Compare
New Riff 8 Year vs Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon
Put New Riff 8 Year next to Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon and you have a contemporary, high-rye craft build set against a contemporary, high-wheat craft build.
Key Specifications
| Feature | New Riff 8 Year | Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Wheated Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley | 75% corn, 15% wheat, 10% malted barley |
| Age | 8 years +4 yr | 4 years |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) +13 proof | 87 proof (43.5% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$65 – $70 | ~$40 – $45 ~$25 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.
Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon
Didn't care for this one.
Flavor Profile
New Riff 8 Year Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 8/2 spice: New Riff 8 Year 8 out of 10, Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon 2 out of 10
oak 7/4 oak: New Riff 8 Year 7 out of 10, Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon 4 out of 10
heat 5/3 heat: New Riff 8 Year 5 out of 10, Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon 3 out of 10
fruit 5/4 fruit: New Riff 8 Year 5 out of 10, Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon 4 out of 10
sweetness 6/6 sweetness: New Riff 8 Year 6 out of 10, Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon 6 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: New Riff 8 Year 3 out of 10, Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon 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.
- Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon: A farm-to-bottle wheater from northern Illinois. Soft red winter wheat keeps it gentle and bready, with caramel and vanilla up front and very little bite at 87 proof.
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 an older age statement.
- Go with Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon if you want a soft, easygoing wheated bourbon made start to finish on one Midwest farm at a lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (New Riff 8 Year); rocks, highball, cocktails (Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon).