New Riff Winter Whiskey

I've been casually looking for this whiskey since it first came out. By chance, I found a few bottles at my local liquor store. New Riff has always intrigued me and has generally been a satisfying pour. The unique mash bill of malted and raw oats with chocolate malt seems really distinctive. It reminds me of Corsair Distillery, which used to mash quinoa and other non-standard grains (they're not as common as they once were, have disappeared). Similarly, they created Oatrage. This mash bill has 65% corn, 20% malted oats, 7% pale ale oats, 5% steel cut oats, and 3% chocolate malt. Nose: A soft milk chocolate aroma is present initially. With time, other aromas appear: oatmeal, stout beer, root beer, and vanilla. It's nice and gentle with no harsh elements. Palate: A bit of zesty youth with a mild tingling sensation. Light and thin, with earthy and sweet flavors. Like a winter breakfast. Butterscotch and maple syrup over oatmeal with walnuts and a sprinkle of spicy cinnamon (Red Hots). Finish: A warming finish with cinnamon, charred oak, and dark chocolate that lasts a good while. Overall: Pleasant is the best word for this whiskey. It's not flashy or deep in aroma or flavor, but what it offers is enjoyable. The finish is quite lengthy, and the warming sensation on a cool night makes it even more enjoyable. If it had a bit more depth and dimension, it would be a greater (winter) whiskey. [85/100][$59][Tasted: 12/5/24]

I'd been looking forward to tasting New Riff for some time, and the name Winter Whiskey sparked my interest, making me imagine sipping it by the fire with a Christmas tree nearby. This deviates significantly from a standard bourbon. The corn content is 65%, which is a bit low, but it allows for 5% steel cut oats and 20% malted oats. Additionally, there's 7% pale ale malt and 3% chocolate malt. Quite unusual. It presents darkly in the glass and has a very rich texture. Chocolate was prominent right out of the bottle but receded, becoming more like mocha along with other aromas that emerged. There's a lot happening, making it difficult to pinpoint, but it offers a magnificent, rich, and intricate nose. It's more pronounced when neat and less so on ice, but in both cases, its intensity varies with notes of caramel corn, nutmeg, and mocha intermingling. Each sniff reveals something slightly different. The palate blends bourbon and well-aged Irish whiskey characteristics. I detect caramel, bitter chocolate, nutmeg, aged oak, and a hint of vanilla. The aged oak is briefly noticeable. I enjoy this as a diversion and a bottle for sharing and discussion, but it leaves me desiring a more traditional bourbon afterward. Its aroma is exceptional, which I really appreciate. I prefer it neat, more like a dessert bourbon, even though it's not particularly sweet.

A young bourbon with a questionable concept that some will defend because they hired a beer expert for their whiskey? I want a case! The aroma is light citrus with mild ethanol, as expected. Then, chocolate, vanilla, oats, and even root beer emerge. It's not incredibly rich or decadent, but it's genuinely pleasant, a refreshing change, and honestly, quite amazing. The taste mirrors this, a new take if you're familiar with it. It's a 4-year bourbon with chocolate chip cookie and oatmeal notes, plus hints of toffee. It does feel a bit young, and the citrus clashes slightly with the cookie flavors. My initial impression is that I'm downplaying it because, as a traditional whiskey drinker, it deviates from the norm. I just wanted to have fun. In all honesty, this is the best $50 whiskey I've had in years; it's $55 now, oh well. This year's batch seems a tiny bit worse than last year's, but oh well. If you desire a young bourbon with chocolate and oatmeal notes and more oak than anticipated, get this. If not, still get it! I'm uncertain about the score, but 2.75 seems appropriate. I could rate it higher, and for the PRICE, it's a 4-star! But buy this immediately, people! It offers the quality of a $125 whiskey from 2023 for only $55.

Consumed neat after the initial pour from the bottle. This was released at the distillery today! I'm quite intrigued by this unusual mash bill. Additionally, this was distilled in 2015, making it another 5-year New Riff expression. Alright, this requires some careful consideration. The aroma has a meaty quality initially, followed by brown sugar, cinnamon, and caramel – almost like a sweet barbecue rub. It's very savory with considerable sweetness. Vanilla, a touch of milk chocolate, and abundant spices like pepper and nutmeg are present. It's a savory and delightful aroma. This is remarkably distinct for a New Riff nose; unlike other special releases where the base profile is discernible, this stands entirely on its own. It has a very thick and viscous mouthfeel. The sweetness is prominent upfront, evoking a sense of holiday indulgence with powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a hint of pepper. This transitions into a decadent chocolate caramel truffle. The chocolate is incredibly rich, akin to a Godiva chocolate coating a creamy caramel center. All those spices return, and there's even a subtle note of peppermint at the very end of the finish. This is more like Christmas in a glass than anything I've ever experienced. It's unique and delicious. The chocolate note is exceptionally good. Well done, New Riff.

I've come to appreciate the New Riff selections, particularly their standard and single barrel offerings. This special edition incorporates chocolate malt. Having been somewhat let down by the Woodford Master Chocolate Malt, I'm curious to see if New Riff's approach yields better results with this recipe. The aroma is distinctly malty with vanilla. I'm even detecting some intriguing shortbread cookie notes. The initial taste is quite distinct. Oats dominate, reminiscent of breakfast cereal. A gentle warmth emerges mid-palate, complemented by hints of caramel and cocoa around the edges. To describe it plainly, it tastes like a granola bar – the kind with oats, dark chocolate, and a caramel drizzle. That's essentially what I'm getting from this dram. Overall, this one is a mixed experience for me. It earns points for its uniqueness and the presence of pleasant dark cocoa notes. However, something isn't perfectly integrated for my personal taste, but I'm certainly glad I managed to get a bottle and would suggest it if you can find one.

The nose offers toasted oak, nutmeg, caramel, French vanilla, spun sugar, and milk chocolate, with minimal ethanol presence. Overall, it's very appealing. The palate reveals Tootsie Roll candy, dark wheat bread, molasses, cookie dough, malt, and a balancing oaky bitterness. The mid-palate is somewhat lacking, rushing to the finish. However, the flavors are intense for their subtlety. While not highly complex, the existing notes are solid. The medium-length finish includes notes of charred oak, burnt sugar, cinnamon, clove, dark chocolate, and Whoppers candy. The mouthfeel is slightly disappointing, being on the lighter side of medium-bodied with some graininess that doesn't quite align with the flavor profile. Overall, there's much to appreciate, along with a few drawbacks. It's dark, sweet, and smoky, offering a unique character with particularly appealing chocolate notes. At the $57.99 I paid, it's appropriately priced and worth repurchasing.