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New Riff Single Barrel vs Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon
New Riff Single Barrel and Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: a new-wave, rye-forward craft style versus a new-wave, wheat-forward craft style.
Key Specifications
| Feature | New Riff Single Barrel | Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Wheated Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley | 75% corn, 15% wheat, 10% malted barley |
| Age | 5 years +1 yr | 4 years |
| Proof | 105 proof (52.5% ABV) +18 proof | 87 proof (43.5% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$55 – $70 | ~$40 – $45 ~$20 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.
Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon
Didn't care for this one.
Flavor Profile
New Riff Single Barrel Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 9/2 spice: New Riff Single Barrel 9 out of 10, Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon 2 out of 10
heat 7/3 heat: New Riff Single Barrel 7 out of 10, Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon 3 out of 10
sweetness 4/6 sweetness: New Riff Single Barrel 4 out of 10, Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon 6 out of 10
oak 6/4 oak: New Riff Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon 4 out of 10
fruit 5/4 fruit: New Riff Single Barrel 5 out of 10, Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon 4 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: New Riff Single Barrel 3 out of 10, Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon 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.
- Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon: A farm-to-bottle wheater from northern Illinois. Soft red winter wheat keeps it gentle and bready, with caramel and vanilla up front and very little bite at 87 proof.
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 Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon if you want a soft, easygoing wheated bourbon made start to finish on one Midwest farm at a lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (New Riff Single Barrel); rocks, highball, cocktails (Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon).