soonershrink
Balcones Peated Single Malt Sauternes Cask
Single Malt — Texas, USA
Reviewed
December 23, 2021 (edited January 7, 2023)
I happened to know someone driving through Waco the day after this released and he was able to pick up a bottle to smuggle into Oklahoma. Somehow both sweeter and smokier than the regular Peated Single Malt, but also less brash and in your face. The regular Peated sees three years in virgin oak before two more years in ex-bourbon barrels. This one has two years in ex-bourbon barrels before three years in Sauternes casks. I thought 3 years in the Texas heat in Sauternes casks would make this cloyingly sweet, but there is a remarkable balance between the dessert wine sweetness and the smoky peat. I'm not saying this is better than the regular Peated - it's different enough that it's own experience, but it is incredible whiskey and at least on the level as the already exceptional annually released Peated Single Malt.
Update: spending some more time with this and comparing it to the regular peated, I am thinking now that it doesn’t have quite the complexity and layers upon layers as the regular. I like this a lot, but I’m ranking it just below the regular peated.
105.0
USD
per
Bottle
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Congrats on the score. Im on the lookout if it hits the stores but over $100 is steep, the regular peated is low 70's
I just went and grabbed one tonight, you hit the nail exactly on the head. I recommend adding a little water in it, it opens up very nicely.
Nice review! Sounds amazing. Hopefully this follows the same approach as the regular peated…from distillery-only to national distro (or at least to Cali! 😉)
@soonershrink. Damnit. Now I feel like driving through Waco..
Ugh this sounds amazing. Wish I had a friend driving through Waco too. Thanks for sharing. I wouldn’t have known what I was missing out on otherwise :)