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New Riff Single Barrel vs Maker’s Mark Cask Strength
Put New Riff Single Barrel next to Maker’s Mark Cask Strength and you have a contemporary, high-rye craft build set against an uncut, high-wheat heavyweight.
Key Specifications
| Feature | New Riff Single Barrel | Maker’s Mark Cask Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Wheated Bourbon, Barrel Proof |
| Mash Bill | 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley | 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley |
| Age | 5 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 105 proof (52.5% ABV) | 110 proof (55% ABV) +5 proof |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$55 – $70 | ~$40 – $50 ~$18 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.
Maker’s Mark Cask Strength
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
New Riff Single Barrel Maker’s Mark Cask Strength
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 9/3 spice: New Riff Single Barrel 9 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 3 out of 10
sweetness 4/9 sweetness: New Riff Single Barrel 4 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 9 out of 10
oak 6/5 oak: New Riff Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 5 out of 10
fruit 5/5 fruit: New Riff Single Barrel 5 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 5 out of 10
heat 7/7 heat: New Riff Single Barrel 7 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 7 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: New Riff Single Barrel 3 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Rye spice is the dividing line here.
- 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.
- Maker’s Mark Cask Strength: Undiluted Maker's, and the version that finally gives the wheated recipe some weight. Dense caramel and honey with real warmth, and one of the more affordable cask-strength bottles anywhere.
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 the texture that comes from skipping chill filtration.
- Go with Maker’s Mark Cask Strength if you want wheated sweetness at full strength for well under what most cask-strength bourbons cost.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (New Riff Single Barrel); neat, rocks (Maker’s Mark Cask Strength).