Balcones High Plains Single Malt Single Barrel (2020)

Spec's pick Barrel No. 19576 Bottled - 08-28-2020 Age - 30 months 63.9% abv; 127.8 proof Open 2.5 years Nose - Hot, spicy, black pepper, dill, ground cinnamon, burnt malt, strong oak, and very strong ethanol. Palate - Overwhelmingly oily and mouthcoating, very spicy, oak extract, burnt honey malt, and burnt marshmallow. Finish is long, oily, heavy oak, heavy spice, light honey, and strong ethanol. I'm over Balcones. Every cask strength whiskey I've tried from them has a similar pattern. The neck pour is great, then it quickly gets worse. Worse as in they all start tasting like flavored oak extract. I don't know why that is, but I do know it has happened with bottles I've split with my friend over the last 5 years. Corn whiskey, bourbon, rye, unpeated and peated single malt. I never enjoy them after the first few weeks. If you're interested in Texas whiskey, my suggestion is to try Ironroot or Still Austin. They have the spirit of that Texas hyperage but maintain the flavors of whiskey you are used to from the Midwest. I split this with my friend who will buy

Nose: Burnt caramel, toffee, and faint fruit esters. Palate: Thick baking spices with an initial heavy burn. Notes of honey and apple. Finish: Dry and hearty. Leaves a tingle on the lips as the leather-like burn subsides.

N: carmelized sugar, raw honey, winter spices, lemon peel P: matches the nose initially, then builds into pepper and oak O: very rich and thick, dense, spice builds

Strong, needs water. Caramel and sweet on the nose. Peppery, sweet but overwhelmingly alcoholic