New Riff 8-Year vs Bottled in Bond: A Bourbon Showdown for the Ages
New Riff Bourbon
This week on Tortured Bourbon, we take a deep, delicious dive into one of Kentucky’s rising stars in the bourbon world: New Riff. Known for their high-rye mash bills, commitment to Bottled in Bond standards, and sleek black-and-orange branding, New Riff is no longer the "new kid" on the craft bourbon block. They're playing with the big boys. But with a new 8-Year Bourbon now on the shelves, the question must be asked:
Is older actually better?
To find out, we poured the New Riff 8-Year Bottled in Bond side-by-side with the original New Riff Bottled in Bond Bourbon — and let the tasting battle begin. Same mash bill. Same proof. Same distillery. Two very different stories in the glass.
🥃 Bourbon #1: New Riff Bottled in Bond (BiB)
Age: 4–5 Years
Proof: 100 (Bottled in Bond)
Mash Bill: 65% Corn | 30% Rye | 5% Malted Barley
Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Filtration: Non-Chill Filtered
MSRP: ~$50
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Vanilla, caramel, light citrus, peppery rye
Palate: Bright and spicy with notes of cinnamon, toasted oak, brown sugar
Finish: Clean, medium-long with lingering spice and a youthful zip
The BiB bottle is where New Riff made their name. It’s not just a flagship — it’s a reminder that "craft" doesn't have to mean "underwhelming." It’s a bold, spicy, punchy pour that never feels thin. It gives off the energy of a bourbon that still has something to prove. And it usually does.
🥃 Bourbon #2: New Riff 8-Year Bottled in Bond
Age: 8 Years
Proof: 100 (Bottled in Bond)
Mash Bill: Same high-rye formula
Style: Aged Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Filtration: Non-Chill Filtered
MSRP: ~$70–$80
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Rich oak, tobacco, dried cherry, cinnamon, leather
Palate: Dense and chewy, with notes of dark chocolate, clove, orange peel, toasted walnut
Finish: Long and contemplative; dry but not bitter, with a spicy fade and layered wood tones
This 8-year release is New Riff's first true statement of maturity. It’s a whiskey with more patience, more polish, and more wood. But with that comes a slight taming of the wild rye spice that made the BiB so appealing to begin with.
🔫 Head-to-Head: So Which One Wins?
We hate to say "it depends" — but it really depends.
If you're looking for a bottle that brings spicy energy, bold flavor, and easy repeat pours for under $60, the BiB is tough to beat. It's a workhorse pour with pedigree.
But if you crave deeper oak, added nuance, and that leathery richness that only extra years can bring, the 8-Year is a beautiful evolution of the same DNA. It’s more refined, more layered, and maybe a little moodier. Less party. More afterparty.
Heather leaned slightly toward the 8-Year, calling it "bourbon's version of a second album that actually hits harder than the first." B stood firmly in the BiB camp, arguing that the original still delivers the most authentic New Riff experience.
📊 Bourbon in the Big Picture
In a bourbon world increasingly obsessed with age statements, limited editions, and oak-bomb pours, New Riff's two bonded releases showcase the nuance of aging. This isn’t a 10-year vs 18-year MGP throwdown. This is the same bourbon, treated to two different timelines. It’s bourbon as a narrative.
The 4–5 year BiB tells a story of hunger, youth, and spice. The 8-Year tells a story of patience, restraint, and finesse.
And both bottles are bottled in bond. Both are non-chill filtered. Both are made in-house by a distillery that continues to punch above its weight.
So is older better? Not always. But it is different, and that difference might be just what your palate is looking for.
🎥 Watch the Episode:
New Riff 8-Year vs BiB Bourbon Review – Tortured Bourbon Show
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