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Penelope Architect vs New Riff 8 Year
Penelope Architect and New Riff 8 Year sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: a sourced, classically built blend versus a new-wave, rye-forward craft style.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Penelope Architect | New Riff 8 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Four-Grain Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 75% corn, 7% rye, 15% wheat, 3% malted barley | 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | 8 years |
| Proof | 104 proof (52% ABV) +4 proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$60 – $70 | ~$65 – $70 |
- US shelf prices as of 2026-10; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Penelope Architect
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
New Riff 8 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Penelope Architect New Riff 8 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 6/8 spice: Penelope Architect 6 out of 10, New Riff 8 Year 8 out of 10
oak 5/7 oak: Penelope Architect 5 out of 10, New Riff 8 Year 7 out of 10
sweetness 7/6 sweetness: Penelope Architect 7 out of 10, New Riff 8 Year 6 out of 10
fruit 6/5 fruit: Penelope Architect 6 out of 10, New Riff 8 Year 5 out of 10
heat 6/5 heat: Penelope Architect 6 out of 10, New Riff 8 Year 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Penelope Architect 3 out of 10, New Riff 8 Year 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The gap between these two is mostly about spice.
- Penelope Architect: Penelope's four-grain blend finished with French oak staves chosen for their tannin. The French oak adds berry, cherry and warm spice to a vanilla-heavy base.
- New Riff 8 Year: The older, deeper version of New Riff's bonded bourbon. Same 30% rye recipe, but eight years add richer oak and darker sugar while keeping the spice front and center.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Penelope Architect if you want a four-grain bourbon with a French oak finish that adds berries and warm spice.
- Go with New Riff 8 Year if you want an older, deeper take on New Riff's spicy high-rye recipe.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (Penelope Architect); neat, old-fashioned (New Riff 8 Year).