Balcones Lineage Texas Single Malt

I previously reviewed this back on February 7 of 2022, but I was still fairly new to whisky then, and I now have 15 months more experience and figured it would be good to review it again. Though this is, as Scottish law defines the term, a "single malt" (it has a mash bill of 100% "malted" barley, and is the product of a single distillery), I prefer to call it "barley whisky." There is no legal definition of "single malt" in the United States, and anyway we speak American English, not Scottish English. Why not just call it barley whisky, and say that a barley whisky must have a mash bill of 51% barley, so that American distillers don't have to either conform to foreign regulations, or ignore those regulations? And "sprouted" is, in the States, a far better word than "malted," which conveys no meaning to most people. But that's just my gripe - the whisky is far above all that. It's 94 proof, has a mash bill of 100% sprouted barley (some from Texas and some from Scotland), and is old gold in the glass. A fifth cost me $41.99 at Kelly Liquors in the Mountain Run Shopping Center here in Albuquerque - and as you'll see below, I consider it worth every penny. NOSE: The nose is very dense, and at first all I got was an impression of dark mixed fruit. As I continued to nose the whisky, I began sorting things out, and the individual notes were lighter and sunnier. I found pears, mangos, plums, applesauce, an almost peaty smokiness (though this isn't a peated whisky), pecan praline ice cream, crisp juicy apples, caramel candy, vanilla extract, butter and citrus honey, and something warm and savory that I couldn't further identify. The nose on this stuff is so delicious that I have to remind myself to begin sipping. MOUTHFEEL: Smooth. TASTE: I never can find as much in the taste as I do on the nose. This is surely a defect in my palate. What I got here was golden honey, peaches, a tiny bit of oak, baked apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon. FINISH: This is a long finish, beginning with oak and apples, moving into cinnamon oak, and fading into brown sugar. SUMMARY: This is a luxurious and fruity whisky. If you're used to bourbon or rye, this will be something very different. It is similar, naturally, to Scottish "single malt" whisky, which is fruity, but with the higher proof than Scotch or Irish whisky of a similar price, and the effect of aging in the more extreme Texas climate, it's not as light as whisky from Scotland or Ireland. At three years old this is a young whisky - considerably younger than "single malt" from Scotland - but aging in Texas has made it robust and wonderful. This is one of the best whiskies I've ever had. RATING: On my hick scale, I put it at Mighty Fine, which is equal to five stars, or 100/100 or 10/10.

Every time I've opened a new Balcones bottle it's impressed me, and this is no exception. I love this whisky, though it's nothing like the bourbon and corn whisky I've become used to. The mash bill is 100% malted barley from Texas and Scotland. According to the label, it's AGED AT LEAST 36 MONTHS IN OAK - apparently they have a minimum aging period, after which they age to taste. It's 94 proof, and cost me $41.99 for a fifth at the Uptown Total Wine here in Albuquerque. The color in the glass is reddish wheat. The legs form very slowly, which I take indicates the amount of alcohol, and run down long and randomly spaced around the glass. NOSE: The nose is very strong - before I ever approached the glass to my nose, I could smell the whisky. It wasn't unpleasant, and there were no specific notes, but I could definitely smell it. Approaching my nose to the glass I detected apple juice and alcohol. With my nose fully into the glass, there were notes of vanilla, an underlying warm note, apples, bananas, and a very slight smokiness. TASTE: Sipping the whisky gave me an initial note of cool water. Then came a note of bitter Baker's Chocolate (which I used to enjoy eating when I was young), and some oak. After the complexity of the nose, the simplicity of the taste surprised me, but it's nevertheless a very pleasing thing on the tongue. The mouthfeel is very creamy, almost oily. FINISH: The finish is long. It begins with a strong oak note, followed by dark chocolate and puffed wheat, with smoke coming on, followed by brown sugar. Then the oak comes back and lingers, and lingers, and lingers... I expected great things from this bottle because the two other Balcones products I've had delivered great things. The Lineage didn't disappoint me; I expected great things, and it delivered great things.

These notes are from a blind tasting (Flaviar Advent Calendar) The smell is like soapy wax vanilla and some raw honey, maybe raw almonds/walnuts. The soapy wax vanilla dominates the smell The taste is sour vanilla. The soapy wax feel makes it a unique experience. I can taste some spice behind the wax. Cinnamon, mint, and banana.  The finish is short - with sour vanilla, wax, and spicy banana This is interesting. I think the wax/soap thing is a bit too much for me but I did warm up to it after a while…. Not so much that I would run out and purchase it, but it became less offensive over time. The dominating soapy wax characteristics remind me of the 1794 Maryland Four Grain Rye that I reviewed a few years back. This one is going to be an acquired taste. If you are up for a challenge this could be one to put on your list.  Overall Grade: C (Average)

A complex, Texas Single Malt Whisky by Balcones Distillery in Waco, Texas crafted with a combination of Simpsons Golden Promise malted barley from Scotland & local malted barley from the West Texas plains. It is distilled in copper pot stills built by Forsyths; aged in new & refill barrels, whose staves have been "yard-aged" for 36 months; bottled at 47% ABV. It has an aromatic birth with notes of barley, fruit, wood, herbs & spices; while a rich & complex life adds notes of walnut cake, flan, bananas foster, toasted woods & vanilla; that led to a long & warm death with notes of apple streusel, pear galette, English toffee & bitter cream. December 2022

Nose: Barley, funky chocolate, a hint of vanilla Palate: Oak, a little bit of smoke, pepper, and baking spices Finish: A short-medium finish that leaves a sweetness in the mouth Before we had the official definition of American Single Malt we had Balcones. The mix of Scottish and American-grown malted barley makes for a truly unique and different dram. Now that I've had more time with this bottle, it's the bottle you'll keep on your bar for "something different" than the usual suspects. It does what it does well however, I personally don't find myself reaching for it very often. In a world full of Barbies, it's the weird one.

Quite complex and layered for the price point. On the nose I get some some smoky caramel, layered on top of a sweet cherry-licorice syrup, followed by a hint of spice—maybe black pepper, maybe anise… I couldn’t quite pin it. Upon first taste, you’re met with the smokiness and some heat, but it quickly passes through to brown sugar and apple, still finishing with that touch of spice. As it opens up, the flavors only grow richer—the brown sugar and licorice move forward while the heat and spice remain. Each sip you will catch something different. Such a fun one!