I received a bottle of Balcones Texas Single Malt Whisky way back in early March. Thanks to some positive feedback that I received from a friend that recently tried this whisky (my friend is a rum drinker looking to broaden his booze infused horizons, and I was kind enough to give him a sample to try at his leisure), I am finally getting around to writing this review. Rather than re-write a bit about the Balcones Distillery, I will once again go the lazy route and simply cut and paste snippets from a prior review. Here goes…
Back in late April, I posted a review of the Balcones Brimstone. In that review, I included the following information about the Balcones Distillery of Waco, TX:
Balcones is a small, craft distillery from Waco, Texas that was founded in 2008. In 2012, they won the Whisky Magazine “Icons of Whisky Award” American Craft Distillery of the Year ”for extending the art of distilling by creating a smoked whisky in which the spirit gets infused with smoke in a secret process instead of smoking the grains before mashing”. Although they don’t mention the Balcones Brimstone by name on the Whisky Magazine website, it’s obvious that this is the whisky they’re talking about since Brimstone is a Texas scrub oak smoked corn whisky.
Since we have already covered the Brimstone in a previous review, it’s now time to discuss the Balcones Texas Single Malt Whisky. Here is what Chip Tate, Head Distiller for Balcones, has to say about this whisky:
A unique style of malt whisky – Texas made, Texas proud. Balcones Texas Malt Whisky is born of hundreds of years of distilling tradition transformed by a deep sense of place. Mellow notes of sauteed pears and ripe fruit mixed with a lingering toasty malt character.
And now for my review…
- Appearance: Copper color.
- Aroma: Good bit of sweetness coming through on the nose. Dried figs. Caramelized sugar. Dark rum. Nutmeg and cinnamon. Roasted nuts.
- Taste: Starts off with a healthy dose of cinnamon and brown sugar sweetness. Unlike most whiskies that I have had recently, I am finding that this actually mellows a bit at mid-palate. Even at full strength, this whisky is exceptionally smooth, and a nuttiness starts to become much more apparent towards the middle. Warm, drying finish with a subtle roasted hazelnut aftertaste.
- ABV: 53%
Here is a bit more info about this particular bottle of Balcones Texas Single Malt Whisky:
- Batch: SM12-2
- Bottling Date: 2/13/2012
- Finish: Yard aged American oak. Ex-bourbon.
I have no clue why it took me so long to review this whisky! I suppose I can always blame the family for taking up most of my free time, but since all of my social media activity is out there for all the world to see, that excuse isn’t gonna fly. I’ll just chalk it up to laziness and my food/beverage ADHD, i.e. there have been a lot of new beverages afoot competing for my attention.
As far as the Balcones Texas Single Malt Whisky is concerned, I am really enjoying this whisky. It has a great balance of sweet/spicy flavors, and it goes down so easily that I would almost call it a “table whisky”. This is a delicious whisky, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone seeking a gateway to the wonderful world of whisky. Rich enough to please an aficionado, yet accessible enough for a novice.
__________________________________________________________________
Many thanks to Balcones Distillery for this very generous sample!