Nose - butterscotch, vanilla bean, dusty corn, funnel cake, caramel corn, honey, milk chocolate, baked apple, cherry, rich oak, orange zest, black pepper, sweet dough, nutmeg, cinnamon, leather, tobacco, floral note, moderate to high ethanol burn. Taste - caramel corn, butterscotch, vanilla, cherry, powdered sugar, apple, rich oak, chili pepper, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, dark chocolate, coffee, leather, tobacco, lemon, moderate to high alcohol bite, finishing long with rich caramel, coffee, baking spice, and citrus zest flavors. Oh yes. I knew I was going to like this, and I do. Balcones does corn whiskey right, and this is no exception. It’s rich, deeply sweet, and powerful. And pours with an extremely dark, beautiful mahogany color. The nose has everything you want in corn whiskey. Caramel, vanilla, sweet fruits, and confectioneries, underpinned with rich chocolate, marked baking spices, leather, and strong oak. The palate is rather similar. Oily, rich, and brash. Did I mention it was rich? Texas whiskey just hits different. No surprises here. This is right in my wheelhouse. I was very close to giving this a rare 4.5, but it’s just slightly hotter and brighter than it probably should be. A bit more time in the barrel would likely have elevated this. But honestly, I kinda like that it’s so hot. It slaps you around, and sometimes that’s what you need after a long day. And what’s better? This is $55 a bottle! And what’s even better than that? It seems that the new batch just dropped. I snagged one online at a Total Wine near me. If you like bold Texas whiskey, buy one. I doubt you’ll be disappointed at that price. A huge thank you to @jonwilkinson7309 for introducing me to this one. It’s a gem.