Balcones True Blue Cask Strength

Balcones True Blue Cask Strength Single Barrel Greens Farms Spirits store pick Barrel: 15770 used american oak Bottled: 5/20/21 65.9% alc/vol 131.8 proof Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium-dark amber. Nose: Sweet caramel notes dominate with some dark fruits underneath, and a hint of cocoa and marshmallow. Palate: Some oak tannins, very sweet. Finish: Long length with medium heat. Splash: Some of the fruits from the nose return. Overall: 8/10 - While the palate doesn't quite hold up to the promosing notes in the nose, this is an enjoyable dram that could easily be a daily based on price and availability.

Very complex and takes a while to develop. Alcohol heat up front from the 68.9 ABV followed by molasses, burnt sugar and sweet corn, then baking spices and a touch of cinnamon, then oak. Long finish of burnt sugar and an almost maple syrup-like candied sweetness, then a return to heat and spice that truly linger. Good stuff!

Strong, leather, spicy, coffee, alcohol. Too hot neat but awesome on rocks.

Rich, oily oak and a sweet vanilla. Long finish that feels the mouth with spice. This is well worth a buy if you like higher proof whisky

Batch TBC19-1, 63.1% hot but smooth

Rating: 19/23 I had a sample of a different Balcones True Blue Cask Strength pick and was wowed by it. I looked up Balcones True Blue Cask Strength and found that this pick was the only offering around and it was local! Despite the hefty sin taxes, I went over to the store and grabbed a bottle. I hope that this holds up. N: There's a lot of presence, with a big tartness melded with dry wood, maple syrup, and bit of chocolate. I feel like there's a little more going on here, but I'm not able to place what those characteristics are. There's a bit of dusty dirt going on adding some nuance. I get some alcohol heat, but not flavor, here. I generally like the nose, though the tartness makes it a bit funky and restrains the fullness. P: This is quite rich, but it's oddly lacking in fullness. There's chocolate and maple and wood, with spices and heat from the alcohol, but there's never youthful alcohol flavor coming through. There is also a big tart dryness that carves a big chunk off of the fullness though. Unfortunately, it's a bit funky in an off sort of way and it's a bit bitter in a way that makes me think it's a tad over-oaked (just a tad though). The flavors that stand out the most here are the tannins, prickly spices, maple, and jalapeño earthiness. Maybe the chocolate too. It's all very rich and full. There are still vegetal hints, but they are very faint. I get baking spice as well mixed in with full wood in the tannins. It really seems a bit over-oaked, though not tremendously so. This is a decent enough palate, but it isn't all that amazing and it certainly doesn't inspire me. F: It's rich and full, but toward the bitter side. Those tannins remains, alongside maple with some vegetal floral hints. Faint baking spices. Faint. Maybe the tiniest hints of semi-sweet chocolate, but it's hard to detect. Actually, I think I definitely do get chocolate. - Conclusion - This is unfortunately not as good as the other Balcones True Blue Cask Strength pick (22/23) I tried. Lost Lantern's 2 year old single barrel (22/23) is frustratingly superior to this. I say "frustratingly" because this is more than 5 years old. This has more of a weird funk to it and is a bit over-oaked though. The Lost Lantern is nuanced and delectable. This just doesn't live up to that. On the other hand, this is definitely better than my bottle of Garrison Brothers Balmorhea 2021 (17/23). That is lighter with more minerality and kind of funky weirdness. The increased richness here is substantial and decadent. This might not be as complex, but I like it better, even though there are notes of jalapeño and ash. So this is in the 18 to 21 range. Wild Turkey Rare Breed 116.8 (18-19/23) shows substantially more nuance and sweet fruit, but it isn't as full and displays a lot more alcohol. My inclination is to favor this, but not by a lot. There is still plenty of complexity here though, with a nice depth as the palate unfolds. Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Barrel Proof (21/23) is more decadently rich than this, with its green banana and oiliness with a toffee backing. This can't compete with that richness, but it's more nuanced and still decadent. 1792 Full Proof (19/23) is sweeter with more minerality and banana toffee sweetness. I'm inclined to place this a little above the 1792, but I'm note sure. This is in the 19 to 20 range. It's delightful, but it is unfortunately a step down from the other pick I tried. I hope that it improves over time with air