Tasting notes

nose

powdered sugar, plum skin and pear over gentle oak and vanilla, with sweet tea, raspberry and a savory floral note; menthol comes up with air

palate

plump and rounded, medium-full; saltwater taffy, apple and fresh berries meet clove and a toasty, malty note reminiscent of barley malt

finish

medium-long; clove and pink peppercorn stay focused while brown sugar, light maple and banana linger, closing on oak and a dusting of cinnamon

Mash bill

100% malted rye. Every grain of rye has been malted, a controlled germination and drying step that turns starch into sugar and enzymes, so no barley or added enzymes are needed. Malting softens rye's usual sharp spice into a sweeter, nuttier and more rounded character, and few distilleries make a whiskey from malted rye alone. New Riff mashed its first batch of it in December 2014, and it is fermented sour mash style in open-top tanks.

Awards

• Best Rye Whiskey 5-10 Years — New Orleans Spirits Competition 2025
• Gold Medal — New Orleans Spirits Competition 2025
• Double Gold Medal — San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2024

Why it's craft

Whiskey made from 100% malted rye is rare even among small distilleries, and most ryes rely on unmalted rye for their sharper spice. New Riff has mashed it since its first winter in 2014 and holds this one to the Bottled in Bond rules: one distilling season, six years in new oak, 100 proof, with no chill filtration. The result keeps rye's clove and pepper but rounds them with toasty malt and orchard fruit.