This new riff may stir up some old rifts.
New Riff Distillery opened its doors in 2014 and has so far released a single barrel bourbon, a single barrel rye, a straight bourbon, and of course, New Riff Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey. At its start, New Riff was strictly sourcing its supply in order to buy some aging time for its own whiskies. Now with a fleet of their own distillate, New Riff is all about creating, “a new riff on an old tradition.” But what does that fancy motto actually come down to? Well, primarily two big things: a bottled-in-bond label and a lack of chill filtration.
Both of the distillery’s flagship bourbon and rye are released as bottled-in-bond – a title given to bourbon that is produced from one distillery in one season, is aged at least four years in a federally bonded warehouse, and bottled at exactly 100 proof. The title is harder to get than you might think and gives the brand new distillery a bit of a legit flair. While the two single barrels aren’t BIB, the distillery still decided to be an overachiever and bottle both the bourbon and rye at barrel proof.
But the real riff in New Riff is a lack of chill filtration – a big rift in the whiskey community. Chill filtration is exactly what it sounds like. When whiskey is cold, it’s diluted with water until it hovers around the desired bottling proof. Then, the diluted whiskey is chilled even further until it’s filtered to remove the stray compounds that pop up from distillation, like fatty acids and esters. These little compounds can cause whiskey to look hazy or cloudy. So yes, first and foremost this step is all about getting a whiskey photo ready with a crystal clear appearance.
However, whiskey experts argue over what chill filtration does to the flavor of the product. Some say that the removal of the impure compounds helps to purify both the appearance and taste of whiskey. The other side argues that removing these natural compounds actually strips out some key flavors in the whiskey. While the debate rages on, New Riff has come down clearly on the anti-chill filtration side, skipping the step in all of their products.
As far as New Riff’s Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, it’s hard to tell how the lack of chill filtration has affected the final product. Instead, the mashbill of 95% rye and 5% malted rye has become the star of the show. All of that rye grain produced a rye whiskey that’s filled with a deep smokiness and heavy layers of rye spice like black pepper, tobacco, leather, and a bit of mint. A light cinnamon and vanilla sweetness, alongside a heaping helping of orange and citrus, tries to balance it out, but rye continues to steal the spotlight.
The overall taste is enjoyable, but a sharp and bitter finish ruins the final effect. Whether it’s the 100 proof, the four year age statement, a combo of the two, or something else entirely, the finish leaves you with a biting aftertaste and impression.
Like the brand itself, New Riff’s Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey isn’t afraid to make a statement. After all, it’s about as rye-forward as a rye could be. With only a few more tweaks, we’d be ready to mend our rift with New Riff.
STATS: New Riff Kentucky Straight Rye
- Price for us: $45 for 750 mL
- Proof: 100
- Aged: 4 Years
- Distillery: New Riff Distilling
- Recommendation: Neat
