When New Riff Distilling opened its doors in 2014, it set out with a commitment to release only Bottled-in-Bond whiskey, patiently waiting for its liquid to age in the warehouse for the requisite 4 years and never sourcing any liquid in the interim. That strategic decision has paid off handsomely, as this mid-sized northern Kentucky distiller has rung up a slew of 90+ ratings in the years since its first release in 2018.
Now New Riff has taken things up a notch with its first 8 year old expression. It’s the flagship sour mash high-rye bourbon (65% corn, 30% rye, and 5% malted barley), bottled at 50% ABV and non-chill filtered like all New Riff expressions. This one isn’t a bottled in bond, however, because it uses a blend of bourbons made in two distilling seasons. (To be designated bottled in bond, a whiskey must be produced in one distilling season, among other requirements as outlined here.)
From the start, New Riff has set aside 20%-30% of its production for each of its expressions for further aging, so this release could be the start of older whiskeys to come. As the distillery celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, it started things off by introducing Brian Sprance as its first master distiller in January. Overall, New Riff has struck a noteworthy balance between hewing to the tradition of bottled in bond sour mash, and non-chill filtering, which juxtapose nicely with its various innovations, such as Backsetter Peated Backset Rye, New Riff Maltster, and New Riff Turkey Wheat, among others.
This new 8 year old bourbon ($68) is currently available for presale ordering at newriffwhiskeyclub.com for pickup at the distillery in Newport, Kentucky beginning March 8th. The New Riff Distillery is located in Newport, Kentucky, just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati. A purple-painted footbridge, known simply as the Purple People Bridge, connects both sides of the river, with New Riff located about a half-hour walk from the Cincinnati side.
Online ordering with shipping for this new release will open up at 11 a.m. on March 8th and at retailers nationwide soon after that.
