New Riff 6 Year Bottled in Bond Malted Rye

Malted Rye Whiskey, bottled in bond without chill filtration, made with 100% malted rye grain and aged six years (distilled Spring of 2018). Tasting neat. Light brown copper with good coating legs in the glass. Nose is malt, cherries, and orange chocolate. Quite light nose for a BIB 100% rye mashbill. In the mouth, WHOA! I thought this was rye!😄 Floral fruit, cooked malted grain cereal, oak and maple sugar, chocolate, and then a burst of rye spice. Not much ethanol, but it's there. Mouthfeel is oily, rich, and dry sweet. Like a single malt, but rye! Finish is dried sweet grass, light sour cherry, with tingling mint, clove, and white peppercorn spice that goes on and on. Pleasant sweet flavor lingers, unlike the sour aftertaste of some ryes. This isn't your typical rye by any definition, although those spicy rye traits come through in the finish. The nose and mouth are softer and rounder, like an unpeated single malt American whiskey. There's no rye explosion in the mouth. It's more fruit and light maple syrup sweet than brown sugar or caramel. It's got plenty of spice in the finish, but it's not a rye bomb. Yet it's 100% malted rye! It is more complex and interesting than those 51% rye mashbills whiskies masquerading as rye. And I even like it more than the other NR Straight BIB Rye I had last year which was brawnier and brasher--good, but less complex, and nothing that pushes the definition of a rye whiskey like this does! An ice cube flattens this whiskey, especially the spicy finish. Becomes sweeter. Can't see wasting this mixing cocktails-- they'll just hide that unique malt flavor and mouthfeel. This is a sipper for sure. An American single malt... but rye. I quite like this first taste, but will revisit it over time. The "unusual" taste profile of this malted rye needs more thought, but count me impressed by the result. I'm back after a couple of weeks. The more I taste this, the more I like it and appreciate how out of the ordinary it is. Bump from 4.5 to 4.75. Cheers!

I'm always excited to crack open a new New Riff bottle. In our state, we have four regularly available: their two standard 4 year bonded offerings in rye and bourbon and single barrel varieties of both. In a trip to Jersey, I got the balboa rye, which I've already reviewed here as well as the malted rye 6 year, which I've had open for maybe a month now. I was just reading up on what malted rye is and similar to single malts made with malted barley, they let the rye germinate to give it a starchier more sugary quality, which in turn, results in a gentler, smoother whisky. Which is certainly true here. This may be the tamest nose I've had on a New Riff. Which doesn't mean bad, just subtle, just you have to let it sit for a while and tease the aromas out. Aromas of coco powder and brown sugar are evident along with caramel and mint with a slight woody muskiness. All the prominent rye scents are present but not overwhelming. This isn't a rye to announce itself straight out the gate as brawny, burly, like say, a Knob Creek Single Barrel might. Then again, this is also 100 proof instead of 115. The palate is spicy and fruity all at once with cinnamon, cherries and maybe a bit of orange zest as well as dark chocolate on the back end. It's the dark chocolate flavor that leads into the finish which is medium in length and full of baking spice, not just cinnamon but nutmeg as well with the mint from the nose making an encore appearance. Overall, I think I prefer the brasher New Riff bottlings I've had in the 4 Year Bonded Rye and Single Barrel bourbon. This is good, don't get me wrong, but I'm not sure anything about it stands out enough for me to want to pay nearly $70 to get another bottle. Overall, if you see it at a bar and like New Riff, it wouldn't be a bad order to sample, and this bottle certainly won't go to waste, but it's not a rebuy I'm sorry to say.

New Riff has put out some tasty offerings and while I am not close enough to score some of their more out of the box varieties I have managed to find a few of the more mainstream (Winter and Balboa). Malted bottles are a bit of a mixed bag for me. I expect them all to bring a smoother edge and richer taste to a dram, but sometimes they are just plain funky (and not the James Brown kinda funk). Nose on this is interesting. It's almost a toasted vanilla vibe that I quite enjoy. If you have ever used vanilla paste when cooking you get a simliar smell. This is a nice start. First sip is... ok... I am just going to say it... damn this is nice. Brown sugar... vanilla.... is this really a rye? This is what I expect when you slap MALTED on your bottle. All of the base flavors you want wrapped in a delightfully mellow wrapper. There is a slight warming cinnamon burn mid sip that fades away like those litte red cinnamon candies your grandfather would hand you when your parents weren't looking. The burn smolders away and you are left reaching for another pour. The users beat the experts on this one as the tasting scores are higher than the review. If you see this bottle grab one (and if there are two grab the second one too). Another win for the New Riff team.

On the nose, we’ve got some different stuff going on here; starts with standard rye notes of lemongrass, rye spice, and mint leaf, but as you dig deeper you find caramel, juniper berry, raspberry, and blueberry. A fruity rye? I’m about it. Ethanol is non-existent. Palate is just phenomenal, delivering what was promised in the nose with raspberry jam, boysenberry, vanilla bean, custard, pie crust, and nutmeg. Flavors are warm, rich, and bold. Finish is long and robust reminding you this is a rye in the form of white pepper, cinnamon, and mint. Mouthfeel is luscious and creamy. A unique, non-traditional, and delicious rye offering. The blend of dessert fruit, and herbal notes is executed with perfection, providing a very cohesive experience. While I have always thought the New Riff standard releases were solid, this takes things to a higher level. I paid $76 and regret nothing. Rebuy at that price all day, every day.

Rating: 4.0/5 Nose: Dried stone fruit, peach preserves, peaches and cream, gentle rye spice, orange. Very sweet nose with just a touch of rye spice. Palate: Dried dates, caramelized citrus fruits, orange marmalade, creamy vanilla, subtle oak and rye. Finish: Caramelized orange and more dried stone fruits. Perfect amount of spice to counterbalance the sweetness of this rye. Overall: New Riff is doing awesome stuff with their experimental mashbills and malted grains and this malted rye is just the tip of the iceberg. For the price, this is probably one of my favorite sub 100 proof ryes. There is so much caramelized sweetness through the nose and palate, all while having enough spice to make it balanced. For $60 and under this is a buy every time for me.

An outstanding, intense, Bottled-In-Bond Kentucky Straight Malted Rye Whiskey by New Riff Distilling in Kentucky crafted with 100% Malted Rye; that is aged for 6 years in American white oak casks before being bottled at 50% ABV. It has a rich birth with notes of floral fruits, grain, wood, herbs & spices; while a bold & spicy life adds notes of apple, berries, orange, plum skin, pear, strawberry jam, brown sugar, honey & vanilla; that led to a long & warm death with notes of pink peppercorn, oak, clove, rye spice, chocolate, coffee, lemon zest & sugar cookies. April 2024