New Riff Distilling has announced the release of its 8-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, the distillery’s oldest bourbon yet released and an unprecedented “first fruit” of initial whiskeys set back for further aging. Available beginning March 8 — a nod to the age of the whiskey — this addition is the newest installment to New Riff’s core product lineup.
A new riff on a coveted classic, this 8-year-old expression of New Riff’s award-winning flagship bourbon is bottled without chill filtration at 100 proof with a mashbill of 65% corn, 30% rye and 5% malted barley.
“As much acclaim as we have received from the bourbon community for our 4-year-old, bottled-in-bond and single barrel offerings, we knew the real excitement would come from genuinely older whiskey,” said co-founder Jay Erisman. “And here it is — the beginning of the future and the next wave of New Riff.”
New Riff 8-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey delivers savory, spicy flavors over the inimitable foundation of fully-fledged Kentucky whiskey. Like all New Riff whiskeys, an abundance of rye spice is present, however, secondary and tertiary flavors are significantly deeper and more developed.
“Oaky flavors throughout are richer yet, importantly, not at all tannic or drying,” Erisman said. “Rather, the freshness evident here is exceptional, suggesting a barrel of New Riff bourbon at 8 years old has a long life of aging ahead of it.”
While known for their commitment to bottled-in-bond standards, Erisman said New Riff made the difficult but necessary decision to waive that status for this release, focusing on a wider distribution network than previous specialty releases. Despite meeting all other requirements of a bonded whiskey, due to the comparatively small production from the earliest years of New Riff, this release blends bourbons from two distilling seasons aged a minimum of 8 years.
“New Riff remains entirely committed to producing bottled-in-bond whiskey,” Erisman said. “Ongoing production and future releases at younger ages will absolutely continue with our groundbreaking paradigm of Bottled-In-Bond Without Chill Filtration.”
New Riff 8-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey has a suggested retail price of $67.99. It is now available for presale ordering at newrriffdistilling.com with pickup at the distillery gift shop beginning Friday, March 8. It will be available for online ordering and shipping beginning March 8 at 11 a.m. EST and across New Riff’s national distribution network in the coming weeks.
About New Riff Distilling
Fiercely independent and unabashedly innovative: New Riff Distilling starts with time-honored sour mash methods and bottled-in-bond standards, creating new riffs on old traditions since 2014. Located in Northern Kentucky — the gateway to bourbon country — the independently-owned distillery produces award-winning bourbon, rye, single malt whiskey and gin. Bourbon and rye are also available in single barrel selections, and the distillery boasts a popular private barrel selection program offering quarter, half and full barrel picks complete with personalized labels. New Riff sources its water from an alluvial aquifer under the distillery, accessed via a 100’ deep private well and providing cold, clean and mineral-rich water perfect for whiskey making.
The public-facing spaces in the distillery, renovated in 2023, include the Riff Shop with customizable gifting options and locally sourced artisan goods; and The Aquifer Tasting Room, located on the third floor of the distillery, featuring signature cocktails, flights, and pours of New Riff’s entire portfolio of award-winning spirits including rare, limited-edition, and distillery-exclusive releases. Learn more at newriffdistilling.com.
