O.K.I. Reserve Blended Bourbon Whiskey - Batch 01

VITALS:

- $90

- 100 Proof

- Batch 01

- Indiana

It seems forever ago that I enjoyed a bottle of O.K.I. Reserve Bourbon. That's the brand that New Riff released its sourced whiskey under when it was a fledgling distillery and was waiting for its own whiskey to age. I'm still astonished that at the time we could get a bottle of 10 Year MGP bourbon for only $50!  Of course, that was back in 2017, and a lot has changed since then.

When New Riff started putting out its own whiskey under its own name, it no longer released whiskey under the "O.K.I. Reserve" name, and eventually the last of it disappeared from the shelves. That is, until recently when a new company bought the rights (presumably) and resurrected the brand. Admittedly, I knew very little about the whiskey itself before purchasing my bottle, but some quick research told me it had been received pretty favorably. So, I was willing to give this new iteration a try.

The nose gave off rich notes of cinnamon spice and chocolate. It also had this sweet, caramel-type cola note.  All of this blended together into a rich and delicious combination that immediately made my mouth water. There was also a great nutty note, like a candied pecan, that at times even leaned towards a delicious-smelling pecan pie note.

The flavor followed suit, to some extent. It led with rich and sweet notes of toffee and caramel. It also had that cola note that I got from the nose. Those rich toffee notes were accompanied by a sweet and spicy cinnamon note, kind of a mix between cinnamon sticks and cinnamon candy. Right away this one seemed to be right in my wheelhouse.  

At times the cola note seemed to lean more towards a root beer note, and I even got a light oak note from time to time, showing some of the age of the whiskeys that were mixed into this blend. There was also a nice undercurrent of vanilla to complement everything else going on.

On the finish, the wood notes seemed a bit more prevalent, along with the rich toffee. While the cinnamon spice didn't linger too much, the vanilla notes were a bit more prevalent, and very welcome. I certainly found myself quickly going in for that next sip.

Overall, I really enjoyed this bourbon. I think the proof, despite being lower, was quite right. It had a great viscosity and a great balance of flavor and sweetness.  

Grade: A-

New Riff 6 Year Bottled In Bond Kentucky Straight Malted Rye Whiskey

VITALS:

- $45

- 100 Proof

- 6 Years

- Kentucky

One thing I have loved about New Riff is the approachability of their whiskeys from a pricing standpoint.  Not only have they been able to keep their mainstay bourbons in ryes at a very reasonable price point, but even their special or limited releases have always come in lower than what I believe they could command at retail.  Whether it was the Backsetter Rye, the Balboa Rye or the Winter Whiskey, they've always been right in that $45-55 price range. And while they're not bottled at cask strength, New Riff has a proclivity for keeping it bottled in bond and at 100 proof.

This malted rye proved to be no different. The price stayed the same, even when the age statement increased to 6 years! This one is certainly different from their typical rye products, though, as this is 100% malted rye. No secondary grains to be found. That was far from a deterrent for me, though, and I jumped at the opportunity to grab a bottle. 

The nose on it was rich and sweet and spicy. I got spiced cherry and cloves. That seemed to match up perfectly with a rich brown sugar note that even leaned towards molasses at times. I didn't expect such a bold and rich aroma to come from my glass. 

The flavor, much like the nose, also provided a nice mix of sweet and spicy, along with some added heat. The sweet part came across as caramel and brown sugar. It had that same level of the sweetness as the nose thanks to a noticeable amaretto note.

The spice was, not unexpectedly, a nice cinnamon spice, but certainly on the sweeter end. It was more like cinnamon candy than cinnamon sticks. It also had a bit more oak to it than expected. At 6 years, I wasn't expecting any at all. But, it just added another layer without detracting in any way.

The finish was what I liked most. For whatever reason, it was only on the finish that I got a nice, rich chocolate note. It wasn't sweet and it wasn't bitter. It was somewhere between milk chocolate and dark chocolate. On top of that, it also had some heat, almost like a chili pepper heat that went great with the chocolate.

Once again New Riff has produced a limited release whiskey that is different, fun, and most importantly, really damn good! I'm glad I happened across a bottle!

Grade: A-

New Riff Winter Whiskey Bottled in Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:

- $50

- 100 Proof

- NAS

- Kentucky

I was unaware of this release coming out from New Riff towards the end of 2020. At least until I heard all about it from my local drug dealer (i.e. liquor store manager). He had recently made a trip down to New Riff for a private barrel pick, and he got to sample this Winter Whiskey. When he came back from the trip, he couldn't shut up about how damn good it was. And when he described it as a bourbon made with oats and chocolate malted barley, I was, at the very least, intrigued.

So, of course, I now had that FOMO planted firmly in my brain, and I let anyone that would listen to me know I really wanted to get my hands on a bottle. When that time did come, I didn't realize just how limited this release would actually be, as many stores only got a few bottles. I was lucky enough to get my hands on a bottle, though, and I was even more surprised at the price! New Riff has always been awesome about keeping their limited or special releases moderately priced, and this was no exception. 

The first whiff was interesting. I don't know what I was expecting, but it was clear that this was something unique and different.  I was immediately hit with a nice roasty note, along with notes of chocolate and almond. It actually reminded me a bit of Hershey's chocolate almond bars, perhaps the dark chocolate ones. It had a sweetness to it, but it was a darker, richer sweetness, like molasses. I also got a sort of spiced, baked goods note, like gingerbread 

On the first sip I was hit with deep, rich malty notes. It definitely had that dark bread type flavor to it. However, many of those other notes from the nose were present as well. I got a lot of rich dark chocolate, along with those nutty notes, somewhere in between almonds and walnut.

What I think New Riff was going for here, though, and what I think they absolutely nailed, was the nice roasty flavor that I got that reminded me a lot of a porter. It was all chocolate and toasted walnut, all layered over a coffee note that wasn't super bitter but was more like a mocha (one made with good coffee). That roasted coffee and walnut note gave it just the slightest smokiness as well.

On the final pours, this drank very much like a coffee porter. It was rich and full of those roasted chocolate and coffee notes (yes, I've used the word "roasted" a lot here), pairing that rich sweetness with a light bitterness, yet all layered over a soft dark chocolate note. 

On the label it states, "This unique whiskey was inspired by our brewing background." I've had many other beer-related or beer-inspired whiskeys, and I've never found one that truly impressed me . . . until now. New Riff absolutely hit the mark here with what they were going for, and, even better, the end result was a unique and absolutely delicious whiskey!!  I hope they don't shelve this product and that at some point I can get my hands on some more

Grade: A

New Riff Balboa Rye Bottled In Bond Kentucky Straight Rye

VITALS:
- $55

- 100 Proof

- 4 Years

- Kentucky

I feel like it's been a while since I had anticipation for a rye release. Certainly I was excited for the recent Master's Keep Cornerstone from Wild Turkey and the Parker's Heavy Char. But that was well over a year ago now, and I feel like there has been a dearth of new, exciting rye releases hitting the shelves.

Luckily, New Riff has come through for me. They recently released a wheated product, labeled "Maltster," and at the same time that hit the shelves, so did this, the Balboa Rye. This is a rye whiskey made using . . . you guessed it, Balboa rye, which is an heirloom rye that is commonly grown in Indiana. Beyond that, I knew very little else going into this bottle, except that it was a new, special release rye from New Riff, and that so far I've absolutely loved the ryes that New Riff has been pumping out.

The nose on this was delicious. The first note that I wrote down was cherry cola. But it was a darker cherry note, and not quite as sweet. I also got a light breadiness as well as a peanut butter cookie note. Again, though, this was all without it coming across as sweet, but rather as rich and decadent. What did it for me, though, was that all of this was complemented by a black pepper note that had my mouth watering.

As to flavor, my first impression was that it had a very Old Fashioned flair to it. I was immediately getting notes of Luxardo Maraschino cherries, as well as that bright but slightly bitter note of orange peel.  It had just the slightest amount of sweetness to it.

It very much came across as a fruit-forward rye, with cherry being the most prominent note. However, I did get notes of blackberries and dates from time to time as well.  Interestingly, though, the fruit notes all seemed to be layered over a pecan-type nuttiness. In that sense it reminded me of a spiced pie.

I did get other notes finding their way in as well, including a bit of an odd flavor that to me was kind of a blend of dark chocolate and dill.  This is probably the result of a more fruit-forward grain that still met up with that strong rye spice. It wasn't necessarily a bad note, but it was a bit odd.

The finish, however, was all cherry and vanilla. Luckily that odd chocolate-dill note did not linger. However, the black pepper I was finding on the nose did make its way through on the finish, adding enough spice to make me want to go right back in for my next sip. 

While I wasn't blown away by this, I love the experimentation with rye variants, and New Riff continues to put out delicious ryes, and this was no exception. I'd certainly urge anyone else to try it, though, as my friends who also had pours out of this bottle were, in fact, blown away and couldn't have given it higher marks. So take my review with a grain of salt. 

Grade: B+ 

New Riff Backsetter Peated Backset Bottled in Bond Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey

VITALS:

- $45

- 100 Proof

- 4 years

- Kentucky

This was one of my more anticipated releases in recent memory. When New Riff announced that they were releasing Backsetter Rye, I had no clue what that meant at all. When I looked into it, I knew I was going to have to track down a bottle, and luckily I was able to do so without too much effort, though it didn't remain on shelves for very long.

Certainly bucking norms, New Riff used a peated sour mash backset, so a portion of a previous mash that's used in a new batch (kind of like sour dough bread). So it's not a peated whiskey, at least in the traditional sent of using peat to smoke the malt. I was very curious as to just how much smoke flavor would actually be imparted by the use of the peated backset, as I do love me a smokey Scotch from time to time.

On the nose I definitely got a char note, but it certainly wasn't very strong, and it was certainly a far cry from the smokey notes you get from Lagavulin or Laphroaig.  In addition to the light char, I also got some mild pine notes, as well as brown sugar and vanilla. The vanilla was almost minty in character. I also got some soft caramel notes as well.  All in all, I thought this smelled great, and I couldn't wait to dive into my first pour.

The smoke definitely shows up on the palate. Again, not quite like the heavily peated Scotches, but certainly more present than on the nose.  It was alight smokiness, kind of like a burnt marshmallow, where you get the char but it quickly subsides and makes way for the sweet, vanilla notes. In fact, the more I drank of this bottle, the more the smoke came through, particularly on the finish. I've often found that's what I've liked most in peated Scotches was the finish where the smoke lingered, and I really enjoyed it here.

Underneath the peat I got a healthy dose of caramel as well as a sweet graham cracker note. That sweetness went well with the burnt marshmallow notes. I also got a certain salty quality to it, kind of like salted caramel. One of the more interesting notes that I got, though, which I noticed from the first pour to the last, was a baked sweet potato flavor. That was certainly a first for me, but it worked with all the other flavors going on, and I did actually enjoy it.

All in all, the peat character is front and center, but that's not unexpected. I've seen a lot of love it or hate it reviews, and I'm not surprised.  Peated whiskeys tend to be divisive. If smoke is not your thing, then this is probably not for you.  I, however, loved it. In a way, it kind of reminded me of the bark of a good smoked brisket--smokey, salty and sweet.  I hope this makes its way around again, because I will absolutely be after another bottle.

Grade: A-

New Riff Bottled In Bond Kentucky Straight Rye

VITALS:
- $45
- 100 Proof
- 4 years
- Bottled Spring 2019
- Kentucky

I could not have been more excited when New Riff finally made it into our market here in Illinois. In fact, I grabbed the Single Barrel Bourbon at the same time I grabbed this rye, and I ended up plowing through that bottle.  I had heard only great things about their bottled in bond rye, and so I held off on opening that one, saving it for a time when I was in the mood for a good rye (which, quite honestly, was only a few days after I finished the Single Barrel).

This is a mashbill of 95% rye and 5% malted rye, so 100% rye, which already differentiates it from pretty much every other rye out of Kentucky. New Riff is certainly aware of what's trending as well, as they state right on the front of their bottle that this is "without chill filtration." Just what us whiskey geeks want to see!

The nose was everything I've come to expect from younger ryes.  It had the usual cinnamon, but it also had a light sweetness to it, a sort of essence of caramel that was really nice. I did get a light pine note, which at times just came across as more of a woody or oak note. At times I got something floral off of it, but I had a hard time narrowing it down beyond that. It just came across as a light whiskey.

The palate was pretty consistent with the nose. It did not have any sort of viscosity to it, which lended to it coming across as a lighter whiskey on the palate as well.  Up front the light sweetness was there, somewhere between caramel and toffee--a bit more rich than what came across on the nose. There was also a fleeting but distinct mint note that came across the tip of my tongue.

Pine notes seemed to come through now and then, but other than that caramel note, none of the flavors seemed to linger very long. It had the nice cinnamon and peppery spice that I love in rye, and those flavors were in sufficient abundance to keep me going back for that next pour.

The finish was short, but it did have that nice balance of sweet and heat, with caramel and vanilla blending with cinnamon on the back end. I did find a bit of a dill flavor lingered after each sip, however, which, while certainly not offensive, just seemed to be out of place with everything else going on with this whiskey.

Ultimately, this is a very solid rye, and if you're a rye guy (or gal), by all means give this a go. While it may not have knocked my socks off, it fits solidly in the rye category and perhaps it'll do something more for you!

Grade: B

New Riff Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:
- $55
- 112.1 Proof
- 4 years
- Barrel No. 15-1960
- Kentucky

I first heard of New Riff Distillery on some whiskey/bourbon podcast a few years back. I honestly don't remember which podcast it was—I wish I could recall. I remember that they interviewed a woman from New Riff and they discussed New Riff's business plan at that time – that being to source bourbon and brand it as O.K.I. Bourbon while they await the maturation of their own distillate. Seems to be a relatively common business plan for craft bourbon startups.

Shortly after hearing that podcast, I took a trip to Kentucky and I made it a point to grab a bottle of O.K.I. off the shelf (it wasn't available in Illinois at the time). It was a 10-year bourbon and I really enjoyed it! At the time, however, I didn't know that New Riff intended to create a line in the sand, discontinuing O.K.I. altogether when their own distillate was ready for bottling and distribution.

Fast forward a couple years, and I started seeing positive review after positive review of New Riff Bourbon and Rye, their own distillate, in Facebook groups, on Twitter and nearly everywhere else I turned. Given how much I appreciated their ability to source good whiskey, I really wanted to get my hands on some of their own make. But it wasn't distributed in Illinois.

A couple weeks ago, however, in making my usual Binny's perusal, I was immediately drawn to the top shelf, where there sat the Bottled-in-Bond and the Single Barrel New Riff Bourbons—no announcements or advertising or hoopla regarding greater distribution, it just one day appeared!

As soon as I got home I cracked the top, and the very first thing I noticed was the heavy corn content, the kind you get from most young, craft whiskeys. I also got a heavy dose of ethanol, and I was immediately preparing myself for disappointment. Aside from some redeeming notes of cinnamon and orange peel, the bitterness and otherwise noxious aromas were difficult to get past.

And yet, the flavor was a far cry from those young, "crafty" flavors that I was expecting to have to choke down. This hit like a caramel-cinnamon bomb. It unquestionably tastes older than it is. The sweet caramel really takes center stage, coating the mouth front to back in rich sweetness, while at the same time providing a decent amount of cinnamon spice to balance.

There were still some signs of this bourbon's "youngness." I did get a hint of that apple flavor that I tend to get in younger bourbons, and it still had some rough edges that would certainly mellow out with more time in the barrel. However, these flaws are slight and are out-shined by an otherwise delicious bourbon.

The last few pours really sweetened up, and all that seemed to remain was that caramel-cinnamon bomb that I got on my initial impression. I never was a fan of the nose, but the flavor was absolutely delicious, and New Riff is definitely doing something right!

Grade: B+

New Riff Distilling O.K.I. Reserve 10 Year Straight Bourbon

VITALS:
- $50
- 97.75 Proof
- 10 Years
- Batch No. 20

I heard an interview with one of the owners of New Riff out of Newport, Kentucky, and, although I can't remember exactly who it was that was interviewed, I recalled appreciating the fact that they were very open about their distillery, their operations, and their business plan. In particular, she discussed their release of O.K.I., a bourbon they were sourcing and bottling as a means of keeping hte business afloat while their own distillate comes to maturation.

O.K.I. is a 10  year bourbon sourced from MGP in Indiana. New Riff never looked to hide that fact, even incorporating that fact as part of the brand (O.K.I. stands for Oklahoma, Kentucky and Indiana). Based upon that fact, and the fact that I've generally enjoyed the longer-aged products coming from MGP, I wanted to give this a try. Unfortunately, I can't get it in Illinois, so I had to wait a few months until my next trip to Louisville, but even though I was on a budget, this was the bottle I knew I was coming home with on that trip.

The nose is soft and full of vanilla and sweet pipe tobacco, that kind of sweet smell you get when you pass one of those specialty tobacco stores and the scent just wafts out the front door. It also had a kind of floral note to it, like lilac bushes, though it wasn't as strong as those flowers can be.

In flavor it struck me as very traditional, heavy on the vanilla and toffee. Towards the end it had a slight cinnamon spice as well as a light smoke on the finish. It was very bold and rich, full of flavor from beginning to end. The finish was long and the toffee flavor just seemed to linger forever, as though I let a Heath bar just sit and melt in my mouth.

Over time it seemed to sweet up and develop even more complexity. In addition to the sweet vanilla and toffee flavors, a more savory cocoa note came through, that played very well with the heavy vanilla. Perhaps it was those two flavors together or something completely new, but it also seemed to add in a peanut flavor. The cinnamon spice remained but was joined towards the end by a welcome orange-citrus note, just enough to make it interesting.

Although I wanted to savor this bottle, I found myself going back to it over and over again because I enjoyed it so much. I delayed a bit in opening it after I bought it, but once it was open, I couldn't help but make my way through this bottle relatively quickly. I was pleasantly surprised at just how much I enjoyed this bourbon, and I'm surprised it hasn't received more attention!

Grade: A