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New Riff Single Barrel vs W.L. Weller Special Reserve
New Riff Single Barrel and W.L. Weller Special Reserve sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: a new-wave, rye-forward craft style versus an old-guard, wheat-forward classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | New Riff Single Barrel | W.L. Weller Special Reserve |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Wheated 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) +15 proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$55 – $70 | ~$30 – $60 ~$18 less |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Allocated |
- W.L. Weller Special Reserve 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.
W.L. Weller Special Reserve
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
New Riff Single Barrel W.L. Weller Special Reserve
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 9/2 spice: New Riff Single Barrel 9 out of 10, W.L. Weller Special Reserve 2 out of 10
heat 7/3 heat: New Riff Single Barrel 7 out of 10, W.L. Weller Special Reserve 3 out of 10
sweetness 4/7 sweetness: New Riff Single Barrel 4 out of 10, W.L. Weller Special Reserve 7 out of 10
oak 6/4 oak: New Riff Single Barrel 6 out of 10, W.L. Weller Special Reserve 4 out of 10
fruit 5/5 fruit: New Riff Single Barrel 5 out of 10, W.L. Weller Special Reserve 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: New Riff Single Barrel 3 out of 10, W.L. Weller Special Reserve 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.
- W.L. Weller Special Reserve: The entry point to the Weller line and an easy introduction to wheated bourbon. Soft honey and vanilla with almost no rye bite, a bread-dough body, and a short, sweet finish that asks nothing of you.
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 W.L. Weller Special Reserve if you want the softest, sweetest, most approachable wheated pour of the group at a lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (New Riff Single Barrel); neat, rocks, highball (W.L. Weller Special Reserve).