Review #: 591
Description: New Riff Single Barrel: Cork ‘n Bottle “Those 2 Guys”
Spirit: Bourbon
Background: The bourbon single barrel comes from the shop Cork ‘n Bottle in Northern Kentucky. I picked up this bottle when I visited the area all the way back in 2019. This was right around the time of the first New Riff single barrels, as they only started distilling in 2014. I had looked up some shops that were known for having some good selection and settled on this. Distilled June 12th, 2015 and bottled July 12th, 2019 from barrel 15-3650.
Distillery – New Riff
Bottler – New Riff
Brand – New Riff
Selection – Cork ‘n Bottle
ABV – 55.85%
Age – 4 Years
Nose – Dark cherry, butterscotch, charred oak, almost a touch of menthol which I rarely every get on bourbon, espresso
Taste – A good mouthfeel, brown sugar, butterscotch, brownie batter, maraschino cherry syrup, red apple
Finish – Gets fairly dry and oak with lots of chocolate and black coffee, toffee
Score: 6
Would I buy a bottle? Yes
Thoughts: Really solid bottle here. Nothing crazy but for being part of the initial wave of their single barrel program and at 4 years old, it’s a solid value. I know they have kept their barrels still around that 4-4.5 year mark, but they clearly started with a high floor and have been able to maintain it over the years. It only makes me more excited for when they start pushing older and older.