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Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year Lot B vs New Riff Single Barrel
Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year Lot B and New Riff Single Barrel sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, wheat-forward classic versus a new-wave, rye-forward craft style.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year Lot B | New Riff Single Barrel |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | Not disclosed | 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley |
| Age | 12 years +7 yr | 5 years |
| Proof | 90.4 proof (45.2% ABV) | 105 proof (52.5% ABV) +15 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$170 – $900 | ~$55 – $70 ~$473 less |
| Availability | Allocated | Widely available easier to find |
- Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year Lot B 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
Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year Lot B
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
New Riff Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year Lot B New Riff Single Barrel
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 3/9 spice: Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year Lot B 3 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 9 out of 10
sweetness 8/4 sweetness: Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year Lot B 8 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 4 out of 10
heat 3/7 heat: Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year Lot B 3 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 7 out of 10
oak 6/6 oak: Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year Lot B 6 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 6 out of 10
fruit 5/5 fruit: Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year Lot B 5 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year Lot B 3 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The gap between these two is mostly about spice.
- Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year Lot B: Twelve-year wheated bourbon from the Van Winkle line. Soft and balanced, with butterscotch, toffee and caramel and a gentle, spiced finish.
- 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 Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year Lot B if you want a soft, balanced, 12-year wheater from the Van Winkle line 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 (Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year Lot B); neat, old-fashioned (New Riff Single Barrel).