Balcones Cataleja

Nose is wholly unpleasant with burnt rubber, smoke, wet cardboard, grape must, earthy damp cellar, and root vegetables (turnip? beet?) But then something strange happened…the burnt rubber and cardboard aromas vanished to be replaced by overripe date, salted caramel, strawberry, and plum. I’ve never had anything like this happen before. Am I drunk? Ethanol is pronounced and spikey. Things improve on palate with prune juice, brown sugar, port wine, sherry, white grape, vanilla, fudge, clove, allspice, black cherry, coffee, and vegetal beet. While reading that back it sounds good, but it sounds better than it tastes. Hard to describe, but the flavors are unruly and over the place. Finish is long with creme brûlée, pencil eraser, barrel char, dark chocolate, toasted oak, leather, black pepper, mint, sulphur, and astringent iodine. Mouthfeel is full bodied, chewy, and slick. Maybe it’s me, but I just didn’t dig this whiskey; too many weird/off notes at every step. A hot mess express. At $119 that I paid for this bottle via mail order, I regret my life choices. Strange because I usually enjoy Balcones, but this one missed the mark for me big time.

The nose has sherry all over it, there’s also gunpowder, amaro, raisin, fig, berry jelly, caramel, almonds, something herbal, vanilla, oak, leather, butterscotch, toffee, malted barley, orange, cherry. On the palate, again heavy sherry cask, very very heavy that is, with grape jelly, berries, amaro, Dr. Pepper, vanilla, raisins, Jolly Ranchers, sweet, but somehow not too much so. Finishes sweet and fruity, dry with a touch of spice. What a level of complexity, the layers take almost no imagination. They’re distinct and potent, morphing back and forth with each visitation. This isn’t my favorite single malt. My favorites would be a bit less sweet and fruity. But for complexity I know I haven’t met its equal. @twostal

Cateleja is a complex beast. Raisins, truffles, sulphuric dry sherry sweetness, chocolate, dates, tobacco, and mature grapes. Cons: 1. The price 2. The rotten egg flavor of sulphuric sherry, which is prominent with the bottle first opened. (A popular Youtuber review even started the review with a frown about the rotten egg note, but later admires its 'complexity'.) Pros: 1. Complex 2. Unique 3. Maybe all those dark flavors coalesce and harmonize with a little air and time opened up... I'm taking a half-glass empty approach, especially after comparing it to the instantly pleasing and wondrous Glendronach batch 12 right afterwards...

I have over 120 bottles. My initial sit down with this one I was very torn as to if I loved it or hated it. I'm about 1/2 way into this bottle now and it's become my favorite go to. It can be totally overpowering especially for people that think Blanton's is the end all be all. Everything from the nose to the finish are over the top. My best description of this one is it taste like Peated Russell's Reserve 15. Russell's 15 was my favorite bottle unfortunately it's gone belly up and I can justify what that bottle cost now.

Man is this the best thing ive had from balcones. You start off with some caramel, wet oak, damp hay, brown sugar. You then get some intense fruity notes, mostly dark prune and strawberries along with walnuts. The finish had a toasted coconut, baking spice and fruity finish thats long and flavorful. Proof point is perfect as well so all an all this has jumped to the top of my fav single malts. I really need to try more from balcones

I am reading all the reviews and I am trying to find all the off flavors. All I get are dry fruits, sherry, some berries, banana, brown sugar. It’s quite delicious. Not very hot for almost 60 ABV. Drinks quite nice. Mouth feel is light but has a very long finish. Bottle has been open for a few months, 90% full. Price is a little high.