The BETTER Barrel Proof Rye Buy? | Willett 4 Year Rye vs New Riff Barrel Proof Rye BLIND REVIEW
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- Опубліковано 13 вер 2024
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📽 📽 IN THIS WEEK'S VIDEO:
Willett 4 Year Small Batch Rye ($60-80) vs New Riff Single Barrel Rye ($55-60)
Willett products can be difficult to find at times, and we wanted to put their most accessible rye up against a readily available rye in New Riff. The proof points of these two are very close, they're both rye-forward, and the Willett is a bit more expensive. Which one is the better buy? We find out completely double blind.
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I fell in love with Willett rye when it came out as a 2 year, then a 3 year the next year, and now the stable 4 year. The 2 year was crazy unique and delicious and became more refined and complex moving toward 4 years. Any of them would be a desert island whiskey for me. Love New Riff, but haven't had their ryes, yet.
I didn't like Willet Rye at all the first time I tried it, but now it's my go to when dining on steak and baked potatoes. It's absolutely delicious to me when paired with food. I always keep a bottle on hand.
Maybe that's what I need to do...pair it with a steak. I've not liked Willett any of the times I've had it.
We were inspired by you to begin blind tasting and it's been revealing. We tweaked your scoring rubric a little; our is nose, palate, finish, retail (value for money), and cocktail (we love Manhattans/Rob Roys and what we call "Will Rogers" (American single malts + vermouth)); max 2 points each category. We've been going through our good sized collection of bourbon, rye, Scotch, and American single malts. Has been nice finding out what our likes/dislikes are and building a framework for evaluating whisk(e)ys.
Has been eye-opening to find that some of the pricey/allocated/hard-to-find stuff (e.g. Blanton's, Willett Rye) doesn't hold up, though we've enjoyed Eagle Rare, Henry McKenna BiB, and EH Taylor SB and rye. You know what's really stood out in our tastings? WT 101 (bourbon and rye), Benchmark BiB, Early Times BiB, and Broken Barrel Heresy rye. I guess we're lucky in that these are all
We absolutely love to hear this William! Inspiring others to do blinds is really the bedrock of the channel. It’s fun and helps others discover what they enjoy the most. Cheers and thanks for watching!
Once again, an interesting and entertaining video. I recently had a Head-to-Head with Willett 4 year and Pikesville Rye. For me the Pikesville won.
Keep up the good work! 😊
Erin has a wheat radar Josh has a rye radar
RYEdar, lol
A quick comment on something I just learned about gnats. They breed in the kitchen and bathroom sinks, in the water in the drain trap. So cover up those drains at night to help eliminate those pests.
Willett 4-yr Rye was my first "expensive" rye ($70+), and it kind of turned me off ryes for a while as all my previous experience was with Bulleit Rye and it was... underwhelming in comparison. I kept that bottle for the occasional mood pour and for comparisons to other ryes over the years, but it still isn't something I out and out enjoy. I have at least a dozen other ryes I would readily drink instead.
Though it isn't new, New Riff has only just started being readily available in my area, and I have been eyeing the rye. I STILL (always?) have too many bottles so I have to get through some of those before I pull the trigger on a new one, but it looks like I need to bump New Riff up on the list.
100% agree. I love Rye...LOVE it...and had the same experience. I bought Willet early on, suffered thru it, didnt buy another bottle of Rye for at least a year and now 75% of my stock is Rye. Willet is just not my gig.
I like everything whiskey related. I like WT 101 rye and bulliet rye. Working on getting a redwood empire rye and the burrye they have. but what I really want is a Rare Breed rye.
I’m not a rye drinker, my wife is, but we both love our bottle of Willett. She loves her bottle of New Riff, but not me. The video was great, just goes to show everyone has different palettes and it’s ok. Thanks and cheers.
And oh ya I think my wife is gonna make those cookies 🤤
When you said “floral” I was like yep that’s what I get. I agree with Erin, it is definitely a mood pour, but I love having it on hand for people to try since it is so different.
I am not much into ryes, but enjoy New Riff Balboa Rye. 🥃
I think I like it, I don't dislike it. So if I don't dislike it, does that mean I like it. Erin, your comment made me laugh only because I know exactly what you meant, I have been their before. I haven't bought a bottle of Willett 4yr this year and I have had a few opportunities to pick it up, 2 times at MSRP ($90.00 in AL). It's good but not worth the price point or hunt anymore, at a better price point I might buy it again. I just picked up my first 2 bottles of New Riff Single Barrel (Bourbon and Rye) last week while in FL so looking forward to trying them both. Thanks again for a solid video!
I absolutely love the Willett Rye. To me, there's a briny dill pickle note there. I definitely gravitate to the earthy flavors, and Willett delivers those in spades. Haven't tried New Riff yet.
I have only had the standard New Riff Rye and it tasted to me like a liquid s’more. You got lucky cause Willet is $79 at my local Total Wine.
Love the various New Riff Ryes…. With NO hestitation.
Picked up a bottle of Wheel horse 101 Rye and may also get the Wheel Horse Bourbon... I like your reviews always....
Great video. Only have had the Willet and not the biggest fan. But I did send the cookie recipe to my wife to make. I am the cook but she is the baker. Oh and I do miss the bloopers. I am guessing you incorporate more of them into the actual episode but this channel watcher does miss them.
Yep we almost always just leave the bloopers in the video now rather than re-recording the talking point for the video and putting the blooper at the end. It’s more real that way and also saves a lot of editing time. We hear ya though.
Just to give some contrast and also maybe update pricing for 2023... the prices on these in my market (Chicago area) are Willett typically around $70-$75 and New Riff SiB Rye around $50. So not sure if that's a difference in markets or time or both. I'm with Josh on these, I kinda meh on them. I'll drink either and be fine with them but I'm not in love nor do I hate either.
Very cool. Super interesting, thank you!
one day im gonna pull the trigger on that willet rye...i just have to taste this for myself
i need those cookies
I see that Willet 4 yr going for up to $100 near me. I've seen it cheaper online, but then i still got shipping charges, which still makes it pretty pricey for a 4 yr old. From you guys' response, it seems it's good that I've passed on it.
Willet 4 Year vs Stellum Rye would be interesting. They are very very similar in profile, but the Stellum is cheaper and usually way easier to find. Love them both but I think I favor the Stellum. Although I did have both and finished the WFE a lot faster so maybe not lol
New riff ryes are solid, imo. Never had a bad bottle of their rye lineup. The malted sherry finish is delicious. Had mixed opinions from Willet 4 yr. Couldn't pull the trigger considering its high price tag.
New Riff Balboa rye is one of my fav's. (I do love Sagamore Spirit barrel proof as my fav barrel proof). Haven't had Willett.
Balboa may be our favorite product from New Riff. It’s VERY good!
For an expensive Manhattan, willet is my go to. 🥃
Butterscotch and bacon yum!
Willett 4 year changed drastically about 1.5 years ago. I think they switched from MGP to their own distillate, which is mineral tasting and gross. The older bottles were fantastic once they got some airtime.
I dunno, the one I've had open since before the pandemic was absolutely, unmistakably Willett distillate. (It's not a subtle character!) If it changed 1.5 years ago I don't think that's why. (And I love it - it's cherry pie in a rye crust, with licorice. Rich and dense. I know from trying several that it's a particularly good batch, but man, it's killer!)
@@jasoncoates1835 I get that cherry and mineral with the recent purple tops (which I don't like), but this recent 4yr rye i get the earthy, mineral stuff I can't drink it. With the older greens I got the signature mgp tea, which I love. I found it puzzling that there was so much mineral and bought like three bottles to confirm. It's just a note I can't take. I also get it with Rare Breed rye but not as harsh.
I just got a New Riff rye as a gift, but haven't tried it (or any New Riff) yet. Never had the Willett either. But I do like ryes.
Does your blind sample pool remain a constant size? In other words, are you continuing to add to it as you take some out? I'm doing a smaller pool (60 samples) to begin seeing if I can do anything with blind tastings but wasn't sure whether to go through the pool once and be done or to keep adding to it over time.
Great question. We’re always adding to replace things as we taste. The pool is built on a balance of bourbons and ryes of all proof and price points, and we want to maintain that balance so that we’re always in the dark as to what we might be sipping.
I've had Willett 4 year at least twice now and Willett 6 year once...just not a fan of their profile. I have enjoyed the New Riff Ryes that I've tried (Balboa and one Single Barrel).
You have to be careful with BBQ competition cooks. I have a team (but haven't competed since pre-covid), and I don't actually like any of the food I make when I compete. Learning how to stand out in blind tastings did give me a lot of perspective on tasting things.
I actually prefer Willett Rye to New Riff. All the New Riff products I've tried have a weird savory note that's somewhere between BBQ sauce, A1, soy sauce, and Worcestershire. I like those things, but not in my whiskey.
Those cookies sound yummy
They’re SO GOOD!
WHISKEY CHEERS 😎
Is it just me or does anybody else now want butterscotched bacon?!?
You’re welcome! ;)