Balcones Texas Single Malt (2019)
Boy, there’s a lot riding on this review. If I don’t like this Balcones Texas Single Malt the wrath of a certain someone will come down on me. You know who you are 😉 Thank god they know what they’re doing over there in Texas.
In all seriousness, it is about time I turned my attention over to Balcones. They’ve been making waves (mostly good, some controversial) for years, and their product has officially been available in the Netherlands for about 18 months now. So what better release to start with than their Texas Single Malt?
Made with unpeated 100% malted barley, it has aged for a year or two and therefore can’t be marketed as whisky in the EU. While it is simply called Texas Single Malt Whisky in the US, you’ll find no mention of whisky on the current European label. Same spirit, just different regulations.
Balcones Texas Single Malt (53%, OB, 2019)
Nose: Peaches and dried dates with a whiff of raisins, but also some chalk, quinces, candy hearts and butterscotch. A light floral touch too. Wait, some chocolate peanuts as well. And brown sugar! Rather delicious indeed.
Taste: Somewhat dry and tangy and it lacks a little depth comparative to the nose. Still not too shabby though. Slightly burnished, some rye bread and Maraschino cherries. A touch of bitter orange as well.
Finish: A whiff of charred oak, some aniseed and spices, mainly cracked black peppercorns. Lingering notes of honey.
Score: 87
Very happy with this. Incredibly good spirit that harmonises well with the cask.
Thijs is a spirits writer and accredited liquorist from The Netherlands. He runs the blog Words of Whisky and contributes to a number of Dutch and international publications.
Just had my first taste of this spirit, and it knocked my socks off. I enjoy whiskies of all types, with a leaning towards bourbons, and this was a really tasty whisky. I found the flavour extremely complex, yet you are correct, the nose is more so.