New Riff Bourbon is one of the easiest bottles for us to recommend when a guest wants a serious, modern Kentucky bourbon without a serious price tag. This is New Riff Distilling’s flagship: a bottled-in-bond Kentucky straight bourbon, high in rye, bottled without chill filtration. It rewards both the casual drinker and the bourbon nerd, which is exactly why it lives permanently on our shelf here in West Seattle.
About the Distillery
New Riff Distilling is based in Newport, Kentucky, on the banks of the Ohio River across from Cincinnati. Opened in 2014, the distillery set out to honor old Kentucky traditions while answering to no one but itself as an independent house. Every New Riff whiskey carries an age statement, is made with the full sour-mash Kentucky regimen, and is bottled in bond without chill filtration. It is a refreshingly transparent approach in a category full of marketing.
Style & Mash Bill
This is a Kentucky straight bourbon with a high-rye mash bill of 65% corn, 30% rye, and 5% malted barley. As a bottled-in-bond whiskey it meets the standards of the 1897 Bottled-in-Bond Act: the product of one distillery, one distilling season, aged at least four years in a federally bonded warehouse, and bottled at exactly 100 proof. The result is a full-bodied, spicy bourbon with real backbone.
Tasting Notes
The high rye gives it a savory, spicy character. Look for baking spice, clove, and toasted oak up front, with caramel, vanilla, and a little dark fruit filling in behind. At 100 proof it has heft and a warm, lingering finish that stays on the spicy side rather than the sweet.
How to Enjoy It at Camp West
Our pour is $13. It is excellent neat or over a single large rock, and at 100 proof it makes a backbone-strong Old Fashioned or Manhattan that holds up beautifully against the rye spice. Ask your bartender if you want it built into a cocktail.
FAQ
What does bottled-in-bond mean? It means one distillery, one season, at least four years in a bonded warehouse, bottled at 100 proof, under federal oversight. It is a mark of authenticity and consistency.
Is this a high-rye bourbon? Yes. At 30% rye it sits firmly in high-rye territory, which gives it that spicy, savory profile.
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