Rating: 15/23 I was a bit underwhelmed by the regular New Riff Straight Rye, but it's always fun to try single barrels and see how they differ. Throw in barrel proof and I think there's some potential here. N: This smells a bit fuller than before. I still get the rye spice with apple. I get a little bit of floral scent, but this seems more on the rich, faintly oily side with a bit more bitter herbs. The nose is solid, but not too exciting. There are some nice subtleties hiding in it though. P: This is a lot fuller than either the mainline New Riff Straight Rye or the mainline New Riff Straight Bourbon. I get some nice apple and banana sweetness balanced by floral rye tartness and spiciness. And, of course, the mint. There's some mellow woodiness, but it's not terribly present. The harshness doesn't seem as big of a problem in this as in the other New Riff offerings I've tried. There's a nice swaddling of vanilla going on here too. I'm reminded a bit of Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Barrel Proof in how this toes the line with its sweet banana, but ultimately stays on the right side of it. The balance here is terrific and the complexity is solid enough. This is an enjoyable sipper. F: The green banana lingers a bit, but the flavors largely get drier here. It's more floral, but still dry, as the rye shows a bit more of its character. - Conclusion - It seems like the higher proof helps here, but mainly this is a good pick. As far as rating it goes, this is in the awkward 15 to 16 range. I feel like I've rated a lot of ryes at 16... but I also feel like they're all 16s. This competes nicely with Russell's Reserve 6 (which I also think of as a 15 to 16), but isn't as good as Kings County Empire Rye or Whistlepig PiggyBack. I'm leaning toward a 15 here, but it's a high 15, whereas the other New Riffs barely made the cut to reach their ratings. I'm close to giving this a 16, but not quite there. Thanks to @ctbeck11 for the sample!