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New Riff Single Barrel vs Russell’s Reserve 15 Year
Comparing New Riff Single Barrel and Russell’s Reserve 15 Year reveals a matchup between a modern, spice-driven craft expression and an uncut, cask-strength bruiser.
Key Specifications
| Feature | New Riff Single Barrel | Russell’s Reserve 15 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon, Barrel Proof |
| Mash Bill 1 | 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | 5 years | 15 years +10 yr |
| Proof | 105 proof (52.5% ABV) | 117.2 proof (58.6% ABV) +12 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$55 – $70 ~$263 less | ~$250 – $400 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Allocated |
- Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 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.
Russell’s Reserve 15 Year
One of my favorites.
Flavor Profile
New Riff Single Barrel Russell’s Reserve 15 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
sweetness 4/7 sweetness: New Riff Single Barrel 4 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 7 out of 10
spice 9/6 spice: New Riff Single Barrel 9 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 6 out of 10
oak 6/9 oak: New Riff Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 9 out of 10
fruit 5/6 fruit: New Riff Single Barrel 5 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 6 out of 10
heat 7/7 heat: New Riff Single Barrel 7 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 7 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: New Riff Single Barrel 3 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 3 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.
- Russell’s Reserve 15 Year: The oldest regular Russell's Reserve, at barrel proof. Fifteen years in Camp Nelson rickhouses push it toward old oak, leather and dried fruit over the usual Turkey spice.
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 Russell’s Reserve 15 Year if you want a very old, oak-heavy Wild Turkey for slow sipping with more proof behind it and with an older age statement.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (New Riff Single Barrel); neat (Russell’s Reserve 15 Year).