New Riff (Bourbon for the Masses Purple Riff Pick) Review

About – Here it is the first ever Bourbon for the Masses barrel pick. Unfortunately I missed out on the pick day festivities due to Covid exposure, but the BFTM crew did a great job and we ended up with an awesome pick. Upon entering the tasting room the group was given a menu with New Riff tasting notes and were able to pick out 3 barrels to compare. The guys saw the outrageous notes from this barrel and just had to include it “Scents of raspberry beret milkshake & smacked mint into flavors of fresh squeezed pomegranate & grape drink. Mineral finish.” Upon nosing it was set aside by many after noting scents like rotten wood, but as it opened up everyone kept coming back to it. In the end it was a nearly unanimous choice. With the notes of raspberry beret milkshake a Prince theme was inevitable, which quickly led to the Chapelle’s Show skit. Purple Riff was aged 4 years and 2 months and comes in at 104.6 proof. All bottles were sold during pre-sale.

Nose – Dark fruit that lands somewhere between berries and stone fruit. Behind that is a musty, funk oak that you normally only find in very highly aged bourbons. Clove and vanilla join in on the backend rounding things out.

Palate – The berry note from the nose hits first and quickly shifts into citrus. Cinnamon moves in next along with that funky oak on the mid-palate leading into a medium length finish that has a mineral quality and shifts from funk to grape before fading away.

Verdict – Slightly off profile, this pick showcases the potential that New Riff has as it picks up more age. The funky note is something that is near and dear to me as an avid Wild Turkey fan, and this barrel has it. A big thank you to New Riff for being excellent hosts and to all of the BFTM crew who were a part of this pick. Hopefully this is the first of many to come. If you missed out I have donated one of my bottles to a silent auction hosted by the Tennessee Winter Beer Fest benefiting Blount County Children’s Advocacy Center. This auction does require local pickup, but if any of my followers win any of the items available I will pick them up and cover shipping costs for you. Click here for more details.