New Riff is one of those distilleries that showed up and immediately started doing things the right way. Based in Newport, Kentucky, they committed from day one to bottling everything at bonded strength — 100 proof, 50% ABV — with no chill filtering and no added flavoring. That's a statement of intent. In a market flooded with sourced whiskey dressed up in fancy packaging, New Riff actually built a distillery, filled their own barrels, and waited. I respect that enormously.
The Bottled In Bond designation here isn't just a label — it's a guarantee. One distillery, one distilling season, aged at least four years in a federally bonded warehouse, and bottled at exactly 100 proof. It's the oldest consumer protection law in American spirits, dating back to 1897, and it still means something. When you pick up a bottle with that BiB stamp, you know exactly what you're getting. No smoke and mirrors. New Riff leans into this hard, and their Kentucky Straight Bourbon is the flagship expression that proves the philosophy works.
Their mashbill runs with a higher rye content than your typical bourbon, which tells you something about the direction they're headed — expect spice and structure alongside the sweetness. At 50% ABV with no chill filtration, this bourbon retains every bit of texture and flavor that the barrel put into it. That matters more than most people realize. Chill filtering strips out fatty acids and proteins that carry flavor compounds, so skipping that step means you're getting the full picture of what happened during maturation.
Tasting Notes
I'll be honest — I'm not going to manufacture specific tasting notes I can't back up with data. What I can tell you is that the combination of a rye-forward mashbill, bonded strength, and non-chill filtration consistently delivers a bourbon with backbone. You should expect warmth without burn, grain character that actually comes through, and the kind of barrel influence that four-plus years in new charred American oak provides. This is a bourbon that doesn't need excuses.
The Verdict
At £66.95, this sits in a competitive space, but New Riff earns its spot. You're paying for genuine craft — not a marketing story about someone's great-grandfather, but a modern distillery that committed to quality standards from the jump. The bonded designation, the non-chill filtration, the higher rye mashbill — these aren't gimmicks. They're choices that cost more and take longer, and you can taste the difference. I'm giving this an 8.1 out of 10. It's a confident, well-made bourbon that delivers exactly what it promises, and in this industry, that counts for a lot. It loses a fraction simply because the NAS designation leaves me wanting to know more about the exact age, but the liquid speaks for itself.
Best Served
This is a natural Old Fashioned bourbon. That 100 proof holds up beautifully against a sugar cube, a couple dashes of Angostura, and an expressed orange peel — the higher rye spice cuts through the sweetness and keeps the drink structured. If you're drinking it neat, give it five minutes in the glass and a few drops of water to open it up. The non-chill filtration means it'll go slightly hazy when you add water or ice — that's not a flaw, that's flavour you're seeing. Embrace it.
