Seelbach's - New Riff Barrel Selection

Barrel selection with Bourbonr/Seelbach’s at New Riff Distillery. More of a barrel elimination than selection, we got to select 5 barrels total to taste, with two barrels being selected.

The one that was the clear winner to me was one of the selections, with the second selected being my third place pick. Still solid, just typical New Riff profile to me.

Notes are following:

A (selected) - nose is like a taffy candied leather thing. Bready, Slightly grassy, a little bit or peppercorn and then some fresh raw wood.

Love this earthiness in a fresh way.

Going back 10 min in to this nose lots of maple. Love this.

Palate is very nice - spiced with a bit of char, buttered caramel, chewy and creamy. Tobacco finishing.

B - nose is bright - still led with some of that grassiness but softer, more spiced, lemon oil.

Going back doesn’t change.

Palate is sugared candy, but a bit spiced. Slightly more drying than 4.

C - nose is cinnamon and a slightly deeper raw wood, deeper dark fruit, has some richness but not very powerful.

Straightforward profile. Very balanced, nothing particularly stands out. Spiced and citrus woven and lead, sweet spiced peppery finish.

D (selected) - nose is pretty typical of NR, slightly grainy, elegant spice, menthol and a little bit herbaceous.

Palate is again like two, sugary and candied coated but not a lot else. Does linger with a bit more spice.

E - love this nose. Richest, deepest, nice wood and soft fruitier grains. Just a touch alcohol bite.

Palate is rich but drawing in a lot of spice as it trails. Chewy fruits, juicy citrus. Creamy vanilla lingering.

Midwestern - Ezra Brooks Barrel Selection

A spur of the moment selection with a group from Saint Louis at Lux Row Distillery. Not a lot of story or notes here, but feel free to peruse the photos of the day. In the end the group walked away with a bottle full of cherry and vanilla sweetness.

KBB - Starlight Distillery Barrel Selection

Overcast and at times rainy, but a great day otherwise for a pick. We tried 15 barrels, and 4 of those really stood out.

One was a sherry finished bourbon, one this whacky indigenous 51% rye (but also in transition from bourbon to rye batches I guess; and they have like 5-6 of these kind of barrels a year), one 3grain bourbon barrel that was a bit more spiced and bright and a 4 grain bourbon barrel a bit more rounded and sweet.

The sherry was nice but, still missing a little something. Had a good weight to the mouthfeel though, still nice. Better than purple rain in my opinion.

The rye was the outlier. Wanting to bring unique experiences, this one was standout for that. Funny enough it was a flavor profile I personally had contemplated back when I milked Willett rye barrels to use for barrel aging coffee and got one sample I thought reminded me of a coffee forward note to the pour and wasn’t sure if I cross contaminated equipment. Couldn’t tell if I was making it up or not, but loved its pairing with a rye, to the point I almost asked Drew if he’d be open to an Exploratory cask of that profile. This barrel is that turned up. Coffee forward with raisin and caramel underlying.

We blinded the two bourbons that we enjoyed, and the profiles were much closer in a blind than what I thought in the rickhouse, but incredibly different at the same time. It’s sort of like the difference between bright Beam profile and creamy luscious Elijah Craig.

We ended up picking one that was toffee through and through. I kept thinking Heath bar or Toffifay.

Toffifay, Heath, Werthers. Slightly perfumed. The most noticeable thing about it compared to all the other bourbons was how much less corn and youthful profile it had than most.

A bit of a skeptic based on the hype before, and even some of the bourbons I tried still, personally, need some more time... we tried a myriad of things afterwards that brought some really fun and really flavorful things and I was surprised by that. I expect though the best way you’ll experience the brand, is led by picks from people you trust.

Barrel 1 - 3yr Air Dried

Bread nose, grain. 

Young heat but soft. Sweet, fruitied, vanilla, juicy dry plump purple fruit. Apple, Saigon cinnamon. 

Softer profiled new riff - fruitier, creamy. Pleasing mouthfeel. 

---

Barrel 2 - 5yr Air Dried

Nose is soft leather with banana creeping after. 

Flavor is a bit spicier, spearmint longer cinnamon finish. Less pronounced fruitiness but has more depth. Overall sweet, more structured but less Defined. 

---

Barrel 3 - 2yr Air Dried (Zack barrel?)

Abrasive yet sweet. medium spice, More honey and vanilla, cleaner than 5y not as fruity as 3. Finish is great. Medium, length semi dry. Chewy body, subtle leather. 

---

Barrel 4 - Super Short Barrel

Nose is sharp but not hot, sweet. 

Balanced spice, creamy malt - herbal corn. Not peppery in flavor but pulse similar to a Sichuan pepper heat and quickness to finish. 

---

Barrel 5 - Kelvin Char 3 (Orange Spice)**

Nose is rye forward with creamed corn finishing. Brandied cherry. Reminds me of an old fashioned. 

Palate is toasted oak, citrus, young wood young corn, deep further back placed cherry fruit. Red fruits - raspberry jam, cherry, light caramel. 

---

Barrel 6 - What almost was Christian’s Christmas Pick

Refined nose. Elegant spice. Purple and red fruits, soft leather, low grain, low to mid orange with brandied cherry. Malt. 

Palate is spice but soft - malt calms - good honey, lower red fruit - elegant citrus, grapes, almost peach. Chocolate malt subtly. Slightly elegant leaning vs cloying to body. 

---

Barrel 7 - Caramel Bomb

More pronounced spice, slight chocolate malt 

Very spiced, Pencil shavings, sweet and chewy but quick and drying. Most New Riff-like. Still get chocolate malt. Spiced chocolate malt little caramel.

---

Barrel 8 - Spice Rack

Big spice nose, juicy fruit gum finish. Something reminds me of cologne, a bit fresh air a bit herbal. 

Big rye forward spice, vanilla, deeper grape fruitiness chocolate keeps it in balance for the finish. 

---

Barrel 9 - Super Sweet

Nose is a no go. Sweet, shoe polish, malt. 

Corn forward but soaks into a good profile. Initial Heat. Corn. Fruit. Clean but spice like a wheater. As it cools, lots of crushability. 

---

Barrel 10 - Candy Bar Barrel***

Caramel, toffee.

Tofifay, Heath, Werthers. Slightly perfumed. Less corn and youthful profile than most. 

---

Barrel 11 - Port Finished

Grape grape grape.  Lots of wininess, luscious body, still has some corn presence along with chocolate malt.

---

Barrel 12 - Port Finished

Smokey, sherry, dry, funk nose

Palate is dry, sherried, almost HARD to drink (not read difficult but feels hard). Weight definitely felt over the port finish, which mainly had presented itself as juicy. Enjoyable, dusty.

---

Barrel 13 - Indigenous Rye 1

Persimmon, metallic, bee pollen, charcoal, sweet mossy, bright. Longer purple candy almost berry cereal with floral. 

So whacky. So funky. 

---

Barrel 14 - Indigenous Rye 2 ***

Coffee, chocolate.

Profile is direct coffee. The most insane profile I’ve had. Raisin, caramel, coffee.

Total Wine - Old Forester Barrel Selection

Barrel 1

BS:

Warm wood on the nose, lots of caramel, soft cinnamon, nice vanillas to otherwise gentle oak. 

Woodsy. Rustic. Nice. 

Palate is bready leading, a little thinner in profile on the front with richer as growing. Spiced banana bread and oak. 

90 Proof:

Totally cinnamon roll on the nose. Toasted bread, banana taffy. 

Palate is softly spiced, cinnamon leading with banana bread and caramel lingering. Subtly tannic grassy finish a bit dry. Most dry. First to be eliminated. 

---

Barrel 2

BS:

Brighter pop of citrus on the nose, more cherry, spiced with deeper fruit sweetness and a little more ‘double oaked’ style ferment. Butterscotch finishing.

The cinnamon roll one. 

More wood tannins on the palate but creamy and sweet. Caramel forward with cherry and cinnamon intertwine giving a really nice, candied grass profile. Soft enjoyable finish. 

90 Proof:

More of that ‘double barrel’ type fermented tell is there. Gently deep, oak, slightly grassy. Toffee and subtle cherry linger. 

Very decadent. Super chewy caramel, brown sugar, has a clove spiced finish but linger is longer. It has a bit more rough around the edges profile compared to 3. 

---

Barrel 3

BS:

Most brown sugar immediately present on the nose. Very desserty, very sweet. Gosh so cakey like a dense pineapple upside down cake. 

The cakey one. 

3 clearly takes the nose. 

Richest immediately on the palate. Great depth. It does bring with it a bit more heated profile, lots of butterscotch notes with woodsy maple spice. 

90 Proof:

Caramel, butterscotch, sugar cookie, subtle wood with a pleasant spice touch.

Still the richest of the bunch - comes off way more than the rest. All flavors a bit more balanced than previously, but not as balanced as 2, but doesn’t give up all that chewy cookie sweet flavor. It is more subtle to pick out, not as caramel in favor of convection sugars with a warm soft oak linger. Definitely the most approachable finish.

Introducing 4th barrel

More of those funky notes like 2 but more exaggerated. Less sweet, more leathery. Lots of cherry, a little bite. 

Palate is very juicy but does bring some spice and rich oaky Demerara sugar and  bubblegum to otherwise dense banana bread. 

Going back 3 does carry a good oak presences lingering with this upside down cake profile. 2 is pushing through JD has a nice cane sugar finish.  The new number 4 has some elegant spearmint qualities that take precedence. 

Barrel 3 wins 

Nov 4 2015 warehouse J

8th floor 23 rows in 3rd tier 

67 percent at barrel strength 

John O's - Knob Creek Barrel Selection

Barrel 1

R

The nose is inviting. Vanilla frosting, peach, rich maple, dark fruits.

Profile leads with a bit of youthful heat - cinnamon candy, fresh grass, not a lot of fruit. Most basic profile on the palate of the three.

---

Barrel 2

G

Nose is bright with citrus, strawberry, and caramel.

Palate has lots of rich spice, candied cream sweetness, honey, dark fruit, little to no nuttiness on initial sips. Nice subtle smoke char. Still has a bit of a heat bite. It does have a lovely nuttiness growing as you sip bit it is mixed with dark fruits.

---

Barrel 3

Nose has a little cinnamon roll with trailing peanut brittle. Not overly nutty. Underlying dark fruit. Not as complex. 

Most creamy. Most caramel. Reminds me of cow tails. Least grassiness, little cinnamon trailing. 

More sweet spearmint as it lingers. 

Sacred Sippers - 1792 Full Proof Barrel Selection

Barrel 1

Nose is sweet with little to no burn. Softly corny, but a little more fruitied with cherry and apple. Slightly fermented but good. Soft warm leather. Palate is hot, chewy body - cinnamon and continuing nutty. Way too hot and dry. 

---

Barrel 2

Nose is a bit brighter with a pop of citrus, bread, and slightly alcohol bite. Palate is hot - syrupy body but lots of honey. Really buttery, caramel, delicious grassiness. Long slow finish with little to no bite. 

---

Barrel 3

Nose is the most interesting. Deep honey, no burn at all, deep fruit, gentle citrus and grass. 

Creamy - floral forward, but spiced finish. Lots of continual heat which I don’t love but man the front of the palate is special. Nutty as it finishes. 

---

Barrel 4

Nose is a little more leather but not fermented. Better than 1. Honey. Not a lot else.  Palate is a bit astringent up front and continuing nutty on. Get rid of it. 

Nose: 3412

Palate: 2314

State Liquor - Buffalo Trace Barrel Selection

Barrel 1

Sweet nose - leads with apple and berry, not very grainy, soft caramel, more honey with a fig depth to it. 

Palate is more honey, soft wood spice, warm oak with a touch of leather. Super balanced - not grainy berry and apple finish. Mouthfeel is light to medium with a long soft finish. 

---

Barrel 2

Spicier barrel in both nose and palate. A bit more graininess, slightly saltier - more rye bite.  Similar body, a little shorter finish.

---

Barrel 3

Nose is a slight bit more ethanol, a little more banana and a little grain - yeasty. 

Palate is rounded, slightly more viscous body, a little more vanilla and berry. 

---

Barrel 4

Palate starts slow - soft - but has some nice wood spice leading.  Not a ton of fruitiness, a little bit of vanilla but overall very tame on the palate. Alcohol bite in the finish. 

Houston Whiskey Society & Whisky Pete - Four Roses Barrel Selection

First Nose Pass

1. Nose is soft buttery vanilla, cakey **

2. Nose is leather, round; quirky, soft oak, very soft

3. Deeper oak, a little fruit. Creamy leather, balanced rye spice.

4. Funkiest leather nose but tame, paint **

5. Big juicy fruit but a little young bite

6. Bite/mint/soft oak - rounded with wine grape **

7. soft spice, grass, raisin

8. Char; smoke, rye, cinnamon ***

Second Nose Pass

1. *** sweet

2. **

3. *** balanced and elegant

4. *** round and old

5. **

6. **

7. *

8. **** unique

Palate Pass

1. Grassy - hot - cakey **

2. Rich - balanced - elegant rye spice, reminds me of NR ***

3. batter. Better balance. Floral forward, grassy sweet spice. ***

4. Soft on the palate - resonate deeper rye spice. Floral, gentle, honey. ***

5. Bity beginning. Sharp. No. *

6. Floral and perfume lead the sips but it’s a tad soft, sort of disjointed finish. Shame. Had potential. **

7. Fruity, but slight shoe polish. Has a bit of funk but very subdued. Honey fruity funk.

8. Bold but reserved. A bit shorter finish. Old shoe, smoke. **

John O's - Willett Barrel Selection

Barrel 1 - 7 year #2096 - 125 entry 2nd floor

Nose is marshmallow and burnt sugar - not very hot - still some earth characteristics as it opens

Profile is burnt orange, soft oak, balanced spice

Really rounded profile, soft floral linger - earthy and brown sugar sweet, long but medium chewy finish with caramel and brown sugar. More rye spice comes out as it opens but turns to toffee over time. This barrel is interesting because it drinks like the low entry high corn while being higher proof, and while still having some cinnamon notes that OG and other WFE distilled bottles may have, it doesn’t come with the ‘still young’ WFE tell some may have.

---

Barrel 2 - 7 year #2086 125 entry

Same fill date

Blantons spice in the nose - slightly floral.

Spicier palate - very front forward - a bit more cakey sweet while the first was earthy brown sugar sweet. Balanced rye spice - slightly drier. Caramel lingering.

---

Barrel 3 - #4255 72% corn top floor

Honey and cinnamon on the nose

Lots of cinnamon on the palate - bright- a bit more bite. Vanilla in rye finish, not a lot of oak.

Second sip more oak comes out, very coating with dry spice.

---

Rye more forward than cinnamon.

Barrel 4 - #4394 72% corn

Nose is creamy soft more cinnamon forward than rye forward.

Candy sweetness, vanilla linger, heat forward

Louisville Bourbon Club/KBB - New Riff Barrel Selection

First Round Blind

Barrel 1

Nose is fresh rain, herbal, soft oak **

Palate is fruity but grainy.

Barrel 2

Nose is rich and sticky, leather, brown sugar.

Palate has big oak - enjoy this a lot. Dry finish, butter, fruity.

Barrel 3

Nose is brown sugar, softer leather, grain.

Palate is honey, clinging rye spice, oak.

Dry rye finish, vanilla and sweetness but two dimensional.

Barrel 4

Nose is rich is decandent - oak, butter ***

Brighter palate, oak & citrus. Toasted finish, a bit sharp and falls off.

Barrel 5

Nose is rich but brighter, leather and pecan. **

Palate has a great balance of flavor, chewy, drying mid palate with soft floral and oak.

Second Round Blind (1,4,5 moved forward and one new added)

Barrel 1

Leather, bite. Rich rye - leather on the palate.

Barrel 2

Deep brown sugar, grain. Brown sugar, sweet, lots of oak but a little rye, floral.

Barrel 3

Deep oak, bright, soft leather. Bigger oak on the palate, subtly boring, dryer. (WINNER)

Barrel 4

Rich leather. Nice balance on palate, spice, a bit too bright.

Final Thoughts

Going back over the notes, of the 3 we moved on... one was this knob creek-esque dry medicinal one (#2 in the first round), one we all enjoyed but was a little two dimensional (rye forward spice, #3 in the first one), and the last was the toasted one with the good nose but fell off on the palate... yet still was most picked (#4). In the end, that one we all enjoyed the most got NO votes second go round. I personally liked what ended up being the new one, and then the knob creek whacky one. Fortunately for us, the main of the group DIDNT like that one either, so it. And down to the one that was rye forward but a little 2 dimensional (and I noted too bright second go round) also happened to be our second favorite of the first go round, and then the new one which offered new stuff. I still believe that 5987 COULD have been the better pick based on the first pass, but definitely was presented differently in the second blind. The one we ended up with presents a lot more oak than the others we tried, but also hints of all the flavors New Riff CAN offer but not always all together: brown sugar, fruit, floral, rye spice. It’s more oak and rid bit more rye spices and less fruity version of Ken Riffey Jr, if you ask me.

21C - Willett Barrel Selection

Barrel 1 - 79 125 entry

Nose is champagne and honey

Palate is juicy, not overly viscous, a bit more heat to it. 

Water adds fruit to the nose, grass and herbal to the palate. Lots of honey, soft cinnamon, soft red fruit and just a touch of floral, just really delicious - but needs that water added. 

---

Barrel 2 

More spice on nose - more balance to palate initially. Blantons SFTB - cinnamon more than honey but still there, body not noticeable enough to call it something. 

Water again really draws out that old rip/sftb grassy woody vibe in a brown sugar coating. There’s a good amount of oak present with a touch of water. 

---

Barrel 3 - high rye rye

Nose is floral and soft dill/spearmint. MGP type nose for sure. Soft honey. 

Good spiced entry, body isn’t overly rich or decadent. Good spice. Vanilla icing coming out of the nose as it opens. Oak coming out. Really fun rye. 

---

Barrel 4 - high rye rye

Softer nose, a bit more acetone, softer

Mint

Really rich palate - engulfing - good balance and a linger spice finish. Beautiful. 

---

Barrel 5 4820 High rye bourbon 

Sharp nose, good bite. Not a lot of sweet notes just a bite nose with tiny honey

Palate crashes with rye but had more honey backbone. Better than the rye alone for sure. 

Prickly rye continuing, is this what we tried yesterday? Very similar. 

Good brown sugar finishing, this is really nice for a high rye, doesn’t have a lot of the grassy thing (in a noticeable/odd way)  Butter body. 

---

Barrel 6

Softer spiced nose. Soft honey. Medium burn. 

Palate has brown sugar and spice. Relatively balanced after the first sip or two. Good grass. Good spice. A little heavy on the longer spice but it’s smooth. 

6 and 2 currently. 

---

Barrel 7

Yeasty banana bread nose

Very sharp palate. Just sharp. Honey. Weird. 

6 2 1 currently. 

---

Barrel 8 low rye rye 

Nose is sweet spearmint. Very clear. 

Really nice sweet rye. Most similar to barrel 3 in body. Just mint. Dry, toffee finish. Hangs in the palate as it leaves. 

---

Barrel 9 - larger barrel 4yr wheated / char 5

Nose is funky leather, sawdust, shoe polish 

Big flavor. Super sweet. Candy. Circus peanuts. This is really pleasant. 

6 2/8 9 1 4

Cork N' Bottle - Willett Barrel Selection

Barrel 1 - Rye

Balanced mint - honey cinnamon cherrios / gentle spice 

Palate is light body - Mint forward 

---

Barrel 2

Nose a bit more funky leather forward nose, acetone, soft honey 

Viscous body, rich gentle sweet oak, long spice, soft mint finish 

---

Barrel 3 

Long Mint finish. Lots of spice, sort of masks body but has a little more sweetness.

Cinnamon more present. Grows a nice caramel sweetness.

---

Barrel 4 - High rye bourbon

Nose is sweet vanilla, silky, gentle spice 

Palate has nice initial rich pop but then grows that grassy body - long cinnamon spice prickles the palate. 

---

Barrel 5

Decadent and funky nose. Leathery, honey, gentle burn 

Palate is leathery and spiced honey, slightly dry spice finish. 

Continuing sips is that honey spice profile similar to BT2. 

---

Barrel 6

Nose is peanut and nail polish and spice 

This palate is amazing. Honey and vanilla bomb. Lots of spice finish. Has some rye continuing. Really viscous, probably the best of them. Carries elements that taste old and elements that taste young in both positive and sadly negative ways as well. 

---

Barrel 7 - toasted version of previous

Dusty and oaky nose. Slight leather. 

Good balance all around. Honey and oak and spice, smoother drinker but juuuuuust fell off a bit, not very complex. 

---

Barrel 8 - Original Mash Bourbon

Really balanced nose; slight burn, good sweetness 

Really sweet - but also long finish. 

Caramel icing nose. Really flavorful palate. Actually, may carry the best of everything but slightly sharp/end finish. 

---

Barrel 9

 Good sweetness but higher rye

It’s sweet, but sacrifices oak for rye. Hotter.