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Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year vs New Riff Single Barrel
Put Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year next to New Riff Single Barrel and you have a classic, high-wheat stalwart set against a contemporary, high-rye craft build.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year | New Riff Single Barrel |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | Not disclosed | 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley |
| Age | 15 years +10 yr | 5 years |
| Proof | 107 proof (53.5% ABV) +2 proof | 105 proof (52.5% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$240 – $2000 | ~$55 – $70 ~$1058 less |
| Availability | Allocated | Widely available easier to find |
- Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year does not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-10; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
New Riff Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year New Riff Single Barrel
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 3/9 spice: Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year 3 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 9 out of 10
sweetness 8/4 sweetness: Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year 8 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 4 out of 10
oak 8/6 oak: Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year 8 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 6 out of 10
fruit 6/5 fruit: Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year 6 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 5 out of 10
heat 6/7 heat: Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year 6 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 7 out of 10
nuttiness 4/3 nuttiness: Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year 4 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Rye spice is the dividing line here.
- Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year: Fifteen-year wheated bourbon from the Van Winkle line, made at Buffalo Trace. Rich toffee, leather and dried fruit with the oak well blended in.
- 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 Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year if you want a famously hard-to-find, rich, 15-year wheater with an older age statement.
- 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.
Best enjoyed neat (Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year); neat, old-fashioned (New Riff Single Barrel).