What it is

O.K.I. is the label name of bourbons released by New Riff Distilling in Newport, KY.  New Riff is a relatively new distillery, and the O.K.I. label pays homage to the origins and market for the sourced whiskey:

• O- Ohio.  New Riff is right across the market from Cincinnati, OH, which is their local market
• K- Kentucky.  New Riff is located in Kentucky, and the product is bottled there.
• I- Indiana.  The whiskey is sourced from MGP in Lawrenceburg, IN.

This particular release is aged ten years, and is then secondarily aged in pre-used Sherry barrels with brandy heads.

Packaging

Tall bottle with light blue label. Corked.  Very nice.

Appearance

Fairly dark, which speaks to the 10 years age and secondary bottling.  Brown/Amber.

Aroma

Butterscotch and traditional oak and rye notes are the first noticeable scents, but they are followed up by dark red fruits like plums, red grapes, and cherries.

Taste

This bourbon starts out quite rich on the palate with traditional notes of butterscotch, caramel, and vanilla.  But it’s quickly followed up with a viscous mouth coating sensation of ripe red fruits and raisins.

Finish

Quite long, with the oak making a resurgence along with more of the ripe red fruits.  The tail of the finish allows the sherry notes to shine through and feels almost like an aged dark rum.

Synopsis

I was surprised with this.  Typically, I think MGP bourbons have some common notes and flavors that are present in all iterations, and the ultimate differentiator is how they are presented in terms of age and proof.  This is different.  It’s barrel strength with a secondary aging, and it’s wonderful.  The always-solid MGP Distillate meshes perfectly with the boozy notes from the sherry/brandy barrels.  I can’t say I’ve tasted a bourbon finished in a barrel made from both pre-used sherry and pre-used brandy casks, but this is a winning combination.

ModernThirst.com Score: 93 out of 100.