Tasting Notes

Producing WhiskyCast has given me the opportunity to taste some really amazing whiskies, and I’m pleased to share my tasting notes with you here. You can search my entire database of tasting notes from this page, and I hope you’ll find it useful.

New Riff Backsetter Peated Bourbon

Country: USA

Region: Kentucky

Type: Bourbon

Bottler: Distiller

ABV: 50%

Score: 92 Points

New Riff Backsetter Peated Backset Bourbon. Image courtesy New Riff Distilling.As with the New Riff Backsetter Peated Rye, this unique whiskey was made using “backset” from a previously distilled batch of peated whiskey. The sour mash fermentation process uses “backset” liquid drained from a still after a previous still run to tweak the pH factor of a new batch of mash and yeast, and New Riff wanted to experiment with this peated backset to see what difference it made to the distillery’s regular Bourbon and Rye mashbills.

In this case, the Bourbon has just a hint of campfire smoke on the nose along with toasted caramel, roasted almonds, honey, and pipe tobacco. The taste is spicy with clove, cinnamon, caramel, roasted almonds, and the smokiness comes alive as the spices start to fade into a long, smoky finish with lingering spices. Very nice! (June, 2020)