New Riff 4 Year Single Barrel Rye

Caramel nose, butterscotch flavor and rye bite. For over 100 proof this is very smooth and balanced

I’m starting to like ryes. Spicy for me, a few drops of water made it more enjoyable.

Barrel 3275, 52.3% ABV, bottled spring 2021. Nose is wet pine boughs, shaved cedar bark, stale black pepper and topsoil smoothed out with an undercurrent of vanilla. Ethanol is very present, so use caution here. Palate is obviously rye, but not painfully so; pine needles, spearmint and rosemary are tempered by rich caramel and vanilla which lingers for 15-20 seconds before closing cleanly with dry tea and a nice Novocain numbness. Very rich, mouth-coating, on the edge of oily but not quite there. I find this better from a Norlan than a Glencairn; it seems to change the balance of herbal/sweet just a smidge more to sweet, which makes it feel richer and takes the edge off the spice punch. I like rye. I approach it as a nice change of pace when Scotch is too Scotchy and bourbon too sweet. This bottle however, stands on its own, and is more than just a minor alternative to otherwise favored styles. This will be a regular on my shelf.

Don't have the barrel number. But very tasty.

Barrel 4500 53.75% abv

Barrel 4500 53.75

Barrel #5139, proof 109. Very impressed with this one. I had the straight bourbon and the single barrel bourbon that I liked but found unexciting. This, on the other end is exciting and different. I got a strong aroma of brown sugar and rye spices. The palate is an explosion of spice. Complex yet easy to drink (using a small cube to freshen it up and reduce the proof a little). One great rye. A great value for $56!