New Riff Bottled in Bond Balboa Rye Whiskey

New Riff Balboa Rye emphasizes spiced fruit, with the producer describing ripe oak and honeyed fruit aromas before a rounded, full-bodied palate of fruit compote. Clove, wintergreen and nutmeg carry through a long finish. It gives rye shoppers a way to compare an heirloom grain with the distillery’s standard rye expression, while keeping the bottling strength at 100 proof.

Try a small measure neat, then add water gradually to explore the fruit and spice; the producer specifically notes how water brings out that combination. For a cocktail, begin with a familiar Manhattan ratio and adjust after tasting. Use similar glasses if you are comparing Balboa with another rye, so glassware and dilution do not dominate the comparison.

How it’s made: New Riff produces this Kentucky whiskey using 95% heirloom Balboa rye and 5% malted rye. The Balboa variety dates back to the 1940s. The whiskey itself matures for at least four years and is bottled at 50% ABV.