I poured a glass of New Riff Single Barrel (Barrel 17750) from Newport, Kentucky, last Wednesday after work. This 111-proof bourbon, aged at least four years and priced around $69.99, is one of their Barrel Proof selections. Spoiler: it lived up to the hype.
Appearance & Nose
Looked like someone turned a firelight knob, dark amber in the glass, thick legs for a barrel-proof. On the nose: straight-up cinnamon, caramel, vanilla, and baking spices with a hot ginger kick right out the gate. Rich, but not bruiser-level, more like a warm welcome.
Palate & Mouthfeel
Took a sip, and it hit with cinnamon-forward heat, the high proof definitely showed, but not in a burn-your-face way. Think more like spice-rimmed warmth. The backbone was sweet caramel and vanilla, riding alongside gentle waves of dark dried fruits and a whisper of smokiness. No bitterness, no sour note, just focused, bold flavor. Mouthfeel was oily and rich, coating the palate nicely.
If you’re chasing a bourbon that feels like a spoonful of syrup with a dusting of cinnamon, this is your guy. Felt like Body: 4/5, and you could pour this neat all night and not regret it.
Finish
Finish was short but clean. The heat lingered, mostly in the form of cinnamon warmth, with sweet molasses notes fading behind. Not the longest finish (2/5), but it said goodbye on decent terms.
Final Thoughts
Solid 8 out of 10. Barrel proof with heat, but the spices and sweetness were well-managed. I had mine after a long day—opened the kitchen cabinet, sipped it neat and it gave me exactly what I needed: warmth, focus, none of the needless fluff. Could’ve used a drop or two of water to tame it, sure but not necessary.
What New Riff Brought to the Table
New Riff’s Single Barrel is a 65/30/5 corn/rye/barley mash bill, aged at least four years in full-size 53-gallon charred oak barrels, no chill filtration, bottled at barrel proof. Their distilling style is old school, sour mash, local hard water, copper stills, and this one wears that badge loud and proud.
Should You Buy It?
Yeah, if you like rich, spicy, barrel‑proof bourbons with no nonsense. But if you’re more into those soft, mellow, wheated profiles, this one might feel like chewing on hot cinnamon bark. Still, at the right time, it hits, so yeah, I’d grab another before it disappears.