Bourbon Lens Thoughts:
When we heard New Riff was releasing a Single Malt, of course we were excited. But now that the moment is here, we are bouncing off the walls! We can’t wait to try this new innovation. Will you be on the hunt for this whiskey?
New Riff Releases First Sour Mash Single Malt Whiskey
Five unique mashbills aged 7 to 8 years comprise initial offering
Newport, KY (Sept. 6, 2023) – – – In line with the company’s commitment to both innovation and tradition, New Riff Distilling is releasing the first bottling of its Sour Mash Single Malt whiskey later this month. The distillery first shared the news about the Sour Mash Single Malt project in July 2023, but started distilling batches of malt whiskey back in 2014. A bold new concept in the time-honored Kentucky regimen, Sour Mash Single Malt weaves malty flavors with oaken age. For more information, visit www.newriffdistilling.com.
On one hand, it is entirely different from everything else we’ve ever made. But on the other, it is entirely faithful to our mission to be a ‘new riff on an old tradition,’ using the sour mash regimen to explore another classic whiskey tradition.
Co-Founder Jay Erisman
The earliest distillations of the guarded internal project started in the first few months of the distillery’s existence. Over the years, they’ve explored additional mashbills and barrels, filling barrels at 110 proof and letting them age quietly in Northern Kentucky.
Anticipated to be released annually, the exact blend of New Riff Sour Mash Single Malt will change slightly from year to year. The 2023 release, comprised of five of the six recipes, consists of whiskey distilled from 2014-2016, ranging from 7 to 8 years old.
Six different mashbills have been created using a range of different malted barleys and a variety of cask types, Erisman said, which are vatted together into one harmonious expression. The mashbills include four whiskeys made with 100% barley varietals—Golden Promise, Maris Otter, Chevallier heirloom barley, and Scottish peated barley malt—as well as two beer-inspired mashbills based on classic Barleywine and Belgian Quadrupel recipes. Each offers a distinct flavor profile.
The malt whiskeys have matured in a variety of barrels, ranging from new charred oak, de-charred toasted oak, red wine casks, Portuguese brandy casks, classic sherried oak casks, and more.
American Single Malt is a growing category in the whiskey industry and pending legislation will give it a firm identity — but even within that, we believe New Riff Sour Mash Single Malt is a complex and provocative malt whiskey enterprise.
Co-Founder Jay Erisman
Expect a ‘kaleidoscopic malt whiskey experience’. Most of all, it is huge in body and mouthfeel due to the Kentucky regimen of sour mashing and column still distillation in a way that malt whiskeys from other regions rarely develop.
Co-Founder Jay Erisman
Sour Mash Single Malt, 100% malted barley, MSRP $69.99/750mL, will be bottled at cask strength, and like all New Riff products, without chill filtration. It will be available at New Riff’s distillery gift shop in Newport, Ky., and at select retailers across New Riff’s national distribution network beginning in early October.
About New Riff (Newport, KY):
Kentucky born and urban bred, New Riff is an independently-owned distillery in Northern Kentucky — the gateway to bourbon country. In 2014, founder Ken Lewis, a visionary Kentucky liquor retailer and entrepreneur, saw a need for a new riff on an old tradition when it came to Kentucky bourbon. The Newport, Ky., distillery produces bourbon, rye and Kentucky Wild Gin. Bourbon and rye are made with traditional sour mash methods and bottled-in-bond without chill filtration. Bourbon and rye are also available in single barrel selections, and the distillery boasts a popular private barrel selection program. New Riff sources its water from an aquifer under the distillery, accessed via a 100’ deep private well and providing water with four times as much dissolved minerals than found in other water supplies. New Riff believes in transparency, so all products feature an age statement and the mashbills are public. The modern venue hosts a variety of events and offers an on-site tasting and cocktail bar, The Aquifer.
Listen to Bourbon Lens on your favorite podcast app or stream on Spotify. If you’d like to support Bourbon Lens, subscribe to our Patreon, sign up for our “Weekly Pour” Newsletter, and don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
If you like cocktails, subscribe to our second podcast, Cocktails with Friends. Cocktails with Friends is hosted by our good friend and partner, Bob Cutler.
Recent Bourbon Lens Coverage
- Caitlin Bartlemay Promoted to Master Distiller at Hood River Distillers
- WhistlePig Unveils Bold, New 25 Year Old Single Malt with Equally Bold Name: The Badönkådonk
- Skrew The Usual: A Unique Partnership with Joey Fatone
- Shelter Distilling Expands In Colorado With New Facility
- Unlocking the Spirit: The Ultimate Bardstown Bourbon Adventure
- University of Kentucky Announces New “Estate Whiskey Alliance”
