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New Riff 8 Year vs Uncle Nearest 1856
New Riff 8 Year and Uncle Nearest 1856 sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: a new-wave, rye-forward craft style versus a sourced, classically built blend.
Key Specifications
| Feature | New Riff 8 Year | Uncle Nearest 1856 |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Traditional Tennessee Whiskey |
| Mash Bill 1 | 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley | Not disclosed |
| Age | 8 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$65 – $70 | ~$55 – $70 ~$5 less |
- Uncle Nearest 1856 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.
Uncle Nearest 1856
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
New Riff 8 Year Uncle Nearest 1856
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 8/5 spice: New Riff 8 Year 8 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 5 out of 10
sweetness 6/7 sweetness: New Riff 8 Year 6 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 7 out of 10
nuttiness 3/4 nuttiness: New Riff 8 Year 3 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 4 out of 10
oak 7/7 oak: New Riff 8 Year 7 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 7 out of 10
fruit 5/5 fruit: New Riff 8 Year 5 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 5 out of 10
heat 5/5 heat: New Riff 8 Year 5 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 5 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.
- Uncle Nearest 1856: Named for Nathan 'Nearest' Green, the enslaved distiller who taught Jack Daniel, and now backed by the brand's own distillery in Shelbyville. Sweet and maple-leaning with the charcoal-mellowed softness of the style.
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 Uncle Nearest 1856 if you want a sweet, maple-forward Tennessee whiskey with a story worth knowing behind it at a slightly lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (New Riff 8 Year); neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Uncle Nearest 1856).