Two years ago, we reported on the announcement that the TTB (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau) had proposed a legally binding definition for the American single malt category. Well, that still hasn’t happened, although there has been a recent push to get things moving. That includes the campaign by the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission and Distilled Spirits Council to collect 1,000 letters in support of the new guidelines. Despite the delay, distilleries continue to release American single malts, and one of the best new-school Kentucky bourbon distilleries just launched its second expression.
American single malt has been around for decades, with craft distilleries like Westland and Westward exclusively focusing on the category and legacy distilleries like the James B. Beam Distilling Co. and Jack Daniel’s more recently getting in on the action. New Riff has been around for just about a decade, and for years its focus was on making bourbon and rye whiskey which it released as bottled-in-bond expressions (at least four years old, exactly 100 proof, the product of one distillery and one distillation season). In January, we reported on the distillery’s first single malt release, the excellent Sour Mash Single Malt. Well, that whiskey is back for another run, but there are some differences.
The new version of the single malt is made from the same 100 percent barley mashbills, including varietals like Golden Promise, Maris Otter, and Scottish peated barley, and two “beer-inspired mashbills based on classic barleywine and Belgian Quadrupel recipes.” The initial release was made from barrels aged for about seven to eight years, but the new version is older with nine-year-old barrels in the mix. Additionally, there is some Madeira cask-aged malt in the blend to provide new flavor. “This year’s blend has evolved in a way that will still be familiar to fans of last year’s single malt, especially in the balance of sherry cask and peaty-smoky flavors, despite changes to the internal blend,” said New Riff co-founder and vice president, Jay Erisman, in a statement. “In fact, I believe it’s even more cohesive and well-integrated.”
We did not get to try this new release, but hopefully it is indeed as good as last year’s. The official tasting notes, per sensory manager Bryon Martin, include rich, dark, and zesty citrus fruits on the palate that complement earthy, savory, and smoky notes. The whiskey is bottled at a robust 114.5 proof and it’s non-chill filtered. The 2024 Sour Mash Single Malt will be available starting tomorrow at the distillery’s gift shop (SRP $70), and at online retailers over the coming weeks. You can also find the previous version available from websites like Seelbach’s, and the rest of the New Riff lineup is for sale at ReserveBar now.
