 out of 10, Four Roses Small Batch 4 out of 10
sweetness 6/6 sweetness: New Riff 8 Year 6 out of 10, Four Roses Small Batch 6 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: New Riff 8 Year 3 out of 10, Four Roses Small Batch 3 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.
- Four Roses Small Batch: Four Roses' yeast strains push this toward fruit and florals rather than wood. Red berry and cinnamon over a light body, with the rye showing up as brightness instead of bite.
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 Four Roses Small Batch if you want a fruit-and-floral profile that stands apart from the usual caramel-and-oak template at a significantly lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (New Riff 8 Year); neat, rocks, cocktails (Four Roses Small Batch).