New Riff Distilling has announced the release of two new heirloom grain bourbon whiskeys, Yellow Leaming and Blue Clarage Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskeys.
Both bottled in bond without chill filtration at 100 proof, the Yellow Leaming and Blue Clarage Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskeys were distilled from rare, regional heirloom corn crops and finely crafted into equally rare bourbons, introducing new flavors and connecting the distillery to its agricultural origins.
“The wider whiskey industry is waking up to the possibilities and flavors inherent of old grains, old ingredients from a century ago,” said New Riff Distilling Co-Founder Jay Erisman. “Heirloom grains are a direct ticket to different flavors, yet of great authenticity and reality. We are proud to do our part to preserve the past while continuing to highlight our brand’s commitment to industry-leading innovation.”
The Yellow Leaming Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is made with 65% heirloom Yellow Leaming corn, 30% rye, and 5% malted barley. The Blue Clarage Straight Bourbon Whiskey is made with 65% heirloom Blue Clarage corn, 30% rye, and 5% malted barley. Both whiskeys are aged five years.
Originally a derivative of a Native American corn dating back to 1824, the Yellow Leaming heirloom varietal used in this latest exploration was entirely sourced and grown for New Riff by a local farming partner, Charles Fogg, of Greensburg, Indiana.
“Yellow Leaming, one of the greatest corns in American agricultural history would eventually go on to form the basis for the standard of modern American yellow dent corn, and it came from right here in Hamilton County, Greater Cincinnati, Ohio,” Erisman said.
The Ohio Valley Blue Clarage varietal, developed in the 1920s by farmer Edmund Clarridge in Clinton County, Ohio, birthed the second heirloom grain release from a more circuitous route to the distillery, lending a marked difference to the whiskey compared to New Riff’s standard recipe, replete with fruited, spicy tones.
“We were given 150 pounds of the blue corn as seed stock from farmer Tony West at Appalachian Heirloom Plant Farm,” Erisman said. “Charles Fogg took this seed stock and grew it into a crop that sustained our singular production of this whiskey for years. Often associated with the Southwest United States region and Mexico, blue corn comes from right here in our homeland in the Ohio Valley, too.”
New Riff’s Yellow Leaming and Blue Clarage Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskeys in limited quantities at the distillery’s Aquifer Tasting Bar, through Kentucky retailers and New Riff’s Whiskey Club for $55.99. All sales will be limited to two bottles per purchase, a maximum of one product each per purchase, and must be picked up in person at the distillery within 60 days of purchase.
