BOTTLE DETAILS

• DISTILLER: New Riff Distilling
• MASH BILL: 100% Rye (5% is malted)
• AGE: 8 years
• YEAR: 2024
• PROOF: 100
• MSRP: $69.99
• BUY ONLINE: New Riff Distilling Shop

STEVE’S NOTES

SHARE WITH: Any whiskey fan, particularly those who think they don’t like rye. Blind taste them on it if necessary.

WORTH THE PRICE: Absolutely.

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bottle, definitely. You’ll want to revisit it frequently and share it with others.

OVERALL: Currently New Riff is celebrating its first decade in business under the New Riff brand. Much of the whiskey it’s released has been bottled-in-bond at four years old. Older releases began trickling out at six years of age, and now New Riff is releasing its oldest rye. According to cofounder, Jay Erisman, barrels of older whiskies in inventory are aging well and will eventually make it to store shelves, “only when the whiskey is ready. Seeing how well our whiskeys are aging has allowed us to be patient with releases like this rye.”

And to that subject … The 8-year-old starts off dark and deliciously grain-forward on the nose and remains dark with whiffs of molasses, sassafras, flat cola and charred oak. Hints of black pepper and baking spices follow and finish alongside rich notes of bitter chocolate.

On the palate come toasted oak, dark chocolate, dark-roasted coffee and, if you wait for it, bright spices, including lemongrass and orange peel. The mouthfeel is weighty and coating but pleasantly short of rich. That bit of leanness encourages spice to play about the whole mouth while creating a medium-length and warm finish. It drinks terrifically at 100 proof, but if you need ice, it manages dilution well, and the water releases some delicious ripe banana notes.

BRAND NOTES

From our founding in 2014, New Riff Distilling has carefully set back whiskey for long-term aging. This addition to our core lineup of products is the first older expression of our award-winning flagship rye whiskey. It is bottled without chill filtration at 100 proof. Drawing on our own experience as well as the sour mash traditions of the Kentucky whiskey-making regimen, this rye whiskey is full of character and delivers rich, spicy flavors. The freshness evident here is exceptional, suggesting a barrel of New Riff Rye at eight years old has a long life of aging ahead of it.

• NOSE: Rounded and ripe with rye grass, notes of cinnamon, clove, red apple.
• PALATE: Fulsome, medium body; drying entry, lightly oaky with a sweeter core; slow development of spicy flavors; juicy, intense mid-palate of spearmint, clove, apple along with a lovely, aged grassy-mineral quality.
• FINISH: Long-lasting notes of clove, mint, peppercorn.

Disclaimer: Bourbon & Banter purchased a sample of this product from the brand for review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.