Review #: 236
Description: New Riff Rye Bottled-In-Bond
Spirit: Rye
Background: Here we have the standard bottling of New Riff’s Rye whiskey. This one was distilled in the Spring of 2015 and bottled in the Spring of 2019, it’s one of the few 100% rye whiskies fairly available. For around $40, there’s a bit of a craft tax but let’s see if it’s worth it. I previously enjoyed the Single Barrel Rye from them so let’s see how it takes to a little dilution.
Distillery – New Riff
Bottler – New Riff
Brand – New Riff
Selection – N/A
ABV – 50%
Age – 4 Years
Nose – Some tart raspberry, dark chocolate, bright rye spice, fresh strawberries
Taste – Sweet caramel, apple, vanilla. Honestly, it’s so much caramel and fruit it nearly reminds me of XXX/3 rum but a little bit thinner and with stone fruit instead of tropical fruits. A tiny bit of oak and black pepper comes up when you let it sit on your tongue for a while.
Finish – Rye spice finally comes in more, then heat and black pepper, and then more rye comes in on the finish. Spicy tobacco, toasted caraway and sesame seeds
Score: 6
Would I buy a bottle? Yes
Thoughts: This really is a fun bottle. While I felt like the single barrel rye was a bit more in your face with rye, this was all fruit on the nose, sweet on the palate, and rye on the finish. Yet it all worked. The transition from one to the other wasn’t abrupt. The sweetness though surprised me as it tastes more like a barely legal rye than say an Alberta rye. The finish though reminds you what it’s all about. In a market filled with MGP and barely legal ryes, I think this establishes itself well and fits nicely in at this price point. It’s great to drink with others to get them in to rye and also is a killer cocktail base whenever you aren’t sipping on it.