- Proof
- 100
- Age
- 4 yr
- Style
- RyeKentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
- MSRP
- $59.99~$62.99 street
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“95% heirloom Balboa rye mash — rare 1940s grain”
Tasting notes
- nose
- ripe oak, honeyed rye fruit, and heirloom Balboa spice
- palate
- fruit compote, clove, and horehound candy before long spicy BiB structure
- finish
- lingering rye spice and honeyed oak
Mash bill
- Heirloom Balboa rye95%
- Malted rye5%
95% heirloom Balboa rye with 5% malted rye — an all-rye mash with no barley. Balboa is a 1940s-era rye variety once popular in Indiana; New Riff's farmer partner kept it alive, and this whiskey is likely the only commercial Balboa rye on the market. Heirloom grain runs smaller kernels and lower yield per acre, but the flavor payoff is shimmering spiced fruit distinct from modern rye cultivars — that rarity is the mash story.
- Cask
- New charred American oak
- Best served
- neat
Awards
- SFWSC 2024 Gold
- SFWSC 2022 Gold
- Whisky Advocate #4 Whiskey of the Year 2025
- Barleycorn Awards 2025 Double Gold
- New Orleans Spirits Competition 2025 Best Rye Whiskey 4-5 Years / Gold
Why it's craft
Independent Newport, KY craft distillery; specialty rye from rare 1940s heirloom Balboa rye grain.
New Riff Distilling
Independent · Est. 2014 · Tours