St. George Baller Single Malt Whisky

Amazing nose! Notes if very fine sake, floral, cantaloupe , crisp white wine. Taste is very close to the nose except there is a tiny bit of bitter tail. Totally worth the money if you can find a bottle.

There’s no two ways about it - if you’ve seen, smelled, or tasted St. George Baller Single Malt Whisky, you know you are beholding something unique and funky. Whether it’s funky in a good or bad way is completely up to you. I’ll refer you to @dubz480 ‘s review for details on this whisky’s production. This elusive bottle can be very hard to track down. It can also be very hard to find a pour. When I finally came across a bottle of this at a bar with it tucked up on the top shelf between Michter’s 10 Year Old Bourbon and Clase Azul Reposado Tequila, I was excited and then terrified at how much it would set me back. When barman informs me it’s $19 a pour, I’m almost relieved. It’s pricey but doable and I don’t have to gamble on a bottle. Thankfully he also gave me a very generous pour for that $19. Let’s get into those notes (with the caveat that it’s a public tasting). Nose: Sweet and tangy dark fruits, intense lychee, rice, and strong smoke notes. The smoke is more like fireplace than campfire or barbecue. Palate: Light bodied and crisp, with loads of flavors and textures going on but at their heart, they are youthful. Sweet and smokey hits first, then the acidity of the wine comes into play with some brine. Notes of lychee, overripe black plums and persimmons dominate the fruit, and the smoke from the nose becomes ash. There’s not much in the way of medicinally smokey notes, it’s just ashy. The rice paper/rice tea flavor is prominent enough to make you think there was rice in the mash bill. Finish: Pretty short, and dominated by ash and overripe fruity sweetness. Impressions: It’s definitely unique. The youth hurts this one a little bit for me, because while the variety of casks and finishes have done a lot to cover that youth up, it still comes through as a ricey graininess covered up with smoke and wine. It’s a bit discordant to me, but it’s almost there as far as quality product goes. Also of note, this dram strikes me a bit like cotton candy does - not in flavor or sweetness - but because both are unique, there’s nothing else really out there to compare them too, and after a taste or two - I’m good, I don’t really need any more. All of this is likely why it’s recommended to try this in a highball (hence the “Baller” namesake), but the asking prices make it seem crazy to use this as a mixer. 3.0 ~ Average* *Yes, I’m completely aware of the irony in rating this “average” considering there is nothing middle of the road about this dram. But 3.0 seems about right considering other drams I’ve given the same rating based on my overall impressions. Your mileage will likely vary...

Atypical...

Sweet up front balances spice on the back end nicely. Floral.

I was really excited about this one having heard many good things. The nose on the Baller is extremely unique. There are surprising notes of lychee, black tea, very light vanilla, and a background note of fireplace ash. The palate is where this whiskey really takes a hard left turn. The lychee notes on the nose come through again, but are quickly overwhelmed by a strange savory note landing somewhere between that savory Japanese rice tea, dried seaweed, and stale Bud Light. The ashy notes are rather dominant here as well. Rather than the rich smoky notes of a nice Islay scotch, the ashy palate comes across like an old ash tray, again with those strange stale beer notes. Like the smell of a slightly sketchy night club right around closing time. The finish is straight seaweed and cigar ash. I love a good savory, smoky whiskey but the Baller, while interesting, does not agree with my palate in any way shape or form. Definitely try this before you buy it.

Just so beautiful. Grabbed the 2 bottles I found on the shelf.

Neat. First taste of this. Plums hum from the glass immediately. Dark fruits dominate and the wine influence comes out more and more. Oh that is interesting. I’ve never had anything quite like this. Plum wine comes to mind especially due to that sweetness. Vanilla and smoke hidden beneath the fruit. I’ve been dedicated to bourbon for some time so this is me spreading my wings a bit in a different category. I like this a lot. Completely different spectrum of flavors than I am used to, but still inviting and delicious. A refreshing, fruity treat that would go well around a fall campfire.