New Riff 4 Year Single Barrel Rye

My parents eat dinner late in the evening. Sometimes, when I go over to watch football there instead of having my dad come to my place, and they're cooking dinner, and my dad hands me a glass of whisky, I'll get the aroma of whatever they're cooking in the Glencairn glass. Last night, they were making turkey croquettes, and my first thought on nosing this New Riff Single Barrel Barrel Proof Rye was...is this a meaty rye? I've never had a meaty rye before that. But it wasn't meaty, I was just smelling the turkey in my glass. I bought this bottle for my dad for his birthday a few weeks ago, and he cracked it last night while we watched the Eagles beat the Washington Football Team (are they going with that permanently, how hard is it to choose a new name?). My dad had admired the Single Barrel Bourbon of New Riff's when I'd opened that on my birthday, so I figured this rye would be a good gift, and while the bourbon, being high rye, tasted of rye...the rye tastes like a bourbon! Kidding! No, this rye is even more rye than most ryes. It's all the things you think of when you think rye, spiciness, herbal, mint, and this is where I find sometimes descriptors fail. If it tastes like other ryes, what makes this one special enough to warrant four stars out of five? How do you say it's better than most when the flavor profile is standard but perhaps more intense? Actually, as I nosed it, I got the addition of rich caramel, which isn't always present in rye. I can think of one, Lot 40, that has it, but most others don't. This is a deeper richer caramel than Lot 40, however, likely because of both proof and recipe. There's a minty pine comingling on the palate along with the spice, which serves as a delightful mixture. Having tasted this so close to Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye, I can compare and contrast, and this isn't so heavy with the black tea flavor the Wild Turkey carries, nor is the citrus zest as strong in the New Riff. (I didn't notice a citrus flavor at all; my dad did...different palates, right?) The missing tea flavor could be a plus if you don't like tea, a minus if you do, and that might influence your decision, given both bottles are in a similar price range. I'd say I favor the Wild Turkey myself, but this runs a close second, with a slightly shorter finish. I'd call it medium to Wild Turkey's long, though I suppose when you're talking finish there's always a comparative element. Actually, the best comparison here is with the Knob Creek Single Barrel Rye store picks and not the Rare Breed. It's been a few months since I had one of the Knob Creeks, but I feel these are commensurate on both nose and palate. If you like one, I'd venture to say you'd like the other. You can't go wrong at this proof and this price usually. The Knob store picks used to be $5 cheaper and now the New Riff is $5 cheaper since Knob increased the price. Let's just hope they don't get in a pissing contest where each continues to inch up the tag on us...

Barrel No. 17-1218. 105.9 proof / 52.95 % ABV. Distilled Spring 2017. Bottled Spring 2021. N: Caramel, rye grain, soapy coriander. Mint and lavender. Fresh cut hardwood. Cereal grains. Milk chocolate and honey. Leftover milk after a bowl of Fruity Pebbles or Fruit Loops (sweet lactose sugar + vague artificial fruitiness). Shaving cream. Earthy rye notes. Marble birthday cake with vanilla frosting. Sugary, syrupy, cooked peaches in cream. The peaches might have even spent a few minutes on a charcoal grill. Peanut butter cookies. Mild ethanol hit that I actually quite like in this. P: Rich caramel, spicy rye grain, mint. Vanilla frosting. Vanilla custard. Big hit of oak that suggests this should have some substantial bitterness from the tannins - it never arrives, and is not really missed. Cereal grains, more oak, and hot cinnamon. That creaminess from the nose translates nicely - as above, with the frosting and custard - and layers on a smooth vanilla that's like a big, comforting hug for your tongue (rich, oily, heavy body). Finish brings peanut, maybe some almond, and a hint of milk chocolate. Deep red fruit dripping in the corners once you hit a second pour. Tannins finally, just barely, start adding some bitterness, which, by now, is just a nice contrast to the sweet and the heat. Heat is a hot cinnamon that starts almost immediately, but really comes into its own in the finish - a mouthcoating lingering burn that's just assertive enough and also happens to be mingled with dark chocolate and some light roast coffee notes. This bottle broke rye whiskey for me. Best rye I've ever had by a long shot. Better than I would have expected a rye could be. Contender for best bottle I've ever had, period. I can't think of anything I would want to change about it. Bottles like this are why I drink whiskey. At $50, value = GTFO. I've had bottles at 2x or 3x price that don't match this. Hell, MOST 2x and 3x priced bottles don't match this. It was the last one on the shelf when I bought it* and I have to consider my timing fairly lucky - that shelf was empty for a reason. I will certainly be looking for more of this, and more New Riff in general, and hoping this barrel was not a one-off. * This, btw, has been a winning strategy in whiskey buying for me: if it's the last one, buy it because it's probably good. Edit: After reading a few other reviews, which I did not do before writing my own, it seems I may have gotten the best barrel they've ever produced. C'est la vie. I will still try more New Riff after this to confirm.

This bottle was a gift from a friend, I've been to the New Riff distillery in KY many times. I lived quite close to there and enjoyed their product when they were 8-Ball Brewing and making beer for the bar inside Party Source. I've not tasted NR rye before this. The pour is a polished walnut. A swirl shows slow, thick legs running down the side of the glencairn. This bottle has been open for a few weeks, but I've managed to control myself to only a few tastes. On the nose this is rye bread and vanilla, maple syrup and cinnamon. Slight mint appears as a ghostly echo. There's a bit of barrel char and some cedar plank hinting at a younger age, but the nose is remarkably well formed and smoothly rounded. On the palate this is a bit sharper and spicier than the Sagamore Double Oak. There is a note of toasted almond, maple, baking spices, slight ginger, a bit of mint and a trace of dill weed. Alcohol is present, you won't mistake this for a 90 proof wannabe but it is in the right proportion. This is a really good rye. Its just not as good as the Sagamore Double Oak as a neat drinker, nor as boldly versatile as Wild Turkey Rare Breed rye, which I prefer for Manhattans and the like. I like this rye a lot, but it's not readily available in my area and I think (think!) its the same price as the Sagamore Spirit. Regardless, there is competition for this one from quite a few directions. I'm loving every sip and I'd likely buy another bottle if it were available and under $60 retail. That said, it's not a world beater by any definition of the term. Good. Very good. Just not great. Maybe after a few more years in the barrel..

Bought at the distillery Barrel No. 10106 Barreled on 04-09-2018 Bottled on 05-20-2022 Age 4 years, 1 month, 11 days 54.05% abv; 108.1 proof Open 7 weeks Nose - Sweet rye spice, citrus oil, caramel, eucalyptus, cereal grain, spruce tips, and medium ethanol. Palate - Black pepper, pine sap, caramel, clove, dill, cherry cinnamon, dry gain, anise, and orange rind. Finish is medium-long with chewy rye spices, black pepper, oak tannins, medley of conifer and herbal leaves, and medium ethanol bite. New Riff's ryes are much better than their bourbons. I've purchased a single barrel of both, and visited the distillery bar multiple times since I moved 10 min away. The obvious reason for this difference is the distillery is still pretty new and ryes age to their sweet spot faster than bourbons. The other reason is the 95% rye / 5% malted rye mashbill shares a lot in common with MGP rye, but that malted rye substitute for malted barley gives this whiskey a little extra kick and uniqueness. In this price range is easily competes with other high rye offerings. I really appreciate that New Riff produces their own whiskey, is transparent on what they make, experiment with different mashbills, and price their stuff very competitively. That's pretty rare these days for newer distilleries. If you visit the distillery bar you can taste a flight of single barrels for $20. Since my first visit, I just skip the bourbons and taste the ryes and whatever limited releases are available.

Barrel # 16-11542. 104.6 proof. As this is a single barrel, your mileage may vary. Here is mine: Nose is pungent and herbaceous with hay, spearmint, lemongrass, anise, pepper, and a bit of troublesome ethanol. While it’s not a bad nose, what is missing here is any kind of sweet note to give it balance; instead you are blasted with herbs. Palate is a vast improvement as it opens with a deep, rich amber/dark amber honey nowhere to be found in the aroma. (If you have never had a darker honey, some of the individual components present here are butterscotch, peach, cocoa, plum, and hazelnut) All the herbal notes in the nose are then present in the mid-palate but that honey carries all the way through to the finish and is very welcoming. Finish is nice and long with white pepper, clove, wintergreen, and light oak. Mouthfeel is a little on the grainy side; maybe a little harsher than it should be. A real mixed bag here; nice palate and finish, lacking in nose and mouthfeel. Maybe it’s just a little young and a few of these flaws can be fixed with a little more aging. I did enjoy the interplay of the honey with the herbals; they might have something here. Would love to try a 6-8 year version of this. As it stands, for $63 I feel that it’s a little pricey compared to say a Knob Creek 115 proof pick or Rare Breed rye. Just falls short of a rebuy, but I will be watching…

Neat. Neck pour. Been awhile since I opened up a new New Riff Single Barrel. Was just in the mood to open up something new and watch the sunset. This seemed low key enough for a Tuesday. The maple on this nose is so warm and inviting. So much spice. Cinnamon, clove, hint of smoke. Crescent rolls slightly burnt but dosed in butter. There is this freshness too, like thyme. The potpourri bowl in my Aunt Elaine’s bathroom. Just refreshing. Loving the oily mouthfeel. Very rich and viscous. Geez this one is very very floral. Initially it’s quite sweet on the tongue, more honey than maple. Darkens up with a bit of cinnamon. But then mid palate the sweetness escalates and literally blossoms. Hint of smoke appears on the finish, which is interesting. The finish is mostly a rich caramel, even a hint of flan. The rye spice is there like a backdrop. I had to look for it but when I found it, it is a consistent beat throughout out the tasting. Getting this lovely Kentucky hug as it rolls down, leaving more honey and floral in its wake and on my breadth. New Riff makes such a lovely rye. I am just not sure what others are drinking. These single barrels have been consistently fabulous, varied adventures that delight me every time. Perfect way to enjoy this sunset and multi colored Ohio sky.