New Riff Kentucky Straight Bourbon Bottled In Bond

Another bourbon geek event at the Ripy House https://www.tbripyhome.com/tbripyhome last night with Jay Erisman from New Riff. Jay is co-founder and V P of strategic development. He was a writer/reviewer at Whisky Advocate and spent twenty years opening and growing Party Source. Jay openly admits to knowing absolutely nothing about the distilling business when he got into it. He and his other co-founder just thought it would be cool to build a distillery in the parking lot. They did. The site is a few hundred yards from the Ohio River but their water source is a deep underground aquifer under the parking lot. It was most enjoyable hearing about the trials and tribulations of getting started and seeing his passion about his product and the future. He had WT 101 during the cocktail hour and noted that the WT mashbill is very close to his own. We tasted both the bib versions and sb's of his rye and bourbon. They make enough rye that they mash more rye than corn. My favorite was the bib bourbon. At four years, the ethanol is faint. He claims that this is due to the 110 proof barrel entry. Butterscotch is first to greet you on the nose and I get some nutmeg and green apple. The SB is similar with the alcohol more evident. Flavors are big vanilla and caramel, maybe a touch of cherry pie. Not much heat on the bib but the sb at only eight more proof is quite hot. A couple drops of water amps up the flavor. Finish is a bit short for my liking. Both are solid bourbons. The sb is about half again in price and offers me nothig but heat that I don't get in the bib. The bib is a bit more expensive than RR 10 so I think I will try them one on one. It was a great evening and I quite enjoyed the tastings and especially the stories.

Spicy, with a burn and vanilla

Nose: vanilla, maybe a slight note of apples. Palate: plenty of oak and baking spice. Finish: very short for a BiB expression. 7/10 - This definitely feels like it has potential to become something great, it just isn't there yet.

5 set tasting of 100 proof TN Whisky & Bourbon Nose: intriguing on the nose, toasted, Apple, tamed demenor. Notes:Chocolate, Cherry, Vanilla Finish: Phenomenal, pop of heat to open but soothes quickly, high praise, well made.