Review #475 - New Riff Silver Grove Rye (2024 Release)

While the inaugural year of New Riff's 'Silver Grove' series only included a bourbon release, in 2024, they added a rye whisky to the range. This Silver Grove brand harkens back to a 1933 bottling of whisky that originated in the Cincinnati, Ohio area.

The mashbill for this rye release follows the usual New Riff style - it's 95% rye and 5% malted rye, or a 100% rye grain recipe. The maturation took place over 4 years; the barrels selected came from the two highest floors of New Riff's rickhouse, which they expect to lead to more punchy flavors and a higher resulting strength in the barrel. Speaking of that strength - 58.2% ABV (116.4 proof), in this case - it's the reason that this rye can't be labeled as bottled-in-bond, as that designation requires 100 proof for bottling.

Like the inaugural year, a portion of the proceeds from the bottle sales go to the Silver Grove Community Foundation in the city of Silver Grove, Kentucky.

New Riff Silver Grove Rye (2024 Release)

USA - Rye

Current Locally Available Price: USD 56 (2025)

Age Statement: 4 Years

Strength: 58.2% ABV

Details: Not chill filtered, bottled 2024

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 4 times over 5 months; bottles at 50%, 100% (blind tasting), 90%, and 70% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes

Nose: Surprisingly sweet and candied for a rye - orange creamsicle, blackberries, some dark caramel and brown sugar. Then the rye grain arrives, bringing herbal and spicy qualities: dill, sage, anise, and white pepper. There's a decent oak presence, which lends some char and barbecued wood; menthol and bruleed sugar arrive later.

Palate: Medium-thick, with strong flavors: savory rye grain, lots of wood smoke and charcoal, barbecued meats, and cinnamon spice. Quite interesting and quite warming; tannins and orange rind combine for more spice. There are softer background flavors of cocktail nuts, biscuits, tart cherry, and a mild floral character.

Finish: Spicy - black pepper, white pepper, wood char. Menthol and grain notes show the rye, and we do find mint and dill, but those are very subtle. Orange fruit and vanilla appear in the aftertaste; there's a decent alcohol kick, and it's a medium length finish.

Final Note: The nose of this whisky showcased a nice range of flavors - fruit, spice, baking sugars, and herbs. The palate and finish were much more wood-dominated, though, with lots of smoke and tannins mixed in with the rye grain; the soft herbal notes and fruits took a back seat. The strength of the spirit means that the texture or mouthfeel is great, but it also tastes quite hot.

Value is good - New Riff's prices are very fair, even for the releases that aren't part of their 'core range.' If you like bold barrel proof rye, this is a good bottle to seek out.

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: 7.32

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.