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Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon vs New Riff Single Barrel
Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon and New Riff Single Barrel sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: a new-wave, wheat-forward craft style versus a new-wave, rye-forward craft style.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon | New Riff Single Barrel |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 75% corn, 15% wheat, 10% malted barley | 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley |
| Age | 4 years | 5 years +1 yr |
| Proof | 87 proof (43.5% ABV) | 105 proof (52.5% ABV) +18 proof |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$40 – $45 ~$20 less | ~$55 – $70 |
- US shelf prices as of 2026-10; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon
Didn't care for this one.
New Riff Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon New Riff Single Barrel
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 2/9 spice: Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon 2 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 9 out of 10
heat 3/7 heat: Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon 3 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 7 out of 10
sweetness 6/4 sweetness: Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon 6 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 4 out of 10
oak 4/6 oak: Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon 4 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 6 out of 10
fruit 4/5 fruit: Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon 4 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon 3 out of 10, New Riff Single Barrel 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Rye spice is the dividing line here.
- Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon: A farm-to-bottle wheater from northern Illinois. Soft red winter wheat keeps it gentle and bready, with caramel and vanilla up front and very little bite at 87 proof.
- 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 Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon if you want a soft, easygoing wheated bourbon made start to finish on one Midwest farm 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 rocks, highball, cocktails (Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon); neat, old-fashioned (New Riff Single Barrel).