
For only the second time since 2019, New Riff Distilling in Newport, Kentucky has announced the re-release of its award-winning Balboa Rye, the Newport distillery’s acclaimed specialty whiskey distilled with trusted heirloom grains.
“Balboa Rye holds a special place in our hearts and in the story of New Riff, as it’s the first whiskey ‘riff’ that we created with an heirloom grain,” said co-founder and vice president Jay Erisman.
Balboa rye is an heirloom grain dating back to the 1940s and was a very popular rye variety in the region. New Riff has distilled batches of Balboa rye for years, likely the first distillery to do so in decades and the only known example currently on the market.
New Riff Balboa Rye Whiskey Mash Bill & Tasting Notes

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Bottled without chill filtration at 100 proof with a mashbill of 95% Balboa rye and 5% malted rye, Balboa Rye opens with spiced, red fruit and clove notes, progressing to hints of pure rye bread and black and white pepper with an emergence of a horehound candy and pink peppercorn presence to finish.
“When we first encountered Balboa rye from our trusted corn farmer (in Greenville, Indiana), we knew it had the potential to create something truly extraordinary. Now having expanded Balboa production, we’re excited in 2025 to bring it back for the first time in over a year,” Erisman said.
Balboa Rye has earned numerous accolades, including Best Rye and double gold at the fall 2020 Barleycorn Awards, double gold at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and additional double gold and gold medals at both those competitions.
New Riff Distilling’s Bottled-in-Bond Balboa Rye Whiskey has a suggested retail price of $54.99 and will be available beginning Friday, Jan. 31, at 11 a.m. EST at the distillery and select retail locations throughout the distillery’s distribution network and for online shipping
Founded in 2014, New Riff Distilling is a fiercely independent and unabashedly innovative distillery that uses the time-honored sour mash methods and bottled-in-bond standards. Located in Northern Kentucky — the gateway to bourbon country — the independently-owned distillery produces award-winning bourbon, rye, single malt whiskey and gin, now available nationwide. New Riff sources its water from an alluvial aquifer under the distillery, accessed via a 100’ deep private well and providing cold, clean and mineral-rich water perfect for whiskey making.
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