Balcones Peated Texas Single Malt Whisky

If you like anything in the Balcones line, get this. It's big, bold, and everything great about Balcones in a near-perfect whisky. Warm graham cracker, baking spices, molasses, and just enough smoke to balance everything out. If you see it, buy it.

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

Nose - oddly refined and mellow. Light smoke over a gentle sweetness. I can't believe this is higher abv. When I let it sit a bit I get a nice sweet and warm caramel and peated and powerful note, but a second nosing and it's gone. This one isn't the most aromatic whisky out there if you don't let it build it, but if you do, it's rewarding. Taste - Well forget everything on the nose. Punch you in the face balcones single malt. Cinnamon, oak, funk, texas heat, caramel, vanilla, and well peat? OK so yeah I see some peat here it's subtle and hidden for sure, but at the same time it's overt and in your face. That's kinda the magic of this pour. If you've had balcones single malt it's a BIG BOLD whisky and this is even more so and in that you can miss what is actually a hell of a peat punch because it's hidden in the oak or the oak is hidden in the peat? I can't tell. However on the finish you really do get a nice lingering peat element...and cinnamon and oak..and texas. I'm doing it, a rare 3.0 from me. I'm digging the living hell out of this. Uniqueness is driving me higher but not for uniqueness but because I want more of this intense balcones sweetness and sugars and spice with peat. This is pushing 150 dollar bottle quality, get one of these if you can. I might have to workout a bottle shipment myself. Heavy water pour for science. It has been my experience that water when applied to CS can really pull out the flaws so lets see if this holds up to the higher standards. So the water has done ZERO to the flavor. It's just honestly it's not even thinner. The flavors are slightly muted but again the same. I added like 20% water here. There's a touch of mineral coming out but I think that's from the water itself as I didn't have a bottled water ready. Really REALLY well done balcones.

Butterscotch, malt must, woody, slight hint of campfire. Serious alcohol burn at first , but then the butterscotch really comes through. Definitely add water. Found that 2 caps of water really made it very enjoyable.

Sweet malt character. Dried fruits. Thick mouth feel. Clings to the pallet. Smokey peat and brisket. BBQ brisket nose with floral and fruity notes. Finish is lingering. Peat is concentrated in mid pallet. Gently fades.

This one is different. Not traditional peat like in scotch. Has an herbal/tea spice to it.

Belcones Peat Single Malt Puts me in a old leather chair reading a old leather Book of Ben-Hur smoking a sweet smooth cigar with the smell of TX BBQ cooking outside. Nose: Acid Cigar, TX BBQ, Old Leather Book Front: Matches noses with a added toasted cereal note Back/Finish: Just keeps coming strong with all notes and smell that continues to last and linger on... Damn good!

All the same quality you would expect from Balcones Single Malt but with a peaty flavor. But not to worry, it isn't the briney peat flavor but more like from the highlands.