You Bought That? · 2026-08-31 · Ratings
"It's So Good When It Hits Your Lips!"
New Riff Bottled in Bond bourbon
Mr. Questionable Approved
Paid: About $40 at my local Neighborhood Market
World's Best Bourbon at the 2026 World Whiskies Awards, for about $40. I'm not a connoisseur. I'm a repeat customer.
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Who it's for
Bourbon drinkers who know a good deal when they see one and are tired of paying secondary-market prices for a bottle to sip on a Tuesday.
Who should skip
Anyone who needs \"notes of leather and stone fruit\" from a review. You will not get that here.
Ounce for ounce, one of my best purchases in years, combining my love of good bourbon with my love of a good bargain.
The credentials.
Just over a decade old, New Riff Distilling won World's Best Bourbon at the 2026 World Whiskies Awards. Quite an accomplishment for a newer distiller, and even more incredible for a bottle available for about $40 at your local retailer.
The tasting notes.
I'm a tried and tested bourbon consumer, not a connoisseur, so don't expect "notes of this" or "hints of that." What I can tell you is that I recognize a great-tasting bourbon, and I unequivocally know a good deal when I see it. New Riff gets high marks on both. It's smooth enough to sip neat or on the rocks, and affordable enough to mix in a cocktail.
The Mrs. Questionable Test.
Mrs. Questionable is not my Whiskey Girl (in the words of Toby Keith). She enjoys my Paper Planes (see: Tip Top cans for you non-mixologists), but she abstains from bourbon ratings overall. Hence four stars, not five: a one-judge panel gets a one-judge score.
The ruling.
New Riff can comfortably anchor the end of your home bar. Budget-friendly, award-winning, and no waiting list.
Pros
- Award-winning bourbon at a $40 price
- Bottled-in-bond, so you know what you're getting
- Actually available on shelves
Cons
- No by-the-barrel option
