New Riff Releases Ol’ Pair of Whiskeys

Both bottled in bond without chill filtration at 100 proof, the Ol’ New Riff duo embodies the brand’s commitment to delivering a new riff on an old tradition, utilizing meticulous 19th century cooperage techniques, heirloom grains and a vintage mashbill to introduce rare, exceptional flavors to the 21st century. 

 “Our whiskey makers examined every facet of the production process and tweaked all the dials back to the Gilded Age when Greater Cincinnati ruled the whiskey market,” said co-founder and vice president Jay Erisman. “The 19th century-style barrels were produced without modern kiln-drying, and heirloom Ohio Valley grains including Blue Clarage and Yellow Leaming corn and our acclaimed Balboa Rye were mashed into a classic bourbon grain bill with higher malted barley content.” 

 Made with 60% heirloom corn, 26% balboa rye and 14% two-row malted barley, Ol’ New Riff Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey boasts a juicy, fruit-forward malted sweetness flavor, with a long, but pleasant spiced finish, assistant head distiller Bryon Martin noted.  

 Comprised of 65% balboa rye, 30% heirloom corn and 15% two-row malted barley, Martin said Ol’ New Riff Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey opens with fresh oak, muddled sweet mint and a touch of citrus on the nose, packing a spicier oak and macerated darker fruits and berries flavor with a full, but rounded spiciness of clove and nutmeg finish. 

 “We were inspired to consider how New Riff’s water supply and production facility would taste if we could go back in time,” said Erisman. “Suppose New Riff could have existed 120 years ago? And made whiskey the way they did back then — what would that taste like, using our aquifer water and our location and equipment? We did everything we could to emulate the mindset of a Northern Kentucky distiller circa 1900.” 

 Both whiskeys have a suggested retail price of $54.99 and will be available for purchase beginning Thursday, May 23, through New Riff's Whiskey Club for pickup only. Once released, it will also be available in limited quantities across Kentucky retailers and in flights and pours at the distillery's Aquifer Tasting Room. 

 New Riff (Newport, KY): 

Fiercely independent and unabashedly innovative: New Riff Distilling starts with time-honored sour mash methods and bottled-in-bond standards, creating new riffs on old traditions since 2014. Located in Northern Kentucky — the gateway to bourbon country — the independently-owned distillery produces award-winning bourbon, rye, single malt whiskey and gin. Bourbon and rye are also available in single barrel selections, and the distillery boasts a popular private barrel selection program offering quarter, half and full barrel picks complete with personalized labels. New Riff sources its water from an alluvial aquifer under the distillery, accessed via a 100’ deep private well and providing cold, clean and mineral-rich water perfect for whiskey making. The public-facing spaces in the distillery, renovated in 2023, include the Riff Shop with customizable gifting options and locally sourced artisan goods; and The Aquifer Tasting Room, located on the third floor of the distillery, featuring signature cocktails, flights, and pours of New Riff’s entire portfolio of award-winning spirits including rare, limited-edition, and distillery-exclusive releases.