Review #72 - New Riff Balboa Rye
Specialty Rye Mini-Series: Part 3 of 3
To wrap the series, we're headed back to New Riff for another specialty rye, and again we're focusing on the grain selection. This time, it isn't malting that sets this apart, but the choice in the specific strain of rye grain used: Balboa rye.
Balboa rye is an older variety of rye grain, dating back to the 1940s. According to New Riff's website, it was popular in Indiana at the time; their corn farmer, Charles Fogg, has been growing the variety on his farm for many years. While it does have a lower yield than modern rye varieties, making it more expensive for whisky production, it is packed with more unique flavor, possibly adding 'shimmering notes of spiced fruit' - at least, if you believe the brand's tasting notes.
New Riff Balboa Rye
USA - Rye
Current Locally Available Price: USD 56 (2023)
Age Statement: 4 Years
Strength: 50% ABV
Details: Bottled in bond; mashbill of 95% rye, 5% malted rye; made using heirloom Balboa rye grain; not chill filtered
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 2 times over 7 months; bottles at 70% and 100% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: There is some of that classic rye spice in there: a bit of pepper spice, but it's balanced by decent sweetness. Sweet malty grains, almost like barley, and some icing sugar and vanilla topping the cereal notes. There is a sweet oak influence as well, with a taste like syrupy brown sugar on pancakes, but then we get into some red fruit and barbecue - it can be just mildly savory.
Palate: The mouthfeel is medium-thick, and lots of different spices are flourishing in the palate. We have rye spice, maple sugar, cinnamon, vanilla bean, even cardamom; the fruit is here again, too, with orange, and even a mild strawberry. There's a mild heat to go with the oily oak notes, and we end with a whiff of horchata.
Finish: Finish is medium in length, nice and cozy with some mellow sugary fruit, which transitions toward baking spices once again. We have chai spice, vanilla, and black peppercorn, and some mild oak influence at this point. We end with some spice heat, like a pepper.
Final Note: This is nice, not extremely far off of the typical rye notes, but there is a unique fruity-savory note in here that adds an extra layer of complexity. Not one to blow your socks off - this has plenty of flavor, but isn't coming across as shouty, at least to us. A solid whisky, and if you can get it for a good spice (maybe $60 or so), not a bad value pick, either.
Our Average Rating: 7.3 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.89
