New Riff produces an impressive complement of bourbon and rye, but its lone single malt is one of its most unusual and interesting whiskeys, inspired by the barleys used in beer brewing. A vatting of malts that has changed for each of the four years it’s been produced, this evolutionary offering remains as wild and crazy an experience as ever.
For 2026:
New Riff’s Single Malt Whiskey is comprised of six mashbills aged in five different cask types, marking this expression as one of the distillery’s most intricate blends to date. This year’s blend introduces Chevallier, an 1800s heirloom British malt variety, making its debut in New Riff’s Single Malt distillate for the first time. Distilled using the unmistakable Kentucky regimen — sour mash, open fermentation, and a column still — this whiskey bridges the time-honored heritage of malted barley with Kentucky tradition, resulting in one of New Riff’s most complex and rewarding whiskeys made yet and showcasing the creativity and technical expertise of its distilling team, while continuing its more than a decade’s long commitment to delivering “A New Riff on an Old Tradition.”
The 2026 Single Malt Whiskey is bottled without chill filtration at 111.7 proof with a mashbill of 100% malted barley which includes 11.7% Marris Otter, 14.1% Golden Promise, 27.7% of a beer-inspired Barleywine, 16.5% Belgian Quadrupel, 18% Scottish peated barley, and 12% Chevallier. The five casks the malt whiskeys matured in include new charred oak, de-charred toasted oak, used bourbon barrels, Spanish oloroso sherry casks, and Pedro Ximenez Sherry casks.
As always, that’s a lot to take in, so let all that percolate a bit while we tuck into a review.
New Riff Sour Mash Single Malt Whiskey 2026 Review
Freshly poured, the complexity of aromas threaten to overwhelm. As with prior releases, this one’s all about dried fruit, lacquered nuts, and furniture polish, the various sherry finishes taking control from the start. Rich aromas of figs and dates are countered by a substantial smokiness — peat, then creosote. Overwhelmingly, the nose is sweet and filled with fruit. Only as you remove the glass from your nose do notes of cereal and grains come into focus.
The palate twists the script a bit, and here a more granary-driven character is evident from the start. It’s chewy and toasty, those dried fruits and peels, almost like marmalade, taking their time to work their way into the fore. Once they do, they don’t let go. The fig and date notes become quite immersive, with smoky peat lingering over the top like a husky layer of fog. PX sherry notes cling to the tongue, while dark chocolate and caramel elements work their way to prominence, most notably on the finish. A pipe smoke character lingers here, finishing in more generally ashy territory.
All told it’s another solid performance, though I feel like the fairly heavy smokiness robs this experience of too much of its subtlety.
117.7 proof.
B+ / $70 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
The post Review: New Riff Sour Mash Single Malt Whiskey 2026 appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider’s Guide to Good Drinking.
