New Riff 8 Year Kentucky Straight Rye

Nose: I first noticed a sweeter grassy (pea / potato?) note, oat-like rye spice, lighter stone fruit with a lemon zest. Some peppery oak, and slight solvent astringency. Taste: Sweet pea and honey seems to dominate here for me up front...which is strange. Notes of stone fruit and honeysuckle come through, then it unfolds into a nice carmel. There is a nice white pepper / oak hit on the tail end, and a suprisingly longer finish than expected. T8ke: 7.4

Damn this rye really impressed me. For one thing it has a deep rich oakiness that just works. A sweet rye, but with a savoriness to the nose that keeps me coming back. To me this isnt obviously a rye, i could be fooled into thinking it were a bourbon.

Nose at first is green apple and vanilla. As it sits in the glass a little oak emerges. Baked goods, pastry, maybe a green apple pie. A little cinnamon and mint. Palate is more citrus along with sweet tea and mint. Slight herbal note, but not quite dill. A nice oakyness comes toward the finish. I imagined I would like this more than the 8 year bourbon because I generally favor ryes to bourbons, and because I like New Riff’s ryes more than their bourbons. Indeed, I do like this better, but not by as much as I imagined, which is more I think a testament to how good the bourbon is, not that the rye is disappointing in any way. Both given 4 stars, but the rye slightly edges out the bourbon for me, but maybe mostly because I'm more a rye-guy.

Great - well aboverage average.

Figured I'd just leave first impressions here. Nose - simple, classic rye. Not much oak or anything big or special here. Clean sweetness is really the central theme. More than you might expect. Taste - The arrival is almost like this crystalline sugar with a touch of a sour candy note over vanilla. Pretty yummy. Finish- nice finish, leather and tobacco, pretty good linger too. A darn good rye, but dare I say not really a big step up on the neck from the 4 years. More oak and leather/tobacco. It's good. 2.5 for a neck pour. I can't say I'd chase this down. If you see one and want older rye, go for it. But so far their malted rye is their true go to rye.