Balcones Private Cask Stout finished

Can be mistaken for a Sherry cask rum in a blind tasting. Nose: Dark Chocolate, Guava, Pineapples, Mangoes. Espresso, Mocha, Raisins, Dates, Toffee, Luxardo Cherries, Figs, Raspberries, Smores, Lavender Palate: Raisins, Dark Chocolate, Guava, Honey, Salted Caramel, Grapefruits, Toffee, Plums, Violets, Prunes Finish: Raisins, Coffee, Dark Chocolate, Raspberries, Strawberries, Cookie Au Lait

The next dram on my Balcones tour is this triple matured single malt, thanks to @Richard-ModernDrinking for the sample. If I have this correct, this was aged in new American oak before being finished in an ex-rum cask that was used to finish a stout then came this single malt to get some of the rum and stout flavors. Balcones definitely doesn’t shy away from trying out new and unique ideas, but let’s find out if it worked. The nose starts with fruits of charred pineapple, caramelized bananas, apricots, then Jamaican jerk eggplant followed by soapy floral notes before spices of dill, chicory, dark roast coffee, leather and light oak with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a thin-medium mouthfeel starting with fruits of pineapple, charred plantains, dehydrated apricot followed by soapy floral notes before chicory, espresso beans and light oak with a high ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with chocolate covered espresso beans, chicory, charred pineapple, toasted marshmallow, leather and light oak. This is an interesting experiment from Balcones that’s very unique with a mix of tropical, coffee, floral and wood notes, but the balance of the flavors seems off with the soapy floral notes overpowering the taste before a really enjoyable finish with chocolate covered espresso beans. It’s an enjoyable drink, but not one of my top three Balcones products, which would go to their Peated Single Malt, Blue Corn Bourbon, and True Blue Tequila Finished.

Big, bold, rough, and pushing the boundaries. That pretty much sums up this Balcones. Balcones itself is quite big and bold. Combine that with a bold beer like a stout finish, and you can have either a freakin disaster on your hands, or a damn good experiment. This is fortunately the latter. The best part of this is the aroma. As soon as I opened the sample vial, I got aromas wafting through the air of roasted coffee. The smell alone is a 5 star rating. Taste is roasted coffee, malt, chicory and oak. It’s a brawny belter of a dram, pulls no punches and comes at you like a freight train carrying Colombian coffee beans. Let it sit out a bit, add some water to tame the 62% ABV, and enjoy...this isn’t meant to drink quickly, but really take your time with it. Thanks to @Richard-ModernDrinking for the generous sample. This is not available in any retail or at the distillery shop, so I’m that much more thankful to have tried it.