Balcones Baby Blue

Nose is pancakes with lots of syrup, with a bit of corn and ethanol. Body is smooth with more pronounced corn and the finish is spicy with a bit of burn.

The nose is light with caramel and some grass. An interesting chalky scent comes out that makes it seem odd and reminds me of Corsair Quinoa's earthiness, though with a sweeter note rather than the bitter teabag scent mixed with dark fruits. It smells gross, like Lucky Charms (without the marshmallows) were steeped in it but with a bit of the malty, yeast still there. It certainly smells grainy. The palate has a bit of harshness - more than the nose suggests. The chalky grassiness immediately comes out and coats the tongue. The light caramel is there blending with the grass in a way that sort of works. The grain and grass intermingle here with the chalkiness (sort of like oatmeal dust) pervading. The grassiness here is a bigger problem than in Herradura Reposado because the citrus isn't present to add some bitterness and liven it up (also because tequila is supposed to taste more like vegetation). There's more sweetness here than in Herradura Reposado, but it's unbelievably grassy. The actual taste of oatmeal does come in too. Although the caramel doesn't have that fake, 6 month old sickly sweetness, it has a lightness that really makes it taste young. It tastes a lot like a reposado tequila; in fact, if you convinced me it was one I'd like it better. There is a nice hint of apricot on the finish, but it's more the thoroughly dried variety than the luxurious kind. On the long tail of the finish, there's a faint hint of coffee grounds. This isn't so much awful as it is weird, though it isn't really good either. Don Julio 1942 has some of the same flavor elements with the grainy variant on grassiness, but it is nowhere near as chalky and it has a much nicer caramel and more robust flavor. This tastes awful after trying Don Julio 1942, though I do get some of the subtleties coming out with the lightness. It's very interesting. The spice and smoke flavors are lightly present. There's plenty of vanilla, moving with a bit of a floral element. There's a little tartness but not too much. This is clearly predominantly corn (100%, as it turns out). I could believe that there was a small amount of rye in here, but wheat is definitely the closest other flavor that I get. Corsair is rich and luscious after drinking this, though with a bit of that Old Forester Signature flavor that lacks subtlety. Coming back to this drink, the mouthfeel is actually quite viscous and reminds me faintly of Don Julio 1942, but if Don Julio 1942 weren't very good. The complexity does eventually come out, saving this with a basket of grain flavors, but it never tastes great and the beginning is really rough. After every break - even just a minute long one - that painful first sip returns. Confusingly, the finish is substantially better than the nose or initial palate. Corsair Quinoa has a comparatively mild beginning and while it has fewer flavors in it, there's a rich, interesting quality to it that makes it more enjoyable. The finish on Corsair Quinoa evolves too, becoming more fruity with some more standard hedonistic notes of chocolate and tobacco.

Flaviar sample. Nose: sweet cream corn, caramel. Palate is pumpkin spice, honey, cedar, corn.

Not as sweet as I thought from the initial almost candy corn aroma, ultimately really enjoyed with a spiced dark chocolate finish. Best on the rocks for a little dilution.

Incredibly sweet and fruity, a bit of spice on the back end. Mostly banana, overall pretty smooth.