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W.L. Weller Special Reserve vs New Riff Single Barrel
W.L. Weller Special Reserve 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 | W.L. Weller Special Reserve | New Riff Single Barrel |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | Not disclosed | 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | 5 years |
| Proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) | 105 proof (52.5% ABV) +15 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$30 – $60 ~$18 less | ~$55 – $70 |
| Availability | Allocated | Widely available easier to find |
- W.L. Weller Special Reserve 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 Special Reserve
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
New Riff Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
W.L. Weller Special Reserve New Riff Single Barrel
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 2/9 spice: W.L. Weller Special Reserve 2 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 9 out of 10
heat 3/7 heat: W.L. Weller Special Reserve 3 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 7 out of 10
sweetness 7/4 sweetness: W.L. Weller Special Reserve 7 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 4 out of 10
oak 4/6 oak: W.L. Weller Special Reserve 4 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 6 out of 10
fruit 5/5 fruit: W.L. Weller Special Reserve 5 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: W.L. Weller Special Reserve 3 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Rye spice is the dividing line here.
- W.L. Weller Special Reserve: The entry point to the Weller line and an easy introduction to wheated bourbon. Soft honey and vanilla with almost no rye bite, a bread-dough body, and a short, sweet finish that asks nothing of you.
- 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 Special Reserve if you want the softest, sweetest, most approachable wheated pour of the group 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 more proof behind it.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, highball (W.L. Weller Special Reserve); neat, old-fashioned (New Riff Single Barrel).