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New Riff Single Barrel vs Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish
New Riff Single Barrel and Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish 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 Single Barrel | Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley | Not disclosed |
| Age | 5 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 105 proof (52.5% ABV) +14 proof | 91.4 proof (45.7% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$55 – $70 ~$48 less | ~$90 – $130 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Limited |
- Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish 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.
Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
New Riff Single Barrel Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 9/4 spice: New Riff Single Barrel 9 out of 10, Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish 4 out of 10
sweetness 4/8 sweetness: New Riff Single Barrel 4 out of 10, Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish 8 out of 10
heat 7/4 heat: New Riff Single Barrel 7 out of 10, Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish 4 out of 10
oak 6/8 oak: New Riff Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish 8 out of 10
nuttiness 3/4 nuttiness: New Riff Single Barrel 3 out of 10, Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish 4 out of 10
fruit 5/5 fruit: New Riff Single Barrel 5 out of 10, Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish 5 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.
- Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish: The standard Michter's bourbon given a second toasted barrel, which adds sweetness and wood to an already polished pour. Genuinely good, though the price has drifted well past what the liquid alone justifies.
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 Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish if you want the smoothest, most polished toasted-barrel pour here and price is not the deciding factor.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (New Riff Single Barrel); neat (Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish).