New Riff Single Barrel Pick – A Caramel Embrace

Pick team member Michael Simmons shared these tasting notes to go along with these bottles —

Ever stepped into your grandmother’s kitchen on a brisk cool day, where everything smells of love and a caramel candy shop. Her warm hug wraps around you like a soft quilt, melting away every worry in an instant. In that embrace, the world fades, and you’re carried straight to your happy place.

Introducing COW’s New Riff Single Barrel Pick, “The Aquifer”.  Aged 5 years and 3 months, this 112.5 proof whiskey releases a caramel-forward nose that feels like opening the door to a warm country kitchen. Notes of butterscotch and vanilla drift upward like memories of freshly baked pies, while honey, brown sugar, and dark fruits—think ripe plums and black cherries—add a deeper, almost decadent dimension. Each inhale invites you closer, promising something both comforting and bold.

On the palate, that promise unfolds beautifully. Sweet vanilla and rich caramel greet you first, but just as the sweetness settles in, a rye-driven spice cuts through, bringing lively complexity and a hint of mischief. The sip lingers with a long, persistent finish where the spice gradually builds into a gentle Kentucky hug—a slow, warming embrace that spreads from the chest outward. It’s the kind of pour that doesn’t just warm you; it grounds you in a happy place, like the last crackling embers of a late-night fire.

Without this single barrel, your collection is basically wearing mismatched socks—technically fine, but you’ll know the truth.

If those tasting notes don’t have you racing for a bottle … beautifully reviewed, thanks Michael.