New Riff Kentucky Straight Bourbon Bottled In Bond

Rating: 14/23 N: This has a sweeter and fuller nose than New Riff Straight Rye. It's still a touch light (or perhaps just youthful?) with that similar sort of smoky woodiness. As it sits in my glass, I start getting rich apple and some cherry. After a few minutes, some sweet spices start coming out along with a little must. P: There's a nice sweet spice profile here with some savoriness to it. The wood is decently musty but not super strong. There's a solid amount of vanilla too. The spice prickles a bit, just toying with being harsh. Some rye floral and spicy flavors start coming out with it, bringing in a little bit of mint and mineral flavor too. It ends up being a bit light and youthful, unfortunately. A well-oxidized Russell's Reserve 10 has more complexity and maturity, but the alcohol here gives this more richness (though the difference in richness is not so large). The richness here is more comparable with that of Evan Williams Bottled In Bond. This is more complex than the Evan Williams, though it's also a bit harsher. I prefer this to the Evan Williams, but it's no match for the well-oxidized Russell's Reserve 10 (it does come decently close to Russell's Reserve 10 poured from the neck though). F: Wood with rye spiciness. Slightly floral cherry with a dash of vanilla. Some mint still. I'm not finding a lot going on here, but the balance is solid. - Conclusion - This is a solid bourbon, but the nose really hyped it up for me beyond what the rest could deliver. I like this better than New Riff Straight Rye, but not quite as much as a fresh bottle of Russell's Reserve 10. I gave the New Riff Rye a 13 (though barely) and the Russell's a 15, so I guess this is a 14. I find this to be a little better than Old Tub (which I gave a 13) as well. As a final sanity check, I tried this side-by-side with Wild Turkey 101 (my quintessential 14 bourbon) and they seemed similar in quality (though very different in profile). A 14 it is then, but if I were to go either direction from there, I would go down. Thanks to @ctbeck11 for the sample.

Medium strength nose offers vanilla bean, cough syrup, confectioners sugar, pencil shavings, and savory-yet-sweet note like a crepe or something. Very interesting aroma but it’s not perfect; there’s some ethanol that creeps in there as well. On the palate, Werther’s candy, cola, molasses, nutmeg, almond, and dark cocktail cherries, adding some black licorice in the mid-palate. I feel like I’ve tasted something similar before but can’t quite place it...wait...*looks up ingredients for Dr Pepper* Ah-hah! All those flavors are in there! There are some definite similarities. Some oak in there as well, but you’d be hard pressed to call this “woody” in any way. Not lacking in depth per se, but the youth on this expression does show a bit as it’s a little brighter than the flavor profile would seem to call for. Even though this has a spice driven finish of cinnamon and ginger, the transition is gentle. Mouthfeel is silky smooth and a real highlight. Overall, there is a lot to like here. A welcome addition to the cabinet and for a four year old it’s more integrated and cohesive than one might expect. I can’t wait to someday sip on a 10 yr version of this as I imagine we will be looking at pure magic. At $35 and 100 proof, the value is there and I give an extra .25 for having a pretty unique flavor profile. Rebuy status.

Nose: Vanilla , Ethanol, Cinnamon-like spice Mouthfeel: Thin and watery yet still somewhat syrupy in the legs Taste: Sweet and Spicey. Vanilla and mild wood give sweetness and pepper burn with a hint of minty-ness on the swallow and finish, which does surprisingly last a good while. A decent sipper for the money at 100 proof. Didn't feel the need the add $10 for the single barrel at 104 proof. But this can't hold a candle to the likes of standard Eagle Rare or 10 year McKenna, at least at the old asking prices before Fame came a callin'. I can still think of a dozen whiskys, with or without an "E", that are similarly priced and deliver more than this plain fare. Knappogue Castle comes quickly to mind. But then American Bourbon is just different in what it delivers in terms of complexity or lack thereof. Still it's always nice to get something at this proof for this money. A mixed drink Bourbon and a decent sipper, I'll finish this fairly quickly and then go and buy the 16 yr Tyrconnell I should have bought with a nice $20 clearance price reduction thanks to the PLCB. $40 at the PLCB. $50 for the Big Brother.

Orangy Creamsicle nose. Very much nail polish up front. Creamy splash but very strong on the palette. Quite a bit of spice and burn.