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New Riff Single Barrel vs Old Grand-Dad 114
Comparing New Riff Single Barrel and Old Grand-Dad 114 is a closer contest than it looks — both are high-rye bourbons, separated mainly by price (~$55 – $70 vs. ~$28 – $35).
Key Specifications
| Feature | New Riff Single Barrel | Old Grand-Dad 114 |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley | 63% corn, 27% rye, 10% malted barley |
| Age | 5 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 105 proof (52.5% ABV) | 114 proof (57% ABV) +9 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$55 – $70 | ~$28 – $35 ~$31 less |
- Old Grand-Dad 114 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.
Old Grand-Dad 114
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
New Riff Single Barrel Old Grand-Dad 114
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
sweetness 4/6 sweetness: New Riff Single Barrel 4 out of 10, Old Grand-Dad 114 6 out of 10
nuttiness 3/5 nuttiness: New Riff Single Barrel 3 out of 10, Old Grand-Dad 114 5 out of 10
fruit 5/4 fruit: New Riff Single Barrel 5 out of 10, Old Grand-Dad 114 4 out of 10
heat 7/8 heat: New Riff Single Barrel 7 out of 10, Old Grand-Dad 114 8 out of 10
spice 9/9 spice: New Riff Single Barrel 9 out of 10, Old Grand-Dad 114 9 out of 10
oak 6/6 oak: New Riff Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Old Grand-Dad 114 6 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Sweetness is where these two part ways.
- 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.
- Old Grand-Dad 114: The best proof-per-dollar in American whiskey and it is not especially close. The 27% rye mash at 114 proof is loud, peppery and completely unsubtle, which is exactly why it makes such a good old-fashioned.
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 Old Grand-Dad 114 if you want maximum rye spice and proof for under thirty dollars.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (New Riff Single Barrel); neat, old-fashioned, cocktails (Old Grand-Dad 114).