New Riff Delves Deeper Into 19th Century Whiskey Style

Newport, Kentucky’s New Riff Distillery has two new (but “old”) releases out: Ol’ New Riff Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Ol’ New Riff Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, the latest installments for the distillery’s Whiskey Club and a contemporary, innovative twist on historic 19th century whiskey-making tradition.

Both bottled in bond without chill filtration at 100 proof, the Ol’ New Riff duo embodies the brand’s commitment to delivering a new riff on an old tradition, utilizing meticulous 19th century cooperage techniques, heirloom grains and a vintage mashbill to introduce rare, exceptional flavors to the 21st century.

“Our whiskey makers examined every facet of the production process and tweaked all the dials back to the Gilded Age when Greater Cincinnati ruled the whiskey market,” said co-founder and vice president Jay Erisman. “The 19th century-style barrels were produced without modern kiln-drying, and heirloom Ohio Valley grains including Blue Clarage and Yellow Leaming corn and our acclaimed Balboa Rye were mashed into a classic bourbon grain bill with higher malted barley content.”

Made with 60% heirloom corn, 26% balboa rye and 14% two-row malted barley, Ol’ New Riff Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey boasts a juicy, fruit-forward malted sweetness flavor, with a long, but pleasant spiced finish, assistant head distiller Bryon Martin noted.

Comprised of 65% balboa rye, 30% heirloom corn and 15% two-row malted barley, Martin said Ol’ New Riff Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey opens with fresh oak, muddled sweet mint and a touch of citrus on the nose, packing a spicier oak and macerated darker fruits and berries flavor with a full, but rounded spiciness of clove and nutmeg finish.

“We were inspired to consider how New Riff’s water supply and production facility would taste if we could go back in time,” said Erisman. “Suppose New Riff could have existed 120 years ago? And made whiskey the way they did back then — what would that taste like, using our aquifer water and our location and equipment? We did everything we could to emulate the mindset of a Northern Kentucky distiller circa 1900.”

Both whiskeys have a suggested retail price of $54.99 and will be available for purchase beginning Thursday, May 23, through New Riff’s Whiskey Club for pickup only. Once released, it will also be available in limited quantities across Kentucky retailers and in flights and pours at the distillery’s Aquifer Tasting Room.