New Riff has been turning heads in Kentucky for the better part of a decade now, and their Single Malt release is precisely the kind of bottle that demands attention from anyone who thinks American whiskey begins and ends with bourbon. This is a sour mash single malt — malted barley, processed through the traditional sour mash method that Kentucky distillers have perfected over generations — bottled at a muscular 57.2% ABV with no age statement. At £105, it sits in that interesting middle ground where you're paying for genuine craft without the speculative pricing that plagues so many NAS releases.
What strikes me about this whisky is the ambition behind it. Single malt production in Kentucky is still relatively uncommon territory. The big houses have always leaned on their corn-heavy mashbills, so when a distillery commits to a 100% malted barley expression and bottles it at cask strength, they're making a statement. New Riff clearly has confidence in what's coming out of their barrels, and rightly so — this is not a whisky that hides behind dilution or blending.
The sour mash process here is worth noting. By using a portion of previously fermented mash in each new batch, you get consistency and a controlled fermentation environment. It's the same principle that underpins most Kentucky whiskey production, but applied to a single malt context it creates something genuinely distinctive — a bridge between the richness you'd expect from American oak maturation and the cereal character that malted barley delivers.
Tasting Notes
At 57.2%, this is a whisky that rewards patience. I'd strongly recommend letting it sit in the glass for a good five minutes before approaching it. The cask strength bottling means there's real depth to unlock here, and a few drops of water will open it up considerably. This is not a shy dram — it has presence and weight, the kind of whisky that fills a room when you pour it.
The Verdict
I've scored this 7.8 out of 10, and I want to be clear about why. This is a genuinely accomplished single malt from a distillery that hasn't been operating for decades. The decision to bottle at cask strength shows integrity — they're letting the liquid speak for itself rather than engineering it for mass appeal. The £105 price point is fair for a cask strength single malt of this character; you'd pay considerably more for comparable bottlings from established Scottish distilleries. Where it loses a fraction of a mark is in the NAS designation — I'd love to see New Riff put an age statement on future releases, because transparency in maturation only strengthens a whisky's story. But that's a minor quibble with what is, at its core, a bold and rewarding pour. If you're curious about what American single malt can be when it's done with conviction, this bottle belongs on your shelf.
Best Served
Pour it neat in a Glencairn, give it time to breathe, then add a small splash of still water — perhaps half a teaspoon to start. At 57.2%, the water isn't optional; it's part of the experience. The reduction will soften the alcohol and let the malt character come forward properly. This is an evening whisky, one for sitting with rather than rushing through. A classic Highball would also work beautifully here — the cask strength means it can stand up to good soda water and ice without losing its identity.
