Tastes

Well I certainly am a Balcones fan. Their single malt line is among my favorites. This is the corn line which I have not tried yet. I was looking forward to this as I am a smoke disciple. Poured neat, nose is packed tight which a drop opens up. Is there smoke....hell yeah there's smoke, but its nothing like peat smoke. This is pure Texas BBQ. Its all brisket ends with a side of cream corn, deeper in there is leather, maple and burnt caramel. I can probably pull out more but I wanna taste its so enticing. Mouthfeel is thick, pot stilled and non chill filtered makes a difference. Palate is pit smoked saturation. Beef brisket and ribs, grilled corn and zucchini glazed with caramelized brown sugars surrounded in charred oak. Finishes long with the smoke and char overtaking the sweet sugars and wood. This is seriously like whiskey put in a BBQ smoker, just permeating the smoke into its essence. They could have partnered with Blacks here in Texas its so endemic. Im guessing this will be polarizing for some. I find it wonderful as I imagine many will but there will be opposition........83/100......Im starting to think I could be stocked with nothing but Balcones whiskies and be just fine

Ok this is basically American scotch....and its pretty good. Poured neat, nose has malt and fruit with young wood like many a scotch. Little bit of spice and gummy bear notes. I would compare to a light highland scotch .....say a Glengoyne. Palate brings good malt with blast of apricot. Gentle baking spice and barrel complete the puzzle. Finish is medium short with the malty fruit/barrel fade. Im not getting real smoke notes , more like char. Overall its a solid effort. The flavors have decent depth but there is some youth to contend with. I do think I would purchase a bottle if the price was right(a friend gave me this 200ml)....80/100......tried the single cask as well and that was better as expected...3.25 stars

This is some badass Texas single malt. Think of it as Stagg Jr Texas style. Well at least regarding proof. Flavors are quite different. Poured neat....this is actually better with 2-3 drops to open up but neat is absolutely doable. There is a lot going on here, it may start off with a hit of ethanol but just wait for it. Butter pecan, milky way, maypo cereal and smoked honey represent the sweet side. There is also dusty malt, new car, black beans, seasoned oak and puff of smoke from burnt tripped electrical circuit. Its like a combo of Balvenie Peat week and Bruichladdich Classic only much more intense. The mouthfeel is rich and oily leading way to palate explosion. Thick dark honey assaults along with graham cracker smores, 3 musketeers and creamy malt all tempered by Texas sunshine and weathered oak. This is framed with Bit-O-Honey candy bar engulfed in smoke. Finish is slow fade of nutty sweet notes, smoldering beehive and barrel with some added char. Overall Im blown away. The sheer intensity coupled with complexity at such a young age is remarkable. Thank the relentless Texas heat for quick extraction. If you enjoy a smoky, malty, honey profile you will be in love. It maybe hard to find but well worth the effort........98/100......Has improved since opened(little air calms the beast). Magnificent Texas Single Malt!..... Keep in mind this will mess you up fast so be careful

At last I have brought this bourbon home after years of searching. This stuff is good. I recommend if you like wheater profile. Poured neat(well a drop really opens it up) the nose brings sponge cake batter, caramel, old library books and baking spice with a seasoned oak. Buttered cinnamon rolls and dusty oak plow through palate catching melted sugar, strong dose of vanilla caramel with yeasty bread dough along the way. Mouthfeel is typical wheater but does not take away from the flavor delivery. Finishes dry oak and spice with the sweet bready notes and raw vanilla hanging on. Quite a good pour even with price tag. Need to do side by side but pretty sure it bests Makers 46 handily. Maybe slightly overpriced but its single barrel 10 yr age stated ......86/100......one of the better wheaters out there if you can find it........I may be scoring a bottle of Weller 12 yr so I will do comparo if I get it

Ok yeah I know another MGP 95 sourced rye ho hum. I went in with very low expectations (I did get this bottle free from my awesome co-worker) but ended up surprised. Im not gonna run over tasting notes as mgp rye is well known and familiar with flavor in most settings. This however is more subdued. Its a softer taste without the dill and harshness. Its dare I say smoother than most of its ilk.. Not James Pepper Barrel proof good but better than some mgp siblings. I realize free whiskey always tastes better and I most likely would not purchase but nonetheless Im giving this a solid score.....74/100.......ymmv

Ok about halfway through this bottle and cannot believe how much I like it. Seriously this tastes like a $50+ bottle of highland scotch imo. Poured neat, nose has good malty notes with soft barrel and tropical fruits. Think papaya, maybe some melon. Very fresh and full with a splash of spice. Great mouthfeel(this seems to be a Balcones trademark) leads to palate blast of peaches, nectarine and orange marmalade. Its thick rich malt flavor with a blend of baking spice, leather and salted oak. Long finish with the malt and fruits fading slowly alongside drying oak. Blind I would put this as 12-15 yr Highland....a good one. There is a flash of the youth/heat but you can tell how good the new make is. The Golden Promise must be shining through I guess. The vfm here is unreal and this will be a constant shelf dweller for me from here on........91/100.....at its price point might be best whiskey on the market, absolutely delicious