Review #595 - New Riff 6 Year Aroostook Malted Rye

Written By Me, My Wife & Whisky

Another grain experiment from New Riff - this time, they used a variety of rye called Aroostook, which is a hardy winter rye grain. The mashbill for this rye is 100% Aroostook rye, in fact, and all of that grain was grown in Kentucky. New Riff even takes the experiment one step further - all of the rye is malted, as well, which could mellow the usual rye spice and add some creamy notes, at least in our experience.

Aroostook rye is known to add a variety of flavors to spirits, but two that are found commonly are nutty notes and some caramel or toffee flavors. New Riff gives us high quality bottling specifications for this rye whisky: bottled-in-bond presentation, meaning it has a strength of 50% ABV (100 proof) and has been aged for at least 4 years (6 years, in this case). They also don't chill filter their whiskies, so we should get the full-flavor experience with this rye - we're hoping to see the unique character of the Aroostook variety coming through.

New Riff 6 Year Aroostook Malted Rye

USA - Rye

Price: USD 60 (2025)

Age Statement: 6 Years

Strength: 50% ABV

Details: Not chill filtered, bottled 2022

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 2 times over 12 months; bottles at 60% and 50% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes

Nose: Strawberry hard candies and cream, soft vanilla and malt, and then some starchy oak; that oak develops more cinnamon notes with time. There is some rye grain influence here, but it isn't overly spicy - subtle eucalyptus and dill, a bit herbal and floral.

Palate: A medium thickness mouthfeel; we start out with dusty grain and rye spice of anise and sage, then strong jalapenos and black pepper. Soft menthol notes add a bit of mint, but past that, there are sweeter notes: cinnamon, chocolate, especially malty milk chocolate. Graham cracker and brown sugar add more sweetness, but the spicy notes also grow more prominent with time.

Finish: Menthol notes linger, but it grows a bit sweeter at the end - cinnamon, vanilla, some blood orange. The complexion lightens, and we get hints of mint and anise in the aftertaste; it's a medium length finish.

Final Note: A fun rye with some unusual tasting notes, between the fruits, spicy peppers, and chocolate. This was still a relatively spicy rye despite the malting process, a bit spicier than, for instance, New Riff's usual 6 year 100% malted rye whisky.

Value on these New Riff special releases is good - New Riff always gives us a fair pricing scheme and this Aroostook rye was no exception. It's long since sold out from the source, but can still be found occasionally online or at auction.

Our Average Rating: 7.5 / 10

In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.

Value Rating: 7.66

About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.

Me, My Wife & Whisky
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