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New Riff 8 Year vs Penelope Architect
New Riff 8 Year and Penelope Architect sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: a new-wave, rye-forward craft style versus a blender-built, classically built bottling.
Key Specifications
| Feature | New Riff 8 Year | Penelope Architect |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Four-Grain Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley | 75% corn, 7% rye, 15% wheat, 3% malted barley |
| Age | 8 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) | 104 proof (52% ABV) +4 proof |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$65 – $70 | ~$60 – $70 |
- 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.
Penelope Architect
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
New Riff 8 Year Penelope Architect
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 8/6 spice: New Riff 8 Year 8 out of 10, Penelope Architect 6 out of 10
oak 7/5 oak: New Riff 8 Year 7 out of 10, Penelope Architect 5 out of 10
sweetness 6/7 sweetness: New Riff 8 Year 6 out of 10, Penelope Architect 7 out of 10
fruit 5/6 fruit: New Riff 8 Year 5 out of 10, Penelope Architect 6 out of 10
heat 5/6 heat: New Riff 8 Year 5 out of 10, Penelope Architect 6 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: New Riff 8 Year 3 out of 10, Penelope Architect 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.
- Penelope Architect: Penelope's four-grain blend finished with French oak staves chosen for their tannin. The French oak adds berry, cherry and warm spice to a vanilla-heavy base.
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.
- Go with Penelope Architect if you want a four-grain bourbon with a French oak finish that adds berries and warm spice.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (New Riff 8 Year); neat, old-fashioned (Penelope Architect).