New Riff 4 Year Single Barrel Bourbon

Fantastic up front, very complex with a great combination of spice and vanilla. In the middle, it retains the up front spice and mellow vanilla. Finish fades fast. Edit. Man does this grow on you. Finding it hard to keep a slow sipping pace. Good stuff

Pine, oak, vanilla on the nose. Slightly oily, rye, rich and full bodied Hearty burn on the finish that recedes with some spices at the end. As always a very solid pour from New Riff.

Tasted neat. Wow, what a super sweet palate (not a ton of complexity to that sweetness, or I just can’t make heads or tails of what it is). Wasn’t expecting its profile from a barrel proof / predominantly rye mash. Mouthfeel is fairly thin. Finish is really pleasant, with super mild heat (this batch is 106.9 ABV). My first taste from New Riff — I really enjoyed this as a sipper.

The nose starts with off grassy with touches of vanilla and charred oak along with it. There are fruity notes, almost melon like, fruit but not so sweet. It is also a little earthy and meaty, but overall a little flat and indistinct. The palate is what dry and just about makes it to the corners of the mouth with a burst of earthy rye spice and charred oak. A wave of vanilla is underneath that providing a bit of a balance. There is almost a roasted peanut element to it as it breathes, but overall is just as indistinct as the nose. The finish is medium and slightly astringent with a quickly fading spiciness while the mouth keeps a dry, oaky feeling. This whiskey has some flaws and doesn't have much of an identity. For being barrel proof, the palate is surprisingly muddled. It can't quite be labeled easy to drink because it doesn't exactly give you a reason to come back to it. So drinkable, yes. But enjoyable? Very neutral.