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W.L. Weller 12 Year vs New Riff Single Barrel
Put W.L. Weller 12 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 | W.L. Weller 12 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 | 12 years +7 yr | 5 years |
| Proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) | 105 proof (52.5% ABV) +15 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$70 – $180 | ~$55 – $70 ~$63 less |
| Availability | Allocated | Widely available easier to find |
- W.L. Weller 12 Year does not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
W.L. Weller 12 Year
No notes yet.
New Riff Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
W.L. Weller 12 Year New Riff Single Barrel
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 2/9 spice: W.L. Weller 12 Year 2 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 9 out of 10
sweetness 8/4 sweetness: W.L. Weller 12 Year 8 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 4 out of 10
heat 3/7 heat: W.L. Weller 12 Year 3 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 7 out of 10
oak 7/6 oak: W.L. Weller 12 Year 7 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 6 out of 10
fruit 6/5 fruit: W.L. Weller 12 Year 6 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: W.L. Weller 12 Year 3 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The gap between these two is mostly about spice.
- W.L. Weller 12 Year: Twelve years on a wheated mash at a modest 90 proof, which is the combination that made this bottle famous. Deep caramel and baked fruit with polished rather than aggressive oak — the closest widely-discussed analogue to the Pappy profile.
- 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 W.L. Weller 12 Year if you want age and elegance on a wheated mash, and you are willing to chase it.
- 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 (W.L. Weller 12 Year); neat, old-fashioned (New Riff Single Barrel).