Sips & Sites & Bites

New Riff Distilling is set to release its first bottling of a sour mash single malt whiskey. 

A project in the works for some time, New Riff started distilling batches of malt whiskey back in 2014. A new concept in the traditional Kentucky method, New Riff’s Sour Mash Single Malt blends unique malty flavors with aged oak.

“On one hand, it is entirely different from everything else we’ve ever made,” said co-founder Jay Erisman. “But on the other, it’s entirely faithful to our mission to be a ‘new riff on an old tradition,’ using the sour mash regimen to explore another classic whiskey tradition.”

He explained that the earliest distillations of this closely guarded secret project started in the first few months of the distillery’s existence. Over the years, they’ve explored additional mashbills and barrels, filling barrels at 110 proof and letting them age quietly in Northern Kentucky. 

The distiller expects this to be an annual release, and the exact blend of New Riff Sour Mash Single Malt will change slightly from year to year. This 2023 release is made up of five of the six recipes, and consists of whiskey distilled from 2014-2016, ranging from 7 to 8 years old.

Erisman noted that six different mashbills have been created using a range of different malted barleys and a variety of cask types, and they’re vatted together into one harmonious expression. 

The mashbills include four whiskeys made with 100% barley varietals: Golden Promise, Maris Otter, Chevallier heirloom barley, and Scottish peated barley malt. As well as two beer-inspired mashbills based on classic Barleywine and Belgian Quadrupel recipes. Each offers a distinct flavor profile.

The malt whiskeys have matured in a variety of barrels, ranging from new charred oak, de-charred toasted oak, red wine casks, Portuguese brandy casks, classic sherried oak casks, and more.

“American Single Malt is a growing category in the whiskey industry and pending legislation will give it a firm identity, but even within that, we believe New Riff Sour Mash Single Malt is a complex and provocative malt whiskey enterprise,” Erisman added..

Sour Mash Single Malt, 100% malted barley, has a suggested retail price of $69.99 for a 750ml bottle, and will be bottled at cask strength, like all New Riff products, without chill filtration. 

The whiskey will be available at New Riff’s distillery gift shop in Newport, Kentucky and at select retailers across New Riff’s national distribution network beginning in early October. 

For more information, check out www.newriffdistilling.com.