New Riff 15 Year Old

New Riff is one of the larger distilleries still calling themselves “craft”. Started with (mostly) their own distillate, New Riff didn’t take the usual route, which would’ve entailed producing vodka, gin, younger whiskies, or other spirits while their “goal” product aged (although they do now produce gin).

Admirably, they kept all of their bourbon back until it hit four years old, at which point they started to release it as bottled-in-bond to generally positive reviews. Their core bourbon and rye are still bottled-in-bond and, to wit, will stay that way according to the brand’s founder and leadership. Their barrel proof and single barrel selections still conform to bottled-in-bond standards in all ways aside from the proofs.

To be honest (as always!) I’m not a New Riff acolyte. Nothing against the company, it’s just a flavor profile that doesn’t align with my palate. They are, however, one of the most fun to do a pick with - one need only look at the plethora of stickers, wordplay names: for example, “Riffmas”, “Riff Tannen”, “Riff You Like a Hurricane”, and more controversially, “Riff Pitino”.

They’re also not afraid to push the envelope, using components like chocolate malted rye, backsetter batches that use peated backset from previous distilling runs for the sour mashing process, and using heritage grain Balboa Rye.

This product, though, was special. Founded in 2014, there’s obviously no way that this 15-year-old bourbon is New Riff’s distillate (not that they’re claiming it is - they were very clear that it wasn’t, in fact). Instead, this release is a charitable effort to support bartenders, restaurant workers, and service workers in Northern Kentucky and greater Cincinnati whose jobs were lost or affected by the COVID pandemic. At around 900 bottles, and $200 a bottle (a note on that later), the goal was to raise money - of course, they succeeded, donating the profits to the Ohio Restaurant Employee Relief Fund and the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce to be distributed.

This was an example of bourbon at its best - use exclusivity and notoriety to raise funds for those in need - kudos to New Riff for doing so not only at a reasonably affordable price but also with what I assume are the best intentions.

A note that I did want to put here, and this is my fundraiser side coming in. What New Riff did here is admirable, but of course like most things in bourbon and whiskey, the best intentions are sometimes perverted by those looking to make a buck. I’m no stranger to the secondary market myself, as seller and buyer, but I believe it’s incumbent on bourbonites to draw a line.

These bottles went for between $800-$1,000 apiece on the secondary markets - absurd to begin with, but offensive to the release’s purpose. Whatever the profits were on the original $200 were donated. Does anyone reasonably expect that the profits from the secondary sales were also donated? Of course not (and to the handful of people who did do that, you know you’re not the problem).

Anyway - my final note. I debated whether or not to rate this for several reasons, most prominently that since this is a charity bottle, it’s not about the score - it’s about the purpose. I’ll probably keep this on a case-by-case basis, but for this release I’m only putting my notes below, keeping my rating to myself. All I ask is that if you have a bottle, enjoy it, and if you can, continue to support those in the service industry as long as they need it. And don’t profit off of someone’s good deeds.

New Riff 15 Year Old: Specs

Classification: Bourbon

Origin: MGP (LDI), Bottled by New Riff

Mashbill: Unknown

Proof: 100 (50% ABV)

Age: 15 Years Old

Location: Newport, Kentucky

New Riff 15 Year Old Bourbon Price: $200, sold out.

No Official Website

New Riff 15 Year Old Review: Tasting Notes

Eye: Pure bronze. Thin to medium rims, droplet legs.

Nose: Fairly subtle. Slowly, the oak and baking spices open up. Spiced cornbread just starting to burn. Gentle orange wine, a ribola gialla, perhaps - leave it to a scent memory to be that specific.

Palate: Solid heat, drinks above the 100 proof on the tongue with lots of caramelizing wood sugars and wine barrels. Cinnamon and some barrel char roll in while the proof stays on the tip of my tongue. Medium mouthfeel, oaky and creamy, peppery with a nice bite that coats but doesn’t destroy the palate.

Finish: Oaky, but not terribly so. Lingers on the palate for a long, long time.

Overall: One of the few times I think a lower proof really worked out. It’s oaky and woody for sure - at 15 years old, it’s hard not to be - but otherwise this is balanced with a great mouthfeel.

Final Rating: Not Rated

10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)

9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)

8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)

7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)

6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)

5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)

4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)

3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)

2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)

1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)

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