New Riff Distilling announced the release of the fourth installment of its single malt whiskey, a 2026 expression featuring some of the distillery’s oldest malt whiskeys to date, highlighting the time-honored heritage of malted barley with Kentucky’s sour mash traditions.
New Riff stands among the first, and still one of the few, distilleries bringing this whiskey category to market. The Newport distillery began distilling malt whiskey shortly after its founding in 2014 and released its first batch in 2023. New Riff’s 2026 single malt whiskey will be available nationwide at select retailers, online for shipping and pickup and at the distillery gift shop beginning Friday, May 15.
“This is one of the most creative whiskeys we make, and a blend we look forward to revisiting every year,” said New Riff Master Distiller Brian Sprance. “These whiskeys are inspired by malted barleys used in the brewing industry, reimagined through our Kentucky regimen.”
The earliest distillations of the internal project started in the first few months of the distillery’s existence. Over the years, New Riff has explored additional mashbills and barrels, filling barrels at 110 proof and letting them age in Northern Kentucky.
New Riff’s 2026 single malt whiskey comprises six mashbills aged in five different cask types, marking this expression as one of the distillery’s most intricate blends to date. This year’s blend introduces Chevallier, an 1800s-era heirloom British malt variety, making its debut in New Riff’s single malt distillate. The bottle is distilled using sour mash, open fermentation and a column still.
The 2026 Single Malt Whiskey has a retail price of $69.99 and is bottled without chill filtration at 111.7 proof with a mashbill of 100% malted barley which includes 11.7% Marris Otter, 14.1% Golden Promise, 27.7% of a beer-inspired Barleywine, 16.5% Belgian Quadrupel, 18% Scottish peated barley, and 12% Chevallier — the historic British heirloom barley popularized by the 19th century brewing scene now making its first appearance in a New Riff whiskey.
The five casks the malt whiskeys matured in include new charred oak, de-charred toasted oak, used bourbon barrels, Spanish oloroso sherry casks and Pedro Ximenez Sherry casks.
“This year, we were especially excited to introduce Chevallier malt into the blend, a variety that brings a distinct character and adds another layer to the overall profile,” said Sprance. “We’ve spent years working with a wide range of malts, and that experience is really shown through how this whiskey comes together. Each component can stand on its own, but the real magic is in how they interact, showcasing our expertise in blending and bringing all of those elements into balance.”
New Riff is located at 24 Distillery Way in Newport. For more information, click here.