New Riff Releases Sherry-Finished, Malted Rye

New Riff Distilling announced the release of a limited-edition Sherry Finished Malted Rye Whiskey, bottled at barrel strength without chill filtration and secondarily-aged in oloroso and pedro ximenez sherry casks. Available in May, the release builds on the distillery’s exploration of malted rye whiskey.

“Last year we released our Malted Rye Whiskey, and experiencing its remarkably elegant, sophisticated character gave us another idea,” said co-founder Jay Erisman. “We think of it as a malt whiskey first and a rye whiskey second, which raised the question: what would happen if we treated it like other malt whiskies and aged it in sherry casks?”

New Riff’s first batches of 100% Malted Rye Whiskey were distilled in 2014, and the initial release landed in May 2021. For this sherry finished elaboration, New Riff imported custom-made 53-gallon Spanish sherry casks and filled them with 5-year-old New Riff Malted Rye Whiskey. Twelve oloroso and three pedro ximenez casks were filled with whiskey and aged another year, before being vatted in the fall of 2021 and left to marry and condition together for several following months until they were bottled in spring of 2022.

Bottled straight from the barrel at 112.7 proof, the Sherry Finished Malted Rye Whiskey has a buttery, sherry oak nose with notes of walnut and a hint of vanilla. The broad, savory character fills the mouth with flavors of sappy sherry coupled with malty grain, followed with a late bursting finish of brightening spices such as clove and wood spice with multicolored fruit skin.

New Riff Sherry Finished Malted Rye Whiskey is made with 100% malted rye grain and is aged six years with a suggested retail price of $64.99. It is available in limited quantity throughout portions of New Riff’s distribution footprint and through New Riff’s Whiskey Club.