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New Riff Single Barrel vs Bulleit Bourbon
New Riff Single Barrel and Bulleit Bourbon are cut from similar cloth: two takes on high-rye bourbons, where the real difference is price (~$55 – $70 vs. ~$25 – $32).
Key Specifications
| Feature | New Riff Single Barrel | Bulleit Bourbon |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley | 68% corn, 28% rye, 4% malted barley |
| Age | 5 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 105 proof (52.5% ABV) +15 proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$55 – $70 | ~$25 – $32 ~$34 less |
- 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.
Bulleit Bourbon
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
New Riff Single Barrel Bulleit Bourbon
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
heat 7/4 heat: New Riff Single Barrel 7 out of 10, Bulleit Bourbon 4 out of 10
spice 9/7 spice: New Riff Single Barrel 9 out of 10, Bulleit Bourbon 7 out of 10
sweetness 4/5 sweetness: New Riff Single Barrel 4 out of 10, Bulleit Bourbon 5 out of 10
oak 6/5 oak: New Riff Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Bulleit Bourbon 5 out of 10
fruit 5/5 fruit: New Riff Single Barrel 5 out of 10, Bulleit Bourbon 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: New Riff Single Barrel 3 out of 10, Bulleit Bourbon 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Proof and heat dominate the difference.
- 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.
- Bulleit Bourbon: The bottle that put high-rye bourbon in every cocktail bar in the country. Peppery and dry with the familiar MGP dill note, and it earns its place behind the bar more than in a glass on its own.
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 with more proof behind it.
- Go with Bulleit Bourbon if you want a dry, peppery, high-rye bourbon built for cocktails and available absolutely everywhere at a significantly lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (New Riff Single Barrel); old-fashioned, cocktails, highball (Bulleit Bourbon).