New Riff Balboa Rye - Review
If you’re looking for the boldest "new" player in the Kentucky whiskey scene, New Riff Distilling is the name to know. Founded in 2014 by Ken Lewis—a man who spent decades on the retail side of things as the owner of The Party Source—New Riff wasn't born from a century-old family recipe, but rather from a desire to do things "the hard way" from day one. Located in Newport, Kentucky, right across the river from Cincinnati, they’ve earned a reputation for being fiercely independent and stubbornly committed to quality.
One of the coolest parts of their story is literally hidden underground. During construction, they discovered the Ohio River Alluvial Aquifer just 100 feet beneath the distillery. This ancient water source stays a consistent 58°F year-round and is packed with the limestone-rich minerals that Kentucky whiskey is famous for. They use this water for everything, which is a major flex for a "craft" distillery.
From the jump, New Riff established what they call the "Kentucky Regimen." This means every drop of their flagship whiskey is Bottled-in-Bond and non-chill filtered. In an industry where shortcuts are common, New Riff refused to release a single bottle of their own distillate until it had hit at least four years of age. That patience has paid off, turning them from a local favorite into a national heavyweight in record time.
The Balboa Rye
While their standard rye is a powerhouse, the Balboa Rye limited release is where things get truly experimental. First hitting the scene in 2019, this expression is a tribute to heirloom grains. The "Balboa" in the name refers to a specific variety of rye that was massive in Indiana back in the 1940s but eventually fell out of favor because it has a much lower yield than modern, industrial grains.
New Riff teamed up with their trusted grain farmer, Charles Fogg, to resurrect this vintage crop exclusively for them. The 2025 release continues the tradition with a mash bill of 95% heirloom Balboa rye and 5% malted rye. Like all their "riffs," it is Bottled-in-Bond at 100 proof and aged at least four years. Because the grain itself is smaller and more concentrated than what you’d find in a standard bottle, it offers a profile that stands completely apart from the rest of their lineup—proving that sometimes the best way to innovate is to look eighty years into the past.
Review:
Nose: An effervescence with a peppery wintergreen note ops out initially which was interesting. This has a very sweet, floral, fruit based nose. A bit of brown sugar comes up on the second nosing. This does smell a little bit young as the notes remain on the lighter end of the spectrum I get like a lemon vanilla yogurt maybe? Not sure.
Palate: Lighter body but oilier and heavier on the palate than the nose led me to believe. I get almond butter, and honeysuckle on the first and second sips. It is very light and wispy on the palate and the flavors begin to turn more herbaceous as they go toward the finish. There is a bit of pepper on the last sip I took with a bit of ethanol notes as well, nodding to it’s most likely, 4-5 year aged juice.
Finish: The finish is actually surprisingly long on this. I’d say it lasts about 20-25 seconds. On the back end, an earthy almost grassy note makes it’s way through to my taste buds and nose. It almost makes me think as if I was having tea sitting out in a park or garden that just had grass mowed. That is how I’d explain the finish on this one. Not too complex but still a nice finish to round out the sip.
Overall: (75). Pretty solid! I think this is unique enough to have people coming back to it, and has the flavors that will satisfy a broad range of whiskey fans, from beginner to “tenured” fans alike. This isn’t a one trick pony, but maybe like a 2-3 trick one? Pepper, Lemon/Fruit, and Herbaceous/Earthy on the back-end. From beginning to end it had a story to tell and that story was a classic, but not filled with plot twists. It’s kind of like James Patterson’s 117th crime novel, you kinda get a feel for what’s happening here but maybe there a small “riff” in the end product. Solid and I will leave it at that.
Value: 65/100; (+0 on the overall). I paid $59.99 for this I believe back in 2022. It is a “limited” release from the distillery and used to be a distillery exclusive back in 2022. I’d say f the price is still around this for the bottle, I wouldn’t scoff but wouldn’t pay more. Personally I wouldn’t run to this any quicker than I would the rye. Save an extra $10-$15 and get the 8 year rye or get a Malted 6 year rye. Those are a litte bit more interesting for your dollar.
Availability: Mostly Available. With a little looking, you should be able to find this. It was once quite limited but I have seen many more of these bottlings sprout up in various liquor stores.
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