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Old Forester 1897 Bottled-in-Bond vs New Riff Single Barrel
Old Forester 1897 Bottled-in-Bond and New Riff Single Barrel are cut from similar cloth: two takes on high-rye bourbons, where the real difference is price (~$45 – $55 vs. ~$55 – $70).
Key Specifications
| Feature | Old Forester 1897 Bottled-in-Bond | New Riff Single Barrel |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley | 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley |
| Age | 4 years | 5 years +1 yr |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) | 105 proof (52.5% ABV) +5 proof |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$45 – $55 ~$13 less | ~$55 – $70 |
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Old Forester 1897 Bottled-in-Bond
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
New Riff Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Old Forester 1897 Bottled-in-Bond New Riff Single Barrel
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
sweetness 7/4 sweetness: Old Forester 1897 Bottled-in-Bond 7 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 4 out of 10
spice 6/9 spice: Old Forester 1897 Bottled-in-Bond 6 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 9 out of 10
heat 5/7 heat: Old Forester 1897 Bottled-in-Bond 5 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 7 out of 10
oak 7/6 oak: Old Forester 1897 Bottled-in-Bond 7 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 6 out of 10
fruit 5/5 fruit: Old Forester 1897 Bottled-in-Bond 5 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Old Forester 1897 Bottled-in-Bond 3 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Sweetness is where these two part ways.
- Old Forester 1897 Bottled-in-Bond: The bonded entry in the Whiskey Row series and a noticeable step up in density from the standard 100. More oak and more weight, though the price gap to the 100 proof is harder to justify than the flavour gap suggests.
- 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.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Old Forester 1897 Bottled-in-Bond if you want a bonded, denser take on the Old Forester profile with more barrel behind it at a lower price point.
- 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.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (Old Forester 1897 Bottled-in-Bond); neat, old-fashioned (New Riff Single Barrel).