Tastes

Neck pour. Immediately regretting this purchase. I wasn’t expecting it to necessarily resemble a similar profile to Belle Meade Reserve, but it’s so flat & thin on the palate & finish. Easily the most disappointing bottle of 2022 that I’ve purchased.

Nose: Sweet, nutty, & fruit. The brown rice in combination with the toasted barrel appears to give this a very interesting dynamic. It has me hopeful the palate will be as pleasant. Palate: Sweet brown sugar with some Beam nuttiness towards the end. Finish: A quick bite of spice in what amounts to a very short finish. Overall this is an adequate expansion to the Basil Hayden lineup. I favor it more than the 10 year, & would say it’s a dead heat between this & the standard Basil Hayden as to which I prefer more. I will always have an appreciation for Basil Hayden as it was my gateway into bourbon. This bottle will definitely be appreciated by those newer to bourbon, or a simple pour for guests. Like many others, I would love to see a Basil Hayden expansion with a higher proof point than 80. It does not appear Beam intends to stray away from their approach to this lineup, but one can always hope.

I get the typical Beam nuttiness on the nose & pallet. Drinks a little hotter than I’d expect for just 100 proof, but not in a bad way. Overall it’s a nice light bourbon, especially for the price. If you enjoy the typical Beam bourbon, this should be right up your ally. Needless to say it serves well in cocktails as well.

Incredible. I cannot believe how smooth this is for 107 proof. Shame that it cannot be found easily, otherwise this would be my new daily drinker.

Strong scents of caramel & vanilla on the nose. More caramel & butterscotch throughout the palate before it finishes with a light touch of pepper. Overall incredibly smooth which can be expected for the proof.

I personally prefer the BIB. The notes of pepper that are in the BIB are too amplified for me in the SIB that I tried. Overall still a promising showing of what’s to come from New Riff.