These are exciting, fascinating times in the world of American single malt whiskey. In the wake of the category receiving its first genuine definition and outline from the TTB, we’re seeing new distilleries queue up to enter this particular niche, and some building their entire portfolios around it. At the same time, though, there are quite a few major distilleries out there that have been exploring the world of American malt whiskey for a long time, whether their experiments had resulted in commercial products–that is, after all, how we ended up with American single malt as an official category, by essentially codifying what people had already been doing for several decades. Now, however, we’re starting to see distilleries truly pushing this category in advanced directions (maturing and premiumizing) as a result of years of investment, and the newly released New Riff Sour Mash Single Malt Whiskey is a perfect example. This is a product that only exists following nearly a decade of labor.
New Riff has been in operation since 2014, known for their lineup of bottled-in-bond bourbon and rye whiskeys. But they also immediately started distillation and development of malt whiskeys all that time ago, and when I say “development” I mean that they pretty much left no stone unturned. The result is New Riff Sour Mash Single Malt Whiskey, a product composed of six different malted barley mash bills aged in a plethora of different ways. All of the whiskey in this bottle is 7-8 years old, which is an eternity for American single malt whiskeys–particularly those aged in newly charred oak–in this market. If the following seems complicated, that’s because it is.
New Riff has been distilling malt whiskey from four different 100% malted barley mash bills, including styles known well to brewers such as Golden Promise, Maris Otter, and Chevallier heirloom barley. To that, you add a malt whiskey being made from Scottish peated malt, as well as two “beer-inspired mash bills” based on barleywine and Belgian quadrupel recipes. Each and every one of those distillates is quite different, but New Riff isn’t done–they then mature those spirits for years in a wide variety of barrels that include newly charred oak, “de-charred toasted oak,” red wine casks, brandy casks, sherry casks and more. Only then do they get to blending, with this inaugural release of New Riff Sour Mash Single Malt Whiskey including five of the six recipes, though the company doesn’t note which. They call is a “kaleidoscopic malt whiskey experience,” and I’m not sure there’s a better way to put it than that. The MSRP stands at $70, which if I’m being honest seems like a very fair ask given the ridiculous amount of development and labor that went into making this bottle a reality. Even the proof is quite advanced for the category, at 113.8 proof.
This new American single malt is intended to be an annual release, which will change in its composition and flavor profile each year. So with that said, let’s get to tasting this unusually mature, unusually complex take on American single malt whiskey.
On the nose, the first influences here are that of charred oak and a faint smokiness, into heavy caramel and creme brulee sweetness. I’m getting both brown sugar and browned butter, into spice evoking a little sweet aniseed and cassia. I’ll be honest: This has been influenced by the casks to such a degree that if you handed it to me blind, based purely on nosing it I would almost certainly guess it was bourbon before anything else. This of course reflects the uniqueness of the American single malt style’s use of newly charred oak, which blurs the lines between it and other categories of American whiskey, while altering so much of the flavor profile consumers may expect to find in malt whiskey from other countries such as Scotland or Japan. Probing further on the nose here, you start to get more hints of characteristics that would be more unusual for the likes of bourbon, though: Floral tones in particular, and something evoking the fruit-and-spice combination of peppercorn berries.
On the palate is where this whiskey diverges from almost any direct comparison, into totally novel territory. You wouldn’t mistake it for bourbon here–the initial flavor comes alive with toasted oats, caramel and a surprisingly herbal or earthy note in the foreground–dried herbs, pine needles, forest floor and juniper. It’s floral as well, but you then pair those lighter characteristics with the burly roast of charred oak and sturdy heat, and it becomes something else entirely. I’m reminded almost of oatmeal cookies, combined with caramel and a twist of French roast coffee, with an herbal infusion.
The result is, as I’ve already said, genuinely unique. And given the difficulty at times of finding truly unique experiences in the modern American whiskey world for consumers who have fallen head-over-heels into this niche in the last decade, that’s an exciting proposition. This is different enough, in fact, that I have no doubt it will be confounding to some drinkers, but I expect it will be equally cherished by others. If you fancy yourself adventurous, or curious about where the American single malt category may be headed, then you should go out of your way to sample this expression.
Distillery: New Riff
City: Newport, KY
Style: Blend of American single malt whiskeys
ABV: 56.9% (113.8 proof)
Availability: Limited, 750 ml bottles, $70 MSRP
Jim Vorel is a Paste staff writer and resident craft beer and liquor geek. You can follow him on Twitter for more drink writing.