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New Riff Single Barrel vs Wild Turkey 101
New Riff Single Barrel and Wild Turkey 101 are cut from similar cloth: two takes on high-rye bourbons, where the real difference is price (~$55 – $70 vs. ~$25 – $30).
Key Specifications
| Feature | New Riff Single Barrel | Wild Turkey 101 |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | 5 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 105 proof (52.5% ABV) +4 proof | 101 proof (50.5% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$55 – $70 | ~$25 – $30 ~$35 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.
Wild Turkey 101
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
New Riff Single Barrel Wild Turkey 101
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
sweetness 4/6 sweetness: New Riff Single Barrel 4 out of 10, Wild Turkey 101 6 out of 10
spice 9/8 spice: New Riff Single Barrel 9 out of 10, Wild Turkey 101 8 out of 10
oak 6/7 oak: New Riff Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Wild Turkey 101 7 out of 10
fruit 5/4 fruit: New Riff Single Barrel 5 out of 10, Wild Turkey 101 4 out of 10
heat 7/6 heat: New Riff Single Barrel 7 out of 10, Wild Turkey 101 6 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: New Riff Single Barrel 3 out of 10, Wild Turkey 101 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The clearest split is how sweet each one drinks.
- 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.
- Wild Turkey 101: The workhorse high-rye Kentucky bourbon and one of the best proof-to-price ratios anywhere. Vanilla and orange up front, then a genuinely spicy, peppery, tobacco-tinged middle that punches well above $25.
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 Wild Turkey 101 if you want bold rye spice and real proof at the lowest price of anything comparable.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (New Riff Single Barrel); neat, rocks, old-fashioned, cocktails (Wild Turkey 101).