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New Riff Single Barrel vs Booker’s
Put New Riff Single Barrel next to Booker’s and you have a contemporary, high-rye craft build set against an uncut, high-rye heavyweight.
Key Specifications
| Feature | New Riff Single Barrel | Booker’s |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon, Barrel Proof |
| Mash Bill 1 | 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | 5 years | 7 years +2 yr |
| Proof | 105 proof (52.5% ABV) | 125 proof (62.5% ABV) +20 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$55 – $70 ~$35 less | ~$85 – $110 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Limited |
- Booker’s does not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
New Riff Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Booker’s
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
New Riff Single Barrel Booker’s
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
nuttiness 3/8 nuttiness: New Riff Single Barrel 3 out of 10, Booker’s 8 out of 10
sweetness 4/7 sweetness: New Riff Single Barrel 4 out of 10, Booker’s 7 out of 10
heat 7/10 heat: New Riff Single Barrel 7 out of 10, Booker’s 10 out of 10
spice 9/7 spice: New Riff Single Barrel 9 out of 10, Booker’s 7 out of 10
oak 6/8 oak: New Riff Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Booker’s 8 out of 10
fruit 5/4 fruit: New Riff Single Barrel 5 out of 10, Booker’s 4 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Nutty, grain-driven character is the divider.
- New Riff Single Barrel: The single-barrel expression of New Riff's 30% rye mash, non-chill-filtered and at higher proof than the bonded version. As dry and peppery as bourbon gets before it stops being bourbon.
- Booker’s: Uncut, unfiltered Beam at batch strength, and the most concentrated expression of the house peanut-and-oak character. Enormous and hot, with a finish that goes on well past where you expect it to stop.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with New Riff Single Barrel if you want the most aggressively spice-driven bourbon in this list, with single-barrel variation on top at a significantly lower price point.
- Go with Booker’s if you want the Beam house style at full power and you have water on the table with more proof behind it and with an older age statement.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (New Riff Single Barrel); neat (Booker’s).