New Riff Single Malt Whiskey (2026)

New Riff’s 2026 Single Malt release brings together six mashbills aged in a variety of five different cask types, marking one of our most intricate blends to date. This year’s blend introduces Chavellier, an 1800s heirloom British malt variety, making its debut in our Single Malt for the first time.

Distilled using our Kentucky Regimen—sour mash, open fermentation, and a column still—this whiskey bridges the time-honored heritage of malted barley with Kentucky tradition. The result is one of our most complex and rewarding whiskies, showcasing the creativity and technical expertise of our distilling team while continuing to define A New Riff on an Old Tradition.

MSRP: $69.99
Aged: At least 7 years
Proof: 111.7

Mashbill

• 11.7% Marris Otter – A classic English ale malt
• 14.1% Golden Promise – A legendary 1960s vintage British malt
• 27.7% Barleywine-style – A barleywine-inspired mashbill built from two-row malted barley, toasted crystal malts, and a touch of roasted chocolate malt
• 16.5% Belgian Quadrupel – A Belgian Quadrupel-inspired mashbill featuring Special B and CaraBelge malts
• 18% Scottish Peated Malted Barley – A peated malt whiskey made with Scottish peated barley
• 12% Chevallier – 1800s British heirloom barley variety

Aging Casks

• New charred oak
• Used bourbon barrel
• Used de-charred and toasted
• Spanish Oloroso Sherry
• Pedro Ximenez Sherry

Tasting Notes

Nose:
Broad, deep, and heady, with many barrel notes (oaky, sherried oak, toasty). With time, it develops rich malty, fruity grains. A splash of water advances complicated grainy detail, showing grassy-mineral malt, dark fruit, cacao nibs, and orange-lemon citrus, all balanced with a generous layer of smoke.

Palate:
Straight-up, the oak is forward and layered (Oloroso sherry, Pedro Jimenez, new oak), with a chewy texture—drying but not tannic. With water, a strikingly juicy entry reveals bright fruit and citrus peel with chocolate-covered cherries. It is dryish and tinged with sweetening fruits, featuring a BIG Kentucky-style body and savory-soft, thick-cut texture with red and dark fruit, cocoa powder, grassy-nutty malt, strawberry-mango fruit leather, a shading of sherry oak, and an introduction of warm smoke.

Finish:
Exceptionally zesty and delightfully rich, with fruited notes (raspberry, tangerine rind, bergamot-orange) lifting in a smoky and leathery cloud. Framed with sherry-branded oak, it concludes with late orange marmalade and lingering peat smoke.

Lot Code: 26.06.12.05

Each annual release of New Riff Single Malt contains an informational code on the front of the label. From left to right, this code represents:

• The year
• The number of mashbills used in the blend
• The number of individual malted barleys involved
• The number of different casks employed

This release: Year 2026, 6 mashbills, 12 malted barleys, and 5 cask types.