New Riff Maltster Malted Wheat Bourbon

Tasted neat, straight from the neck pour. Just opened the Malted Rye. It's good, but not exceptional. Still, it's intriguing. Unlike any other New Riff product I've tried. This one is a relative, but instead of Malted Rye, it's Malted Wheat. I believe this is the first New Riff I've encountered that uses Wheat. Compared to the Malted Rye, these are definitely cousins. The blood orange notes are subdued here, and it's much smoother. The malt seems to have more breathing room. Other notes are similar. Toffee, butterscotch, shortbread cookie. The longer I sit with it, the more it resembles a traditional New Riff. Oh, the honey! It's also deepening. Graham cracker with that honey and a caramel is emerging. I prefer the aroma of this one. Again, silky smooth with a great mouthfeel. Brown sugar, powdered sugar, and cinnamon are upfront. Strong toffee and honey notes. Oh, the honey! Shortbread cookie and caramel drizzle on the finish. This is tasty and more characteristic of New Riff. Oh, the honey again on the finish. Wow, that honey note. I notice honey in many of the New Riff single barrels I have, and it's prominent and delicious here. I can detect a slight hint of youth. Perhaps the malted wheat doesn't conceal it as well as the Malted Rye, but still, it adds to the excitement of how great New Riff will be in the future.

The aroma brings to mind orange peel or aromatic orange bitters. It could also be described as pear brandy with sweet lemon or orange zest. A portion of the brandy character transfers to the palate, possessing an almost excessively bitter, overly citrusy trait. It drinks with a youthful quality, presenting an intriguing and pleasant profile due to its distinctiveness and zestiness. I would not identify this as a wheated bourbon whatsoever because the flavors are unusual. However, I recently sampled something quite similar from Kinsey – an unreleased wheated bourbon with very comparable characteristics that I found appealing. I wish to note that I believe wheat remains an underused grain, as many have focused on wheat to emulate Weller. However, when utilized correctly, as demonstrated here or by Kinsey, it can impart a potent fruity essence. For those who appreciate brandy, this mashbill might hold significant appeal. Nevertheless, I feel it requires additional maturation.

The aroma offers malted chocolate, coffee, caramelized fruit, charred oak, and a hint of astringency. The overall impression is quite gentle, but everything blends together harmoniously and is rather different from your typical New Riff. The taste is somewhat rich, gradually reaching the sides of the mouth with a pleasant wave of malted milk, chocolate, coffee grounds, and subtle hints of vanilla, charred oak, and some astringency. It's as understated as the aroma but quite delightful, becoming more pronounced as you chew. The finish is of moderate length, featuring a lingering vanilla chocolate flavor with hints of malt and a fleeting astringency. It concludes with a pleasingly creamy sensation that certainly leaves you wanting another sip.

The nose smells like white bread. The initial taste is as expected for a wheated bourbon, with a medium-length finish that concludes with vanilla and freshly baked cookies. Delicious!

A powerful honey aroma with hints of vanilla, chocolate malt balls, and graham cracker. It's smooth and oily, with significant sweetness on the finish. Honey is once again present at the end.

Pleasant, sweet, and smooth. Certainly milder and sweeter than the usual New Riff. Delicious and an easy drinker.