New Riff Kentucky Straight Bourbon Bottled In Bond

Resembles the tasting notes of Blantons for sure. This one, due to its complexity welcomes a few drops of water or resting over ice to help break out the beautiful flavors.

Great neat, spicy with great depth of flavor. Three rocks completely changes the flavor profile smooth with lingering savory notes.

So, right off the bat, you can tell that the rye content is pretty insane, which it is at 35%. This is a pretty classic style, but not one to which I'm regularly exposed. The spiciness is quite nice and the flavor integration between sweetness, vanilla, and spice is pretty approachable, thought-provoking, and delicious. Now, I've had the bigger brother (New Riff Single Barrel (bottled at cask strength)) and I think this is actually more enjoyable to drink. I often love what cask strength does for a whiskey, but in this case it actually takes it over the edge for me. This makes this Bottled in Bond a great sipping bourbon that is well-rounded and easy to drink. My only real issue with this bourbon is the price. This particular one was gifted to me, but it is generally sold for about $40. For me, that's too much for a standard bourbon expression. Therefore, I will put this in the same category as Belle Meade bourbon which is, "everyone must buy it because it is good and worth having...once." If this was at the $30 mark, I would buy it time and time again. This is just my opinion, but you can get bourbon that's just as good for 25-35$. But, please, seek this bourbon out and try it because it is extremely respectable and worth having.