The New Riff Distillery has gained a reputation for making some very interesting whiskeys. This latest expression is no exception. It is a 100% malted rye whiskey that has been aged six years and Bottled-in-Bond. There have been a few other distilleries using 100% malted rye, but I don’t know of one that has aged the whiskey for six years and then bottled it as a bonded whiskey.
I like the fact that New Riff is dedicated to the idea of a bonded whiskey as a category that they will release whiskey older than the minimum four years of age. This is a good whiskey but it is not like most other rye whiskeys. The malted rye adds a sweetness to the whiskey that sets it apart from other rye whiskeys in the market. I hope that this will become a regularly released product from New Riff Distillery.
New Riff Malted Rye Bottled-in-Bond
Proof: 100
Age: Six Years Old (Fall 2015-Fall 2021)
Nose:
- Mike: Rye grass, vanilla, baking spices, a hint of citrus and sweet oak wood. (Note – Let it breath a little to open up the nose).
- Matt: Vanilla, rye grass, strawberries and maple syrup with sweet oak wood.
Taste:
- Mike: Caramel, vanilla with notes of tangerine and cloves with some sweet oak wood. Tasted with a dried cranberry and the citrus notes becomes stronger with maybe a hint of lemon zest joining the party. Tasted with a pecan and the spices come forward with nutmeg and cinnamon added to the mix.
- Matt: Vanilla with strawberries and cherries, a hint of spice and sweet oak wood. The dried cranberry brought out the rye grassiness and added a little note of citrus. The pecan added notes of toasted and spiced nuts and a little lemon zest.
Finish:
- Mike: Medium long with oak and baking spices. The dried cranberry added lingering notes of citrus fruit. The pecan simply made the finish longer with the oak and spice.
- Matt: Rye grass and oak with notes of strawberry wine. The cranberry made the finish spicier with notes of cayenne pepper. The pecan made the finish longer and added some notes of lemon zest.
I would pair this rye whiskey with a cigar from the Rocky Patel Autumn Collection. The smoke from this cigar has lots of spice notes that remind me of spiced hot cider before a bonfire. I think those flavors would pair well with this whiskey.
Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller