Requested By
BlimpsGo90
New Riff Single Barrel Barrel Proof Rye
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skillerified
Reviewed August 12, 2021 (edited August 15, 2022)Barrel No. 17-1218. 105.9 proof / 52.95 % ABV. Distilled Spring 2017. Bottled Spring 2021. N: Caramel, rye grain, soapy coriander. Mint and lavender. Fresh cut hardwood. Cereal grains. Milk chocolate and honey. Leftover milk after a bowl of Fruity Pebbles or Fruit Loops (sweet lactose sugar + vague artificial fruitiness). Shaving cream. Earthy rye notes. Marble birthday cake with vanilla frosting. Sugary, syrupy, cooked peaches in cream. The peaches might have even spent a few minutes on a charcoal grill. Peanut butter cookies. Mild ethanol hit that I actually quite like in this. P: Rich caramel, spicy rye grain, mint. Vanilla frosting. Vanilla custard. Big hit of oak that suggests this should have some substantial bitterness from the tannins - it never arrives, and is not really missed. Cereal grains, more oak, and hot cinnamon. That creaminess from the nose translates nicely - as above, with the frosting and custard - and layers on a smooth vanilla that's like a big, comforting hug for your tongue (rich, oily, heavy body). Finish brings peanut, maybe some almond, and a hint of milk chocolate. Deep red fruit dripping in the corners once you hit a second pour. Tannins finally, just barely, start adding some bitterness, which, by now, is just a nice contrast to the sweet and the heat. Heat is a hot cinnamon that starts almost immediately, but really comes into its own in the finish - a mouthcoating lingering burn that's just assertive enough and also happens to be mingled with dark chocolate and some light roast coffee notes. This bottle broke rye whiskey for me. Best rye I've ever had by a long shot. Better than I would have expected a rye could be. Contender for best bottle I've ever had, period. I can't think of anything I would want to change about it. Bottles like this are why I drink whiskey. At $50, value = GTFO. I've had bottles at 2x or 3x price that don't match this. Hell, MOST 2x and 3x priced bottles don't match this. It was the last one on the shelf when I bought it* and I have to consider my timing fairly lucky - that shelf was empty for a reason. I will certainly be looking for more of this, and more New Riff in general, and hoping this barrel was not a one-off. * This, btw, has been a winning strategy in whiskey buying for me: if it's the last one, buy it because it's probably good. Edit: After reading a few other reviews, which I did not do before writing my own, it seems I may have gotten the best barrel they've ever produced. C'est la vie. I will still try more New Riff after this to confirm.50.0 USD per Bottle -
Fafnir187
Reviewed June 14, 2021 (edited July 9, 2021)Barrel # 16-11542. 104.6 proof. As this is a single barrel, your mileage may vary. Here is mine: Nose is pungent and herbaceous with hay, spearmint, lemongrass, anise, pepper, and a bit of troublesome ethanol. While it’s not a bad nose, what is missing here is any kind of sweet note to give it balance; instead you are blasted with herbs. Palate is a vast improvement as it opens with a deep, rich amber/dark amber honey nowhere to be found in the aroma. (If you have never had a darker honey, some of the individual components present here are butterscotch, peach, cocoa, plum, and hazelnut) All the herbal notes in the nose are then present in the mid-palate but that honey carries all the way through to the finish and is very welcoming. Finish is nice and long with white pepper, clove, wintergreen, and light oak. Mouthfeel is a little on the grainy side; maybe a little harsher than it should be. A real mixed bag here; nice palate and finish, lacking in nose and mouthfeel. Maybe it’s just a little young and a few of these flaws can be fixed with a little more aging. I did enjoy the interplay of the honey with the herbals; they might have something here. Would love to try a 6-8 year version of this. As it stands, for $63 I feel that it’s a little pricey compared to say a Knob Creek 115 proof pick or Rare Breed rye. Just falls short of a rebuy, but I will be watching…63.0 USD per Bottle
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