Our Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey is made from a mash of 95% Rye, and 5% Malted Rye. The mash begins with New Riff Distilling’s famed aquifer water, a full-bodied, limestone-rich water source from 100 feet right below the distillery. After fermenting for three days, it then travels through an All-Copper Distillation Path, meaning that at every point that the mash is heated, it is contacting copper—from the beer heater, to the stills, to the condensers and everything in beetween —achieving maximum interaction with the essential metal to yield intense and unique character.
It is distilled through both a Column Beer Still and a Doubler. It is then aged for 5 years, in toasted and charred New American White Oak Barrels. Toasting allows for greater development of vanilla, caramel, chocolate and spice notes – while the char, a “Number Four” 55 second or “alligator char,” enhances the natural filtration processes of the spirit interacting with a layer of charcoal.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Caramelized apples and peaches, dark cherries, orange peel, baking spices – cinnamon, clove and a hint of allspice, caramel candies, fresh cracked black peppercorns, dark cocoa, white pepper and a touch of dill.
Palate: Full and layered with nice bold character. Entry is full flavored – highlighted by delicate sweetness evoking caramels and honey that evolves quickly into spice notes, immediately indicative of Rye. Cinnamon, peppercorns, and a touch of chili pepper heat. This finishes out with characters of apple, peach, dark cocoa and nutmeg – clean and vibrant with a nice lingering mouthfeel.