Distillery: New Riff Distilling
Region: Newport, Kentucky
Aging: 4 Years
ABV: 52.1%
Proof: 104.2
Mash Bill: 95% Rye, 5% Malted Barley
Barrel No: 16-9754
Non-Chill Filtered: Yes
Price: $55
Appearance: Dark Honey
New Riff Single Barrel Rye Tasting Notes
Nose: Caramel, brown sugar, oak, pepper, rye spice, cinnamon, baking spice, apples, orange citrus
Palate: Buttery caramel and brown sugar, toasted oak, cocoa, vanilla, heavy black pepper and rye spice, orange citrus
Finish: Bold oily and buttery long finish – leaves you with lovely caramel, oak, and bold pepper spice with a lingering note of orange zest
Is New Riff Single Barrel Rye an Approachable Whiskey?
New Riff Single Barrel Rye packs quite a punch for your taste buds, so beginners be cautious.
All-in-all though, this is a very flavor-packed whiskey that I think would be a great introduction to rye whiskey for any level of drinker.
Is New Riff Single Barrel Rye Complex?
New Riff Single Barrel Rye has many layers of flavors.
On the nose, it has all the notes you’d expect from a good rye whiskey – pepper, rye spice, cinnamon, baking spices, and fruit notes. It also extracts enough brown sugar, caramel, and oak notes from the barrel even though this mash bill is 95% rye and has no corn to add to its sweetness.
The flavor follows exactly the same with multiple layers of flavor that cover all the bases you could want in a Rye whiskey.
It is also non-chill filtered which means all the fats and oils remain in the whiskey which gives it an extremely satisfying mouthfeel and long flavorful finish.
Is New Riff Single Barrel Rye a go-to whiskey?
New Riff Single Barrel Rye is easily a go-to whiskey.
This pour is exactly what you need some days. It packs just the right amount of punch to wake up your taste buds without overpowering them.
Is New Riff Single Barrel Rye priced accurately to its quality?
New Riff Single Barrel Rye is priced very well for what the bottle delivers.
At the $55 price point, this is a bottle I will always have on my shelf and is one of the first rye whiskeys I offer any of my guests who enjoy a bit of spiciness in their whiskey.
It also makes a killer cocktail and adds multiple layers of flavor rather than just using a cheaper rye whiskey.
Conclusion for New Riff Single Barrel Rye
If you haven’t had a chance to try New Riff Single Barrel Rye, I recommend picking up a bottle as soon as you can. It will change your perspective on Rye whiskeys and introduce you to an entirely new lineup of expectations from Rye whiskeys in the future.
I was lucky enough to visit New Riff Distillery a few times and they also have a very unique 95% Balboa Rye whiskey that I will try to review soon.
They’re really knocking all of their whiskeys out of the park and are a very strong up-and-coming brand that I would keep an eye on. They’re quickly becoming one of my favorites overall.
Let Us Know What You Think
I hope you enjoyed this tasting experience with me.
If you decide to give this bottle a shot, please let me know on social media via Reddit, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
Thanks for reading and cheers!
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