I admittedly have a strange relationship with Balcones. On one hand, I really like that they are innovative and unique. On the other, what’s in the bottle doesn’t always match up to the vision. A Balcones Single Malt...so intrigued. Ok...I will go into all the tasting notes in a moment. But I’m going to give the summary first; this expression is everything that is great about Balcones whiskeys with none of the flaws. On the nose, a pungent but well blended mix of brown sugar, vanilla bean, black tea, campfire smoke, mesquite, nutmeg, and a hint of pencil eraser. Palate hits hard with creme brûlée, molasses, and all sorts of burnt sugars, transitioning into some fig and date in the mid-palate, and the ride is a smooth one. Flavors are rich and decadent. On the finish there is some prickly peppery heat, almost like that of an actual chili pepper, along with some woody mesquite. (I know it’s really oak but Balcones “scrub oak” always seems to have a mesquite note for me) A really divine dark chocolate note comes out when everything else has faded, and I love a finish that evolves. Mouthfeel is oily, but could stand to be a little thicker to match these big flavors. Where as other Balcones expressions (even the pretty excellent Brimstone) beat you up and take your wallet, this one whispers Sweet Nothings in your ear. Everything is just more layered, better balanced, and dare I say it, a little softer. I really enjoyed this one. At $70 it’s hard to call it a bargain, but I’m very glad I bought it and will probably be the primary Balcones product to grace my cabinet from now on.