Review #499 - Ol' New Riff 6 Year Rye

One of New Riff's limited edition releases in 2024 - this is the Ol' New Riff Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, a 6 year old bottled-in-bond product. At release, this was paired with a bourbon with similar branding; both were reasonably priced at $55 each.

When making these Ol' New Riff bottlings, the distillery had the goal of creating an old-fashioned style whisky with production techniques and specifications much closer to what would have been used in the late 1800s. They made several tweaks to their usual recipes, starting with the mashbill; New Riff generally uses 95% rye and 5% malted rye in their rye whisky, but this version uses 65% Balboa rye (a heritage variety), 20% heirloom corn (a combination of Blue Clarage and Yellow Leaming), and 15% two-row malted barley.

The barrel entry proof for these casks was quite low by modern standards: 51.5% ABV, or 103 proof. The barrels themselves were also made entirely of air-dried staves, which would spend anywhere from 12 to 36 months out in the open air and weather to reach the correct moisture content for coopering - about 12% water content, specifically. Once in the barrels, the rye matured for 6 years in New Riff's Kentucky warehouse.

This rye is also bottled-in-bond, like most of New Riff's whisky - the strength sits at 50% ABV (100 proof), and all of the whisky involved came from a single distilling season and year. New Riff doesn't chill filter their whiskies, either, so texture and flavor should be stronger.

Ol' New Riff 6 Year Rye

USA - Rye

Price: USD 55 (2024)

Age Statement: 6 Years

Strength: 50% ABV

Details: Not chill filtered, bottled 2024

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 4 times over 4 months; bottles at 40%, 100%, 90% (blind tasting), and 80% (blind tasting) fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes

Nose: Mint candies and butterscotch, graham crackers and caramel - a nice mixture of rye character and baking notes. Brown sugar, malty chocolate, and vanilla cake add some more sweetness, while black pepper, charred oak and cumin add more spice. With time, soft perfume and leather arrive.

Palate: The mouthfeel has a medium thickness; lots of spices, including cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, white pepper, and oaky tannins. There's a strong raw rye grain character - peppermint candies, a bit of menthol, light floral notes - but caramel brings back some sweetness. It's somewhat mature for the age, with polished, perfumed oak and some barbecued wood.

Finish: Great texture lingers - soft and oily. Black pepper and tannins continue the spice, while menthol and creamy grain show that rye side. There are interesting subtleties like cake, charcoal, and rose petals in the aftertaste, and it's a medium-long finish.

Final Note: A nice rye - a more nuanced take compared to New Riff's typical 100% rye mashbill. The addition of the corn and barley here added some nice sweetness and softer flavor, and the oak was strong but balanced, adding nuance instead of just spice. A good rye, a small step above the core lineup generally produced by the distillery.

Value is good because the price is quite fair; these whiskey club releases are always competitively priced, so we're always willing to take a chance on them.

Our Average Rating: 7.3 / 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: 7.63

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.