Day 4 - New Riff Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Paul Mora
- Dec 16, 2020
- 1 min read
What the hell does bottled in bond mean? Bottom line, it’s a regulation that speaks to how spirits are distilled in the US. I felt a need to look it up. So complicated…but it doesn’t distract from the contents of the bottle.
The nose is a bit of butterscotch, oak, spice, and peaches. The pallet is rye, spice, and vanilla. I get a touch of mint and cinnamon, as well. The finish is a continuation of the rye with a sweet vanilla at the end.
At 100 proof, it burns a bit on the front. Pour a glass and let sit for a few minutes, then add a drop or two of water. Just a nip though, as too much water can make it sweet. It pushes the rye down; which defeats the overall character of this bottle.
Not a bad bottle for the price.
This one was a Da Vinci code moment for me. So complex. With this one I was able to pick up more on the nose— molasses, formaldehyde and clove/allspice. Straight up taste, bam, rye right in the kisser and surprisingly licorice. Watering the taste didn’t unpack anything new for me or make it overly sweet; it did allow me to contemplate the overall complexity of this whiskey bourbon’s layers of flavor though. Very unique.
A mellow whisky that's laid back. Cinnamon, cloves, cherry and alcohol on the nose. Taste found smooth chocolate-butter, rolo candy (you can roll one to your pal) with a barely contained burn. A pleasure and easy to drink throughout multiple episodes of 'The Americans.'
My sampling is getting earlier and earlier every evening. I'm kind of looking forward to it as the highlight of the day. By the time we finish this, I'll be sampling for breakfast.
Sigrid says the nose is maple and brown sugar. I found it subtle and reminiscent of brandy.
Neat - Brandy with a kick.
Some Water - VSOP Cognac with a sophisticated kick.
Ice - Sacrilege.