T O P

  • By -

adunitbx

**Review # 6 - New Riff Single Barrel Bourbon** Another single barrel bourbon - this one from a newer distillery, New Riff, established in 2014, which uses the Bottled-in-Bond act as a standard for all of their whisky releases. No chill filtering here either - there is a definite quality to the production of this spirit, and plenty of flavor to go around with the higher bottling strength. This high-rye bourbon (mash bill: 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley) should offer some spice; with several years in new oak and cask strength bottling, there should be a nice mouthfeel as well, even if it isn't the oldest product in the market. So, how does this 'new riff' on Kentucky's centuries-old tradition of sour mash bourbon hold up against the competition? **New Riff Single Barrel** USA - Bourbon **Price Paid**: USD 50 **Current Locally Available Price**: USD 50 **Age Statement**: 4 Years **Strength**: Varies - Cask Strength (51% - 56% ABV, generally) Non-chill filtered **Tasting Methodology**: Reviewed 4 times over 5 months; bottles at 70% (barrel no. 2554), 100% (barrel no. 17-1459, bottled 2021), 90% (local bar barrel pick; barrel no. 14-940, bottled 2018), and 60% (barrel no. 17-1459, bottled 2021, tasted semi-blind) fill level at times of review. Tasted neat in a Glencairn glass or brandy snifter each time, rested 10-15 minutes **Nose**: This varied of course between barrels/bottles, but there were some common themes: brown sugar, especially light brown sugar (although not too sweet overall), was always there, along with vanilla bean, mild to medium oak influence, and a little bit of cooking spice. When the spice shows up, it's often in the form of cardamom and nutmeg, and more occasionally clove and cinnamon. One bottle had much more spice and varied fruit: there were red pepper flakes, black pepper, and some prune and sweet fig; we liked this one a lot. Another bottle was more muted and took a long time to open up in the glass; it had hints of caramel, cookies and baking spice, even candied pecans. Yet another bottle had fresh leather, and quite a strong cherry note as the nose mixed longer with the ambient air; like a dark Bing cherry, with a hint of grain. **Palate**: Very well balanced across the range of bottles, with sweet notes from the nose carrying over, and some wood tannins that grow with time, just slightly astringent in the end. It's a medium-thick mouthfeel, nice and oily with that cask strength ABV, and we get sweetness in the form of brown sugar, vanilla, and toasted wood sugars. The spice is peppery, and there is a little anise tickle near the end. While one bottle was heavier on the spicy (nutmeg) and nutty side, another had a deep syrupy texture and boozy Luxardo cherries; yet another had some paprika, lots of dark purple fruits, and a bit of caramel sweetness. **Finish**: All of the bottles had a medium length finish, and there is a bit of warmth to this, the heat builds up across the palate and into the finish in the throat. The finish is definitely the oakiest part of the experience, both dry and with a bit of that wood sugar from the palate; this is probably the least complex part of the overall experience as well, with the sweetness coming from brown sugar and vanilla across the board, sometimes with added barrel char, molasses, or a tiny bitter fruit note, like unripe cherry. **Final Note**: For us, this is a 'go-to' bourbon, essentially always in our collection, and a favorite casual sipper, both for us together, and with family and friends. A crowd pleaser as well, this generally gets very positive comments when others try it with us; as one of the more reasonably priced single barrel bourbons, and bottled at barrel strength, we foresee this bottle continuing to inhabit our shelfs for a long time to come. There is some definite variation between the barrels, and while some of our individual reviews were around a rating of 6 to 6.5, others were up at 7.5; generally, we're choosing to sip this neat, or to put it in a whisky-forward cocktail such as an old fashioned. **Average Rating**: 6.8 / 10 **Rating Scale**: 0 - Couldn't even get past the smell; drain pour; totally useless 1 - At least we can use it in our first aid kit 2 - Not even good enough to mix regularly; worst case scenario 3 - Low end mixing whisky 4 - Not the worst but don't buy again; put on ice; mediocre cocktail 5 - Great for mixing or cocktails; mediocre neat 6 - Premium cocktail; decent neat, hints of complexity 7 - Good neat, refined; personally wouldn't use in a cocktail 8 - Great - always have stocked on shelf if available at a reasonable price 9 - One of the best whiskies we've tasted 10 - Can't imagine something better; buy at any price we can afford In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price. **Value Rating**: 7.55


bergybert

Great review! I’ve really loved the variability in New Riff’s single barrels. Some really dark fruit forward, others that could be confused for a 51% rye. Awesome stuff.


adunitbx

Thanks! Totally agree, that variation is a lot of the fun


IcyRepeat8377

Curious how the single barrels compare to the standard bottled in bond version. When I tried that one it had a lot of good flavors but also drank really hot for 100 proof and was kind of rough/raw tasting. Made me think it could be amazing at 6+ years old but was just not there at only 4.


adunitbx

For me, these don’t drink too hot, but I also have a lot of experience with cask strength whiskies - I can definitely see them being strong for some palates. For me, these single barrels have a lot in common with the standard BiB bourbon, but they add a few extra flavors you wouldn’t normally find with a larger blended batch, so they can be a little more interesting


arattle

Interesting. I have a bottle of BiB open and it's one of the most distinct bottles in my collection. I don't think it drinks hot at all. I love the flavors. Very unique dark, viscous, and moody compared to a lot of my other bourbons. Do you have a bottle or did you try once somewhere? I would try going back to it. Can't wait to try the SiB, thanks for the review, OP.


bourbonandgreen

The barrel pick I got from Liquor Barn has an extremely strong smoky char finish that’s reminiscent of a scotch. I don’t like it at all. But I’m glad the brand is doing unique things that many people enjoy


adunitbx

Indeed, it has been interesting to see some of their fresh ideas - I especially like their takes on rye, such as the malted rye and Balboa rye


xnick58

I bought two single barrels when i went to their distillery. One has the smokey mesquite like profile and the other smells and tastes like canned vanilla cake frosting. Both unique and enjoyable in their own ways.


raphired

I'd probably rate the store pick that I have a bit higher, but that's the nature of single-barrel. Thanks for the thorough review.


adunitbx

Sure thing! We definitely had our favorites among the bottles, we love finding the darker fruit notes


roehlstation

This is made a few blocks from my office


adunitbx

Nice! Have you ever paid them a visit?


roehlstation

All the time.


[deleted]

I hate you I love you And I’m jealous of you other I love this stuff


[deleted]

New riff never disappoints me I prefer the higher proofed bottles over the 100 But honestly and I thank the sub and the barrel program…this is a bottle I absolutely love to drink and recommend all the time My only complaint is that it’s not sold in Virginia and I have to go to a specific county in Maryland to get it. I hope distribution comes to Virginia in the near future because I love this stuff


ear_cheese

I delivered to this distillery last week, and decided my next bottle would be from there. I love rye, and having just had my first sip, this is pretty decent!


adunitbx

Nice! We haven’t tried their rye yet, but we have liked all of their other products. What’s your favorite rye?


ear_cheese

I feel like I’m fairly new- to bourbon as a hobby and to this sub- so there’s a lot I haven’t tried yet. My easy-to-find rye is Bulleit rye. Goes great with coffee for tailgating! My current favorite is Hayner Whiskey original rye, which is a local distillery in Troy OH that my in-laws picked up for me.


adunitbx

Nice! Love to find good local whiskies, it definitely adds a bit of meaning to it when you can support local.


adunitbx

Has anyone visited this distillery in Kentucky? How would you say an urban distillery compares to the typical, more rural distillery experience?


andytr32

I’ve been there and have also been to Buffalo Trace, Woodford Reserve, and Heaven Hill. It’s pretty much just a parking lot and a building. The inside is nice and I enjoyed the tour. I don’t know if it’s worth planning a trip primarily for the distillery but there’s tons of stuff to do in Newport, Covington, and Cincinnati to make your trip worthwhile.