Balcones Lineage Texas Single Malt

Honey, oak and corn on the nose. Corn Pops cereal, honey, circus peanut, very light and approachable on the taste. Great bottle

Summer night sipper

UPDATE: Bottle Status = Half-way mark. Yup, I called it. This keeps getting better. Incremental complexity and richness with each new tipple . More balanced flavors keep revealing themselves with every sip ...pineapple, apple crisps, condensed milk. I still get the “malt” notes but they’re ensconced in yummy delicious flavors that are closer to the sweet side than savory. Just when you think the ride is over, bam, tropical mango. As you’re getting used to that, hello, honey dew melon! And so on, and so forth. I think I’ll get another bottle for the proverbial road! Cheers POD!

Super interesting. The smell explodes with cherrywood and vanilla. On the taste the cherry and oak stay strong but over time I’m getting almost a cream soda flavor. On the aftertaste vanilla and something herbal. Quite fun for the price.

Ah, yet another Balcones expression. I’ve reviewed a ton and before sampling I was wondering how many more times I can say “brown sugar, mesquite, and smoke”? Imagine my surprise to find something very different... On the nose we find apple cider, creme brûlée, vanilla bean, and wood note that is more tree sap than oak barrel. Musty malty aroma comes through on repeated sniffs. Next to no ethanol. Certainly different, and inviting enough. Palate opens with some pretty standard vanilla/caramel notes, with some egg creme thrown in. Mid-palate brings walnut and baking spices in the form of allspice, cinnamon, and candied ginger. Flavors are rich and punch far above the proof point. The finish is like angels singing. Caramel praline ice cream with some nutmeg sprinkled on top. Oak rides underneath like a carpet. Mouthfeel is Charmin soft, silky and delicate (are we sure this is Balcones?) and matches the flavor profile and finish to a tee. I found this to be an absolute delight. I said in a previous review that you don’t want a “turned down” Balcones, but I was dead wrong as it’s nice that it doesn’t have to assault your taste buds to deliver a full flavored experience. At $31, I’m pretty convinced that this is the best whiskey for the price point on the planet. Don’t hesitate to grab yourself one; you will be glad you did.

Warm and fruit-forward.