New Riff Releases Its 2024 Sour Mash Single Malt

New Riff Distilling announced the subsequent release of its award-winning Sour Mash Single Malt whiskey, a 2024 version featuring an exploratory compilation of mashbills promising a unique depth and complexity, producing an overall enhanced and elevated body and flavor of whiskey. New Riff started distilling batches of malt whiskey shortly after its founding in 2014 and deemed the first batch ready for release last fall.

“This year’s blend has evolved in a way that will still be familiar to fans of last year’s Single Malt, especially in the balance of sherry cask and peaty-smoky flavors, despite changes to the internal blend,” said co-founder and vice president Jay Erisman. “In fact, I believe it’s even more cohesive and well-integrated. I’m truly thrilled with how it has turned out!”

The earliest distillations of the guarded internal project started in the first few months of the distillery’s existence. Over the years, New Riff has explored additional mashbills and barrels, filling barrels at 110 proof and letting them age quietly in Northern Kentucky.

While this blend is comprised of the same mashbills as the initial release, which used barrels ranging from 7 to 8 years old, this year’s blend features 9-year-old barrels, along with Madeira Cask-aged malt whiskey, proudly introducing an extraordinary whiskey profile unearthed from continued malted barley exploration.

The 2024 Sour Mash Single Malt Whiskey is bottled without chill filtration at 114.5 proof with a mashbill comprised of 100% barley varietals — Golden Promise, Maris Otter, 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.

This oak-forward 2024 Sour Mash Single Malt release uniquely embodies a robust spectrum of flavors ranging from rich, dark, and zesty citrus fruits to complementary balances of Earthy and savory smoke notes, according to sensory manager Bryon Martin.

“Our Single Malt program represents a level of complexity and exploration in malted barley not seen before in Kentucky’s whiskey history,” Erisman added.

The 2024 Sour Mash Single Malt has a suggested retail price of $69.99 and will be available for purchase at New Riff’s distillery gift shop beginning Friday, Aug. 30, at 11 a.m. EST. It will be available for online shipping and at retailers across the distillery’s distribution network in the coming weeks.