Meeting #27 - Derby May '26 - WF Derby Edition 152, New Riff, Old Forester 1924

Our May meeting was a Nod to the Kentucky Derby, complete with Hot Brown

Sandwiches made famous by the Brown Hotel in Louisville and 3 fine Kentucky

Bourbons! We started off with the Woodford Reserve Kentucky Derby Edition #

152, then tasted a somewhat “new-kid-on-the-block” New Riff 8-year Straight Bourbon

Whiskey, founded 12 years ago in Newport, KY just across the river from

Cincinnati. Lastly, our get-off-the-stage selection was our most expensive taste,

Old Forester 1924, which was just an absolute delight to sip at 100 proof and may

have cracked our Top-10 list.  Let's dig deeper on these incredible bourbons...

1) Woodford Reserve - Kentucky Derby Editon 152

90.4 Proof | aged approx 6-7 years | $50 in, 1L collectable bottle Mash Bill: 72% Corn, 18% Rye, 10% Malted Barley

HF score: 3.38

All things Woodford are always good, and this is no exception. A high-quality cocktail mixer or affordable daily drinker, scoring a respectable 3.38 with our tough members!

Nose: Inviting aromas of dried fruit, vanilla, toasted oak, and light floral notes,

complemented by hints of citrus and spice.

Palate: Smooth and balanced, featuring flavors of caramel, honey, and vanilla

layered with spice, toasted nuts, and a touch of cocoa.

Finish: Medium to long with lingering sweetness, gentle spice, and soft oak.

2) New Riff 8-year Straight Bourbon Whiskey

100 Proof | 8 years | $70

Mashbill: 65% corn, 30% Rye, 5% malted barley

HF score: 3.53

Initially, New Riff used MGP grain and distilled a now discontinued O.K.I whiskey line. Now, New Riff does all of their own distilling in Newport, KY. Highly acclaimed, double gold winner at SF Spirits competition and our score of 3.53 reflects that quality. Critics consider it a significant, successful step up for the distillery, offering a "darker" more sophisticated profile, while retaining the brand's signature, high-rye character.

Nose: Rich vanilla custard, caramel, sweet bright fruits (apricot and rasperry) transitioning to darker blackberry notes, followed by oak.

Palate: Dark fruit, caramel, cinnamon, leather, and prominent aged oak.

Finish: Medium-long, offering dark cherry, seasoned oak, brown sugar and a lingering rye spice.

3) Old Forester 1924

100 Proof | 10 Years | $125

Mashbill: 79% corn, 11% rye, and 10% malted barley

HF score: 3.63

1924 was the crowd pleaser of the night. Usually a hard-to-find “allocated” bourbon, we were lucky enough to score a bottle! Yeah, it’s pricey, but if you stumble across one of

these in the wild, grab it, it’s such a delight to sip, save it for those special

occasions, like when Logan and I come a visiting!

Nose: Soft notes of fudge, cocoa, almonds and cured tobacco layered over hints

of rich oak and warm cinnamon. Butterscotch and cranberry undertows.

Palate: Chocolate covered graham cracker dusted with cinnamon.

Finish: Hints of spice and graham cracker crumbles. Cranberry and a bit of extra heat for its

proof.