Review #444 - New Riff Single Barrel Bourbon - Storied Company Pick

Storied Company is a specialty spirits retailer based in Indianapolis, Indiana - in addition to bourbon, they sell a curated collection of rye, wine, Scotch, Japanese whisky, Cognac, Armagnac, tequila, mezcal, and many other spirit types. In the past couple of years, they've begun selling their own store picks of certain whiskies; here's one example, a bourbon from relatively new distillery New Riff.

Like the rest of the New Riff single barrel bourbons, this bottle carries an age statement of 4 years. It's presented at barrel proof, which is 56.25% ABV (112.5 proof) in this case; with that high strength, they don't chill filter the bourbon.

New Riff Single Barrel Bourbon - Storied Company Pick

USA - Bourbon

Current Locally Available Price: USD 59 (2024)

Age Statement: 4 Years

Strength: 56.25% ABV

Details: Not chill filtered, barrel 17914

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 6 months; bottles at 100%, 60%, and 30% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes

Nose: Wood is the first note: oak, cherry wood, a bit of wood smoke. Past that, it's strong baking notes - caramel, brown sugar, and sweet molasses all compete for space. Candied pecans and orange slices are tertiary flavors, and the longer this opens up, the more dusty it becomes.

Palate: A medium-thick mouthfeel; strong oak and syrupy sweetness at the start, and it's very warm. Cinnamon, orange citrus, and black pepper add a kick of spice; maple syrup and brown sugar balance the profile. Spices of clove, nutmeg, and allspice build at the end of the palate.

Finish: The warmth from the palate continues: hot spiced cider, some prickly oak tannins, and some spirit heat from the strength. This finish grows more subtle with lots of soft flavors: vanilla, dusty oak, buttered pecan ice cream, and orange fruit. In the aftertaste, spices of pepper and paprika linger; it's a medium length finish.

Final Note: A good example of New Riff's bourbon - Storied Company picked a barrel with more of an emphasis on sweet dessert notes in the palate, which is unique for New Riff (often they're very spice-forward), and we liked that about it. Texture is good, and the spices mingling in the finish are always a treat.

Value is good, too, just like all of these New Riff single barrel bourbons that we've tried. Getting a barrel proof whisky with a surprisingly mature profile in the $50 to $60 range is hard to beat - we always have one or two of these on our shelf.

Our Average Rating: 7.0 / 10

In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.

Value Rating: 7.19

About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.