Tastes

I wonder if the official reviewer either had a bad day or committed reviewer treason and tried it while eating or following something else. This is a very pleasant rye. It has that natural bite you come to expect with Redemption, but it’s coated in a candy sweetness. Yes, it’s not a rum bomb. But do you always want that? To me, keeping the qualities of a good rye and adding a hint of barrel influence is preferable to tasting only the barrel. This one is incredibly balanced and flavorful. And at the price point, it’s a steal. And while it’s wonderful on its own, it makes an incredibly great old fashioned. I used peach bitters to muddle the sugar and lemon instead of orange. Fantastic. I strongly disagree with the Distiller review and suggest they get someone else to offer a new opinion. It’s not fair to disparage a quality offering with what feels like a rushed and unserious review.

This was my first Balcones.. not bottle.. taste. I’ve never tried them. Always wanted to but never pulled the trigger. I’ve been on a rye whiskey cask finish kick lately. I guess this stood out because of the wine cask finish. The fact that it also mentioned wildflower honey and turbinado didn’t hurt. It just sounded too interesting to pass up. It pours very dark amber. You can see the wine influence. The nose is strong with even more red wine influence. At this point I’m wondering if they actually mixed wine into the bottle. Then the taste. And I’m going to explain it is plainly and accessible to the common whiskey fan as I can.. Imagine Woodford Double Oaked, with its thick, malty, almost acidic deep chocolate flavor. The hint of stone fruit. Imagine that. But imagine it at cask strength and a little younger. So more bite and a little more influence of the lack of aging. Now imagine it with a red wine cask finish. It’s truly a unique experience. Worth the price and worth a place on the shelf. It’s different enough that I know I can offer it to fans of both bourbon and scotch and all will find at least a layer of satisfaction in it. And I can’t imagine it in a cocktail. Would be wonderful.

This was gifted to me. My bottle is 138.6 proof. Batch 6, bottle 40. Very light nose. Faint hint of green fruit.. bananas, raisins, and maybe a tiny bit of apple.. and a whisp of vanilla. For the strong proof it’s quite surprising how little is going on here. It smells sort of similar to Redbreast 15, but lighter. The color is a soft amber. When I try to dive in deeper, all I get is alcohol. There’s just not much to the nose. The palette is almost immediately hot. The high proof chars my gums and tongue as it heats up. This drinks very similar to an Irish whiskey, just much higher proof. The raisin like bitterness is very present, but it sticks in your mouth. When I swallow, it’s like nothing happened in my throat. Light indeed. The bitterness continues to stick with me, but it’s not unpleasant. And there’s a sweetness that starts to carve a path 15-20 seconds after it’s gone. Kind of like a good IPA beer. You definitely crave more the longer your palette sits without it. For being so high proof, it’s quite enjoyable neat. I’m excited to try it with a sash of water as I can see it mellowing out just right. We’ll see. For the flavor I want to give it a 3.75. It’s good and something different at this proof level. Definitely unique. But I’m giving it a 4 because of how incredibly smooth it is at this proof level. Kudos to the distillery for a great product.

I was checking out a liquor store nearby that I’d never been to. Most of the prices were in line or slightly above market. But I noticed this sitting on the shelf, since I’d been considering it for a while but kept choosing other things for the same price (usually $65-$75 range). This was listed at $59. When I went to pay, the owner told me this had been on the shelf a while which was why it was cheaper than it should be. But here’s the kicker, this was the box set that comes with two Glencairn glasses. I actually feel like I got a steal! On the nose: It has a familiar nose. Perhaps I drink too much Aberlour, but it’s awfully similar. Dark fruit heavy. Virtually no oak and definitely no char. On the palette: again, I taste Aberlour. But this is slightly different. There is a semblance of oak, which makes sense with some of the juice spending it’s full life span in ex bourbon casks. It’s not very chewy like an Islay would be.. it’s balanced and neither delicate nor full. It slides right in and the sweetness hits you from the start. There’s a hint of alcohol and slight tingle. Raisen starts to take over at the end which is the sherry influence. The finish: Very much raisen. It’s pleasantly sweet and bitter at the same time. Chocolate creeps on and blends with the raisenin.. like the 90% cocoa dark chocolate bars that leave that dry yet appetizing lust for more. This is one of the most balanced sherried scotches I’ve tasted and is a testament to what a perfectly crafted sherried scotch can be. I’ll be keeping this one in stock for sure.

I’m about halfway through the bottle but this is my first written tasting. Everyone I’ve shared this with falls in love. It’s definitely got the oak, but it’s not overly pungent. Imagine your neighbor is smoking some meat next door. This the equivalent of being on your porch and catching a whiff when the wind blows just right, as opposed to being next to the pit. After the oak, you get slammed with layers of sweetness.. mostly warm cherries, followed by a short heat wave from the spice, followed by a smooth chocolate finish. A minute later, you’re left with a faint woody mouthfeel as the bite sticks to the back of your throat and slowly fades. This is a top shelf whiskey at reasonably affordable price. Don’t tell too many people about it. We don’t want it becoming too hard to find. I would recommend this as the final course of a meat heavy meal.

Really light and smooth as it's only 90 proof. 51% wheat in the mash bill which makes me happy. I love wheated whiskey. Nose is fairly tame.. bread and slight ethanol. The front is heavy bread but almost closer to shortbread. You get the slightest hint of sweet fruit on the back end with a tiny little kick that finishes easy. Do not add water. It won't do anything and doesn't have enough juice to need it. 83/100 for me. Not good enough to always keep around, but definitely good and something for a change of pace every so often. I imagine it would be a great dinner whiskey. Then have some chocolate cake with a glass of Woodford double oaked to finish the night.

I got this as part of an advent calendar in 2016. I just found the box and realized I never finished my samplings. The nose is sweet and potent. You can smell the alcohol but it isn’t completely unpleasant. At first taste, you get a blast of spice and sweet caramel that fades to tart raisens and rubbing alcohol. The tartness remains in the aftertaste. This isn’t my favorite drink. It’s not terrible, and I wouldn’t mind drinking it again, but I’m not sure I would buy a bottle for myself. I enjoy the immediate flavor but wasn’t a fan of how it almost soured in my mouth the more I drank. Perhaps a bit more aging, or maybe a longer barrell finish would do it well.

I heard this was strong. Somebody compared it to a “better Devil’s Cut”. The nose is warm maple. The initial taste is strong and spicy. As it moves around it mellows a little but still retains a spiced nuttiness. It finishes with a bang of flavor, yet goes down incredibly smooth.. which shocked me. The aftertaste is warm and flavorful, but doesn’t leave a burn in your throat. This was a surprising whiskey. It’s much more complex than it lets on, and is way smoother on the finish than advertised. For bourbon fans who prefer strong whiskeys, or beginners who might be ready to step up beyond the basics, this is a great buy. It’s definitely unique and will be a mainstay in my collection.

Nose is tangy with subtle sweetness. No peat and very unassuming. The first taste is Slightly peaty up front. Sea salt and candied pears with a sweet and tangy sort of fresh bread finish. Very light and smooth. Finish doesn't last long. Subsequent tastes will feel buttery on the front end. This is a very good drink. Offers something for everyone and would be a good introduction for someone who might have started their scotch obsession with Johnny Walker Black and might be looking for something a little more balanced and delicate.