This bottle was a gift from a friend, I've been to the New Riff distillery in KY many times. I lived quite close to there and enjoyed their product when they were 8-Ball Brewing and making beer for the bar inside Party Source. I've not tasted NR rye before this. The pour is a polished walnut. A swirl shows slow, thick legs running down the side of the glencairn. This bottle has been open for a few weeks, but I've managed to control myself to only a few tastes. On the nose this is rye bread and vanilla, maple syrup and cinnamon. Slight mint appears as a ghostly echo. There's a bit of barrel char and some cedar plank hinting at a younger age, but the nose is remarkably well formed and smoothly rounded. On the palate this is a bit sharper and spicier than the Sagamore Double Oak. There is a note of toasted almond, maple, baking spices, slight ginger, a bit of mint and a trace of dill weed. Alcohol is present, you won't mistake this for a 90 proof wannabe but it is in the right proportion. This is a really good rye. Its just not as good as the Sagamore Double Oak as a neat drinker, nor as boldly versatile as Wild Turkey Rare Breed rye, which I prefer for Manhattans and the like. I like this rye a lot, but it's not readily available in my area and I think (think!) its the same price as the Sagamore Spirit. Regardless, there is competition for this one from quite a few directions. I'm loving every sip and I'd likely buy another bottle if it were available and under $60 retail. That said, it's not a world beater by any definition of the term. Good. Very good. Just not great. Maybe after a few more years in the barrel..