New Riff
Type: Distillery and brand
An approximately 18 metre copper column still stands at the heart of New Riff’s whiskey production in Newport, Kentucky, on the Ohio River opposite Cincinnati. Established in 2014, the distillery began releasing its own bourbon and rye after four years of distilling. Sour mash production, open fermentation and bottling without chill filtration define its approach.[1][2][10]
| At a glance | Verified record |
|---|---|
| Location | 24 Distillery Way, Newport, Kentucky.[8] |
| Established | 2014; distilling began in June.[1][6] |
| Ownership | Independently owned by one family, according to the producer; checked November 2026.[1] |
| Whiskey stills | Copper column still and continuous doubler, according to the producer; checked November 2026.[2] |
| Main whiskey grains | Bourbon: 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley. Rye: 95% rye, 5% malted rye.[4][9] |
| Filtration | No chill filtration, according to the producer.[1] |
| Visitor facilities | Aquifer Tasting Room and Riff Shop, renovated in 2023.[4] |
| Exact owning entity, effective date, previous owner and ultimate parent | Not reliably established from the supplied record.[1][9] |
| Business status | Unconfirmed; checked November 2026.[1][9] |
| Distilling status | Unconfirmed; checked November 2026.[2][6] |
| Visitor access status | Unconfirmed; checked November 2026.[4][8] |
| Site status | Unconfirmed; checked November 2026.[4][8] |
| Installed capacity | Not reliably established in litres of pure alcohol a year.[8] |
What New Riff is known for
Rye runs through both of New Riff’s principal grain recipes. It makes up 30% of the bourbon, while the rye whiskey pairs rye with malted rye, rather than malted barley. Those different foundations matter when exploring a range united by established Kentucky production methods and a commitment to avoiding chill filtration.[1][2][4][9]
The producer calls its method the “Kentucky Regimen”: sour mash production, open fermentation and distillation through a column still and doubler. Within that framework, New Riff makes room for wheated bourbon, malted rye and experimental grain and backset projects. The methods provide continuity; the ingredients give the range its breadth.[2][3][9]
Age has brought another dimension. The first own bourbon releases arrived in autumn 2018. By June 2026, New Riff had released 10 Year Old Bourbon and 10 Year Old Rye in its High Note series. Following that chronology helps make sense of the bottles.[4][10]
People and beginnings
Ken Lewis came to distilling through spirits retail. Trained as an English teacher, he left teaching and built The Party Source, which he owned for 38 years before selling it to its employees in 2014. Jay Erisman had been its fine spirits manager.[5][6][10]
Those retail colleagues receive different founding credits in accounts of New Riff’s beginnings. The producer names Lewis as founder; Whisky Magazine identifies Lewis and Erisman as co-founders in 2014. The establishment year is agreed, but the accounts differ over who receives founding credit.[1][6]
For its first head distiller, New Riff turned to brewing experience. Brian Sprance joined in 2014 after working at Boston Beer Company, and in January 2024 became the distillery’s first master distiller. Trade reporting also identifies Larry Ebersold as consulting master distiller, drawing on experience that included decades at Seagram’s Lawrenceburg distillery in Indiana.[7][9][10]
Story box: From establishment to the first own releases
Founding story: New Riff was established in Newport in 2014. The producer credits Ken Lewis as founder; Whisky Magazine names Lewis and Jay Erisman as co-founders and dates the start of distilling to June 2014.[1][6]
Turning point: The first own Bottled in Bond Bourbon and Single Barrel Bourbon releases arrived in autumn 2018, bringing New Riff’s own matured bourbon to market four years after distilling began.[10]
Documented record: Establishment, first distillation and first release mark separate milestones. The sources agree on the establishment year but describe the founding roles differently.[1][6][10]
Claim: Ken Lewis alone founded New Riff.
Verdict: Disputed
What the record shows: The producer credits Lewis; Whisky Magazine also credits Erisman.
Evidence against or gap: The supplied record does not resolve the difference.
Earliest known source: The earliest source establishing the competing attribution is not identified in the supplied sheet.
Sources and claim mapping: - Producer’s founder attribution and establishment year: https://newriffdistilling.com/our-story/ - Trade account naming both founders and dating first distillation: https://www.whiskymag.com/articles/born-to-stand-out-new-riff-at-10/ - First own bourbon releases: https://www.marketwatchmag.com/new-kid-on-the-block/
Last checked: November 2026; the exact day is not recorded in the supplied sheet.
How New Riff makes its whiskey
New Riff publishes two principal mash bills, the grain recipes used to make its whiskey. Bourbon starts with 65% corn, 30% rye and 5% malted barley. Rye whiskey uses 95% rye and 5% malted rye.[4][9]
From those grain recipes, production follows the producer’s sour mash method and open fermentation. Trade reporting specifies that distillation then takes place on the grain. The stages below trace the process from the well water to maturation and filtration.[2][9]
| Stage | New Riff’s published approach |
|---|---|
| Water | Private well about 30 metres deep; the producer describes water at approximately 14.4°C (58°F) throughout the year.[2] |
| Fermentation | Four-day open co-fermentation, reported by VinePair.[9] |
| Distillation | Copper column still approximately 18 metres tall, followed by a continuous doubler, according to the producer.[2] |
| Maturation | Toasted and charred barrels of about 200 litres (53 US gallons); VinePair reports a minimum of four years.[9] |
| Filtration | No chill filtration, according to New Riff.[1] |
The doubler provides a second distillation vessel after the column. Whisky Magazine describes the column as approximately 61 centimetres wide and the doubler as holding 1,420 litres (375 US gallons). A separate copper pot still of 1,893 litres (500 US gallons) serves gin production, rather than the main whiskey operation.[6]
Fermentation equipment grew in stages. Trade reporting records four fermenters in spring 2014, two more a year later and another three in 2022. That brought the total to nine in the 2024 account, a dated equipment record rather than a current operating count.[6]
Maturation and the growing range
Roughly a third of New Riff’s stock is held back for extended ageing, according to the producer. The range now reaches beyond the first four-year releases to named six, eight and ten-year-old whiskeys.[2][3][4]
That stock has several storage settings. The producer describes Warehouse C in Newport as a rickhouse holding up to 18,000 barrels. Warehouse D uses palletised storage, also for up to 18,000 barrels. Silver Grove provides a larger palletised store, with room for up to 40,000 barrels. Checked in November 2026, these figures describe the producer’s stated capacity, not the stock inside.[2]
The distinction matters when reading the earlier trade figures. A December 2024 account reported more than 33,000 barrels across three warehouses. A separate 2024 account put output at about 12,000 barrels a year. Both belong to their reporting dates, rather than serving as November 2026 inventory or production measurements.[6][8]
The release list shows how age and grain choices shape the range. The producer’s whiskey library lists Bottled in Bond Bourbon, Bottled in Bond Rye, 6 Year Old Wheated Bourbon, 8 Year Old Bourbon, 8 Year Old Rye and 6 Year Old Malted Rye. High Note 10 Year Old Bourbon and 10 Year Old Rye followed in June 2026.[3][4]
Beyond those releases, trade reporting names Backsetter, Balboa Rye, Red Turkey Wheat and Kentucky Sour Mash Single Malt. Together, these projects show the breadth of New Riff’s work, but a range listing does not guarantee that every expression is currently obtainable.[9]
A production timeline
June 2014 marks the start of distilling; autumn 2018 marks the first own bourbon releases. The later expansion dates record increases in capacity and equipment, not measured annual output. These are different milestones in the journey from making whiskey to releasing mature stock.
| Date | Verified development |
|---|---|
| 2014 | New Riff established; distilling began in June.[1][6] |
| Autumn 2018 | First own Bottled in Bond Bourbon and Single Barrel Bourbon released.[10] |
| Early 2019 | Bottled in Bond Rye followed.[10] |
| 2021 | Expansion increased distilling capacity by 50%, according to trade reporting.[8] |
| 2022 | Three additional fermenters installed, according to the 2024 trade account.[6] |
| January 2024 | Brian Sprance named the first master distiller.[7][9] |
| June 2026 | High Note 10 Year Old Bourbon and 10 Year Old Rye released.[4] |
Three distinctions worth keeping clear
O.K.I. was sourced whiskey
O.K.I. was sourced MGP bourbon, not New Riff’s own early distillate. Trade reporting says it was sold during New Riff’s first four years, while the distillery’s stock matured, and that the brand subsequently passed to other owners. New Riff’s own releases began in 2018.[9][10]
Bottled in bond has a legal meaning
In the United States, bottled in bond is a federal designation, not just a marketing phrase. The rules require spirits from one distilling season, one distiller and one distillery, aged for at least four years in wood and bottled at 50% ABV (100 US proof).[12]
Independence is the producer’s stated ownership position
New Riff describes itself as independently owned by one family. Trade reporting also describes the business as having no outside investors. Those accounts support its stated independence, with no basis in the record for assigning it to a larger drinks group.[1][9]
Visiting New Riff
The Aquifer Tasting Room occupies the third floor at 24 Distillery Way in Newport. It and the Riff Shop were renovated in 2023; trade reporting records the tasting bar’s move from the first floor to the third.[4][8]
Before travelling, check the official website for booking arrangements, accessibility, visitor age rules and the facilities included in a visit. The documented renovation describes the facilities, not current opening hours, tour availability or access conditions.
Where to go next
- Jim Beam: continue exploring the American Distilleries and Brands hub.
- Maker's Mark: read another individual distillery and brand profile.
- Four Roses: explore a further profile in the same reference series.
Sources
[1] New Riff Distilling. Our Story. Undated producer’s account, checked November 2026. https://newriffdistilling.com/our-story/
[2] New Riff Distilling. Our Whiskey Making Process. Undated producer’s account, checked November 2026. https://newriffdistilling.com/our-process/
[3] New Riff Distilling. Spirits: Whiskey Library. Undated producer’s account, checked November 2026. https://newriffdistilling.com/spirits/
[4] Kentucky Distillers’ Association. New Riff Introduces Latest Decade Old Bourbon and Rye Duo. 2026. https://kybourbon.com/industry-news/kybourbon-new-riff-introduces-latest-decade-old-bourbon-and-rye-duo/
[5] Kentucky Distillers’ Association. Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame Inducts Five New Members. 2024. https://kybourbon.com/industry-news/kentucky-bourbon-hall-of-fame-inducts-five-new-members/
[6] Whisky Magazine. Born to stand out: New Riff at 10. 2024. https://www.whiskymag.com/articles/born-to-stand-out-new-riff-at-10/
[7] BevNET. New Riff Distilling Names First Master Distiller. 2024. https://www.bevnet.com/spirits/2024/new-riff-distilling-names-first-master-distiller/
[8] Cincinnati Business Courier. New Riff Distilling investments pay off as interest in bourbon remains high. 7 December 2024. https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2024/12/07/new-riff-kentucky-bourbon-trail-boom-visitors-tour.html
[9] VinePair. 10 Things You Should Know About New Riff Distilling. Undated in the supplied record, checked November 2026. https://vinepair.com/articles/ntk-new-riff-distilling/
[10] Market Watch. New Kid On The Block. Undated in the supplied record, checked November 2026. https://www.marketwatchmag.com/new-kid-on-the-block/
[12] Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. 27 CFR 5.88, Bottled in bond. Current text checked November 2026. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-27/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-5/subpart-E/section-5.88
This article is desk research based on the supplied verified fact sheet, distinguishing producer statements from trade reporting and retaining its disputed founding attribution.
Last checked: November 2026