Table Of Contents

The Details

Rating 93
Style
American Whiskey
Whiskey
Produced In Kentucky
United States
ABV 50%
Availability Limited
Price $54.99 
Reviewed By
Reviewed 2024-03-05

New Riff Balboa Rye Review

First announced in 2019, New Riff’s Balboa Rye is a bottled-in-bond expression distilled from a mash containing mostly heirloom grain. In this case, it’s Balboa rye, a variety dating to the 1940s and grown for the distillery by Fogg Family Farm in Indiana. Like a number of heirloom rye varieties, the Balboa rye grain is smaller and less suited to food crop farming at scale.

New Riff’s Balboa Rye whiskey has a mash bill of 95 percent Balboa rye and 5 percent malted rye. It’s aged at least four years (this is a bottled-in-bond expression, after all). Originally announced as a limited release, Balboa Rye seems to have made its way into New Riff’s semi-regular (but still limited release) line of “riffs,” which explore various distillation techniques and grain varieties.

Notably, though it’s a limited release, Balboa Rye comes with a competitive price tag at around $55 MSRP. There are definitely cheaper bottled-in-bond rye whiskeys on the market, but when factoring in the unique grain profile, it seems New Riff is keeping value squarely in mind here.

I’ve had some great rye whiskey distilled from heirloom grain, but I’ve also sampled some less-than-stellar examples. The best way to find out where New Riff has landed is a taste test. Let’s see how New Riff’s Balboa Rye stacks up and compares to other rye whiskeys on the market!

New Riff Balboa Rye Review

New Riff Balboa Rye: Stats and Availability

New Riff’s Balboa Rye is a limited release with an MSRP of around $55. Though New Riff isn’t common in every market across the United States, it’s often available via select online retailers. Currently, it seems Balboa Rye is selling for within $10 of its suggested retail price.

New Riff Balboa Rye Review

As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, New Riff Balboa Rye was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.

Taste

Heavy orange zest and orange oil start on the nose, as if a fresh rind had been squeezed over the glass. That’s quickly backed by familiar rye spice, cardamom, and baked pumpernickel bread. A return sniff yields sweetness, toasted pecans, and scraped vanilla bean.

I’d recommend taking your time nosing this whiskey, because the aromas continue to evolve. The orange peel takes on a toasted/burnt quality after some time, and the rye’s spice shifts gradually to herbal notes. The nose never stops hinting at sweetness while not quite teetering over into sugary territory.

For a 100-proof, roughly four-year-old whiskey, New Riff’s release has some of the best balance and depth of any rye I’ve nosed recently. I would welcome slightly more in the way of oak here, but it’s certainly not lacking without.

Palate

A subtle and light honeysuckle sweetness kicks off the palate, priming the tip of the tongue but not oversaturating it. That’s followed by a one-two punch of candied citrus peel and — unexpectedly — plum wine. The fruit is fresh and both mildly sweet and tart, though neither note really escalates strongly beyond a first taste. A small sip in, and Balboa Rye is already showing unique flavor combinations.

Spice doesn’t build significantly until the midpalate, in this case light cinnamon, clove, and fennel seeds. Overall, the profile is softer than the nose implies.

That spice is fleeting, and the back and sides of the palate turn sweet once more. Those taste sectors also hold on to a series of vegetal notes, most noticeably rhubarb. Layering new sips brings those tart and sweet elements in play at the same time, and the effect is reminiscent of a strawberry rhubarb pie.

New Riff’s Balboa Rye has plenty to showcase on the palate, though one wonders whether more wood influence would elevate or detract from the overall experience.

Finish

Though Balboa Rye’s mouthfeel isn’t terribly viscous, the finish is long, sweet, and berry-forward. A mild cooling element (like spearmint gum) provides a bit of reprieve from the sweetness and helps clear the palate for the next dram.

New Riff Balboa Rye Rating

93/100

Recap

Distilling with heirloom grains has become somewhat common among American distillers of all sizes. In an increasingly busy whiskey market, it’s a straightforward way to differentiate products. Heirloom grains don’t, however, guarantee great flavor.

That said, New Riff Balboa Rye is a delicious, accessible, well-priced rye that boasts some unique layers of flavor. While I’d be interested to taste an older version of Balboa, New Riff has happened upon something great at this four year age statement. I don’t expect my bottle to stay full for very long.

Related Reads

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· Rye 101

· Our always updated list of our best rated Rye brands!

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93
POINTS
New Riff Balboa Rye
First announced in 2019, New Riff’s Balboa Rye is a bottled-in-bond expression distilled from a mash containing mostly heirloom grain. In this case, it’s Balboa rye, a variety dating to the 1940s and grown for the distillery by Fogg Family Farm in Indiana. Like a number of heirloom rye varieties, the Balboa rye grain is smaller and less suited to food crop farming at scale. New Riff’s Balboa Rye whiskey has a mash bill of 95 percent Balboa rye and 5 percent malted rye. It’s aged at least four years (this is a bottled-in-bond expression, after all). Originally announced as a limited release, Balboa Rye seems to have made its way into New Riff’s semi-regular (but still limited release) line of “riffs,” which explore various distillation techniques and grain varieties. Notably, though it’s a limited release, Balboa Rye comes with a competitive price tag at around $55 MSRP. There are definitely cheaper bottled-in-bond rye whiskeys on the market, but when factoring in the unique grain profile, it seems New Riff is keeping value squarely in mind here. I’ve had some great rye whiskey distilled from heirloom grain, but I’ve also sampled some less-than-stellar examples. The best way to find out where New Riff has landed is a taste test. Let’s see how New Riff’s Balboa Rye stacks up and compares to other rye whiskeys on the market! New Riff Balboa Rye Review

New Riff Balboa Rye: Stats and Availability

New Riff’s Balboa Rye is a limited release with an MSRP of around $55. Though New Riff isn’t common in every market across the United States, it’s often available via select online retailers. Currently, it seems Balboa Rye is selling for within $10 of its suggested retail price.

New Riff Balboa Rye Review

As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, New Riff Balboa Rye was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.

Taste

Heavy orange zest and orange oil start on the nose, as if a fresh rind had been squeezed over the glass. That’s quickly backed by familiar rye spice, cardamom, and baked pumpernickel bread. A return sniff yields sweetness, toasted pecans, and scraped vanilla bean. I’d recommend taking your time nosing this whiskey, because the aromas continue to evolve. The orange peel takes on a toasted/burnt quality after some time, and the rye’s spice shifts gradually to herbal notes. The nose never stops hinting at sweetness while not quite teetering over into sugary territory. For a 100-proof, roughly four-year-old whiskey, New Riff’s release has some of the best balance and depth of any rye I’ve nosed recently. I would welcome slightly more in the way of oak here, but it’s certainly not lacking without.

Palate

A subtle and light honeysuckle sweetness kicks off the palate, priming the tip of the tongue but not oversaturating it. That’s followed by a one-two punch of candied citrus peel and — unexpectedly — plum wine. The fruit is fresh and both mildly sweet and tart, though neither note really escalates strongly beyond a first taste. A small sip in, and Balboa Rye is already showing unique flavor combinations. Spice doesn’t build significantly until the midpalate, in this case light cinnamon, clove, and fennel seeds. Overall, the profile is softer than the nose implies. That spice is fleeting, and the back and sides of the palate turn sweet once more. Those taste sectors also hold on to a series of vegetal notes, most noticeably rhubarb. Layering new sips brings those tart and sweet elements in play at the same time, and the effect is reminiscent of a strawberry rhubarb pie. New Riff’s Balboa Rye has plenty to showcase on the palate, though one wonders whether more wood influence would elevate or detract from the overall experience.

Finish

Though Balboa Rye’s mouthfeel isn’t terribly viscous, the finish is long, sweet, and berry-forward. A mild cooling element (like spearmint gum) provides a bit of reprieve from the sweetness and helps clear the palate for the next dram.

New Riff Balboa Rye Rating

93/100

Recap

Distilling with heirloom grains has become somewhat common among American distillers of all sizes. In an increasingly busy whiskey market, it’s a straightforward way to differentiate products. Heirloom grains don’t, however, guarantee great flavor. That said, New Riff Balboa Rye is a delicious, accessible, well-priced rye that boasts some unique layers of flavor. While I’d be interested to taste an older version of Balboa, New Riff has happened upon something great at this four year age statement. I don’t expect my bottle to stay full for very long.

Reviewed On: 03-05-2024
93
POINTS
New Riff Balboa Rye
First announced in 2019, New Riff’s Balboa Rye is a bottled-in-bond expression distilled from a mash containing mostly heirloom grain. In this case, it’s Balboa rye, a variety dating to the 1940s and grown for the distillery by Fogg Family Farm in Indiana. Like a number of heirloom rye varieties, the Balboa rye grain is smaller and less suited to food crop farming at scale. New Riff’s Balboa Rye whiskey has a mash bill of 95 percent Balboa rye and 5 percent malted rye. It’s aged at least four years (this is a bottled-in-bond expression, after all). Originally announced as a limited release, Balboa Rye seems to have made its way into New Riff’s semi-regular (but still limited release) line of “riffs,” which explore various distillation techniques and grain varieties. Notably, though it’s a limited release, Balboa Rye comes with a competitive price tag at around $55 MSRP. There are definitely cheaper bottled-in-bond rye whiskeys on the market, but when factoring in the unique grain profile, it seems New Riff is keeping value squarely in mind here. I’ve had some great rye whiskey distilled from heirloom grain, but I’ve also sampled some less-than-stellar examples. The best way to find out where New Riff has landed is a taste test. Let’s see how New Riff’s Balboa Rye stacks up and compares to other rye whiskeys on the market! New Riff Balboa Rye Review

New Riff Balboa Rye: Stats and Availability

New Riff’s Balboa Rye is a limited release with an MSRP of around $55. Though New Riff isn’t common in every market across the United States, it’s often available via select online retailers. Currently, it seems Balboa Rye is selling for within $10 of its suggested retail price.

New Riff Balboa Rye Review

As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, New Riff Balboa Rye was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.

Taste

Heavy orange zest and orange oil start on the nose, as if a fresh rind had been squeezed over the glass. That’s quickly backed by familiar rye spice, cardamom, and baked pumpernickel bread. A return sniff yields sweetness, toasted pecans, and scraped vanilla bean. I’d recommend taking your time nosing this whiskey, because the aromas continue to evolve. The orange peel takes on a toasted/burnt quality after some time, and the rye’s spice shifts gradually to herbal notes. The nose never stops hinting at sweetness while not quite teetering over into sugary territory. For a 100-proof, roughly four-year-old whiskey, New Riff’s release has some of the best balance and depth of any rye I’ve nosed recently. I would welcome slightly more in the way of oak here, but it’s certainly not lacking without.

Palate

A subtle and light honeysuckle sweetness kicks off the palate, priming the tip of the tongue but not oversaturating it. That’s followed by a one-two punch of candied citrus peel and — unexpectedly — plum wine. The fruit is fresh and both mildly sweet and tart, though neither note really escalates strongly beyond a first taste. A small sip in, and Balboa Rye is already showing unique flavor combinations. Spice doesn’t build significantly until the midpalate, in this case light cinnamon, clove, and fennel seeds. Overall, the profile is softer than the nose implies. That spice is fleeting, and the back and sides of the palate turn sweet once more. Those taste sectors also hold on to a series of vegetal notes, most noticeably rhubarb. Layering new sips brings those tart and sweet elements in play at the same time, and the effect is reminiscent of a strawberry rhubarb pie. New Riff’s Balboa Rye has plenty to showcase on the palate, though one wonders whether more wood influence would elevate or detract from the overall experience.

Finish

Though Balboa Rye’s mouthfeel isn’t terribly viscous, the finish is long, sweet, and berry-forward. A mild cooling element (like spearmint gum) provides a bit of reprieve from the sweetness and helps clear the palate for the next dram.

New Riff Balboa Rye Rating

93/100

Recap

Distilling with heirloom grains has become somewhat common among American distillers of all sizes. In an increasingly busy whiskey market, it’s a straightforward way to differentiate products. Heirloom grains don’t, however, guarantee great flavor. That said, New Riff Balboa Rye is a delicious, accessible, well-priced rye that boasts some unique layers of flavor. While I’d be interested to taste an older version of Balboa, New Riff has happened upon something great at this four year age statement. I don’t expect my bottle to stay full for very long.

Reviewed On: 03-05-2024