New Riff Blue Clarage

From the New Riff Whiskey Club's Spring 2023 limited collection. Official tasting notes from New Riff Distillery reveal: Nose: Well-rounded, lingering, and deep with fruit notes beyond the standard New Riff expression, slightly sweet, grainy, and rich. Repeated inhalations, even with a little water, suggest vanilla cake batter confection. Subtle hints of clove, clove gum, horehound, faint root beer/sarsaparilla, and caramelized citrus are present, along with a whisper of blue corn tortilla. Palate: Medium to full-bodied with a smooth, grainy start. Slowly develops deep savory-saline sensations and that familiar blue fruit. The lengthy finish is savory, juicy, and dry yet rich, with a hint of pancake batter (perhaps from the blue corn bread?). Comments: This expression is well-rounded, long, and profound, offering savory, off-dry notes. These include vanilla cake batter and a pleasing blue-ish fruit skin tone, akin to boysenberry. It also presents subtle spices reminiscent of horehound candy, clove, and sarsaparilla. The fruit notes become more pronounced with a splash of water, and to this palate, a subtle blue corn tortilla theme emerges. The palate is smooth and grainy, with a deeply savory and almost saline entry that transitions to blue corn bread and caramelized citrus.

The aroma is fragrant and complex, offering what I've identified as characteristic New Riff fruitiness (berry, apple, and lime) along with vanilla cream, mellow oak, basil, and a trace of nutmeg. Perhaps one of the few spirits I've tasted with absolutely no ethanol burn, which is remarkable. The flavor profile is a significant shift, featuring caramel, sarsaparilla, green apple, vanilla bean, corn tortilla, clove, and malted milk ball. Some youthful sharpness is evident in the overall character. The finish extends beyond medium length, presenting fried ice cream, rye spice, toasted oat, white pepper, and oak. The mouthfeel is effervescent and slick, yet with a noticeable drying sensation. A commendable release from New Riff. There's much to appreciate, but it falls slightly short in refinement. At $79, I believe the pricing is appropriate for the market. Since it's unavailable locally and I incurred shipping costs, it's unlikely I'll repurchase, though I probably would if it were easily accessible.

Sweet, prominent corn notes with subtle barrel influence. Fresh, clean, and precisely what one would desire in a bourbon. The taste is quite distinct from the Yellow Leaming, offering instead a honeyed sweetness and, surprisingly, orange blossom on the palate. The finish is of medium length, concluding with a mildly spice-driven note. This is an almost delicate, yet confident, fine sipping whiskey.

A delightful spirit for sipping, offering an excellent creamy, fruit-forward initial taste and a smooth finish with just the right amount of rye spice at the end. A very good bourbon. I'm surprised to find something this quality for under $60 (in Chicago).

Sweetness on the nose, followed by fruitiness on the palate, but with a pleasant rye finish. A distinctive flavor and a great choice for mixing.

I enjoyed this slightly less than the yellow leaming, but it's still a fantastic drink.