KENTUCKY STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY
New Riff Distilling’s core Bourbon expression is a genuinely high-rye, full bodied whiskey offering savory, spicy character. Building upon America’s 1897 Bottled-in-Bond Act—already the highest quality standard for aged spirits in the world—New Riff Bourbon is Bottled In Bond Without Chill Filtration. Featuring a mash bill of non-GMO grains at 65% corn,30% rye, and 5% malted barley, it represents a new riff on Kentucky’s most hallowed whiskey traditions. Aged four years in 53-gallon toasted and charred new oak barrels, there are no shortcuts taken in our production. All New Riff whiskeys are made with the full sour mash Kentucky Regimen; all carry an age statement, and are always bottled without chill filtration. Check out a list of our cocktails with bourbon.
Tasting Notes
BOTTLED IN BOND WITHOUT CHILL FILTRATION HIGH RYE MASH BILL - 30% RYE
AGED AT LEAST 4 YEARS
100 PROOF (50% Alc/Vol)
Appearance: Extra rich, unfiltered deep amber color.
Nose: Butterscotch rounding into fresh oak, with hints of vanilla and rye spice.
Taste: Broad, fulsome mouthfeel, leading to a sweeter vanilla accent, before a gathering of rye spices (clove, cinnamon, mint, dark berry) into the finish.
Finish: Long, rye-led finish, with brambly red-black fruits amid white pepper and clove.
Reviews: Check out what people are saying about New Riff
EVERY BATCH IS FORGED OF CONVICTION. EVERY BOTTLE, A DISTILLATION OF WHO WE ARE.
What is Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey?
As defined in the United States law, Straight Bourbon Whiskey is whiskey that is distilled in any of the 50 states from at least 51% fermented corn to no more than 160 proof (80% alcohol by volume [ABV]) and aged in new charred oak barrels for a minimum of two years. The proof going into the barrel cannot exceed 125. It must be bottled at not less than 80 proof.
This definition is established for American whiskey production as per the U.S. federal Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits.
Aging
The primary aging requirement that defines straight Bourbon whiskey is that the distillate has to spend a minimum of two years stored in a new charred oak barrel. The whiskey then oxidizes during the aging period; it also penetrates the oak and extracts many different flavors and caramelized wood sugars. The whiskey, which is clear after distillationbefore aging, derives its rich color from the oak wood as well. All whiskey that is aged less than four years is required to be labeled with an age statement.
Other than the age statement, the only other special labeling that is placed on a straight whiskey made in the United States refers to the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897. Bourbon or other whiskeys labeled as “bottled in bond” or “bonded,” among other requirements, must adhere to a set of quality requirements, among them that it be aged for at least four years and be bottled at exactly 100 proof. All New Riff whiskeys are bottled as Bottled in Bond Without Chill Filtration.
Ingredients
Bourbon must be made with a minimum of 51% mashed and fermented corn. The rest of the mash ingredients can be other grains, such as rye or malted barley, but no sugars or other adjuncts may be added. Other whiskeys which use 51% of a particular grain—such as wheat, corn, malted barley, rye, or malted rye—may also be labeled as “straight” along with the name of that grain, such as “straight rye whiskey.” For straight corn whiskey, it must use a mash of at least 80% corn while being aged in used barrels or uncharred new barrels for at least two years. To use the word “Kentucky” on the label, as in “Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey,” the whiskey must also fulfill some state regulations: it has to have been mashed, distilled, and aged at least one year in the state of Kentucky. Some other states also have regulations in place governing the use of their state name on the label.
Additional ingredients and additives are forbidden from straight whiskey. Regulations that govern single malt whiskey in some countries allow caramel coloring as a way to enhance the bottled appearance (and in some countries, including Canada, even flavoring additives are permitted), but these are not permitted in American straight whiskey.
Distillation
There is a limit of 160 proof (80% ABV) concentration for the distillate when it comes off the still. This is a key element that helps define straight whiskey from others. Any alcohol concentration that exceeds 160 proof (80% ABV) loses its rich flavors. Most of the original fermented mash flavors used in the distillation process are removed, resulting in a more neutral grain spirit.
In other whiskeys, the distillate may produce a much higher alcohol proof, which reduces the flavor that comes from the original mash used in production.
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey from New Riff
New Riff is independently owned by one family. Our independence has allowed us to make an unprecedented declaration for quality: Bottled in Bond Without Chill Filtration, the world’s highest quality standard.
We are inspired by the great Bourbon makers of the past and the wider tradition in Kentucky—but we will play our own riff, on the Sour Mash Kentucky Regimen, both with our standard of Bottled in Bond Without Chill Filtration, and through applying that production regimen to wholly new styles of Kentucky whiskey.
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