Balcones Peated Single Malt Sauternes Cask

N: A penetrating lemon citrus, other citrus, white grapefruit, white wine, a deeply floral honey, mango, kiwi, ripe berries, hints of barley cereal. The only peated character of this I can detect is a faint bbq scent that sort of permeates everything. It's subtle, exceptionally so when compared the regular finish on the Peated. But it is also intense and packed with layers of different notes. In other words, it's a cask strength Balcones. P: Citrus-peach wrapped in caramel (if citrus-peach doesn't exist, it should), bbq'd grapefruit, chocolate candies with a salted caramel center, lemon tea with milk, charred wood, dash of the toasted marshmallow that's a hallmark of the standard Peated, cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, fresh baked bread with dried basil and thyme in the dough, and plenty of heat. F: Cooked cinnamon (like a stick stewed in a mulled wine), lots of oak and cheek puckering tannins, chili pepper burn, vanilla, dark chocolate covered pretzels, grapefruit bitterness (almost like a hoppy beer), medicinal notes, baked bread, white grapes, stone fruit, dried flowers/heather, pine (just a little), and lingering chili pepper heat. There's more. This goes on forever - I'll probably still be tasting it in the morning. Point 1: incredible whisky. Seriously, just fantastic. Point 2: niche flavors. You kinda gotta be into this to really like it. It's not a Balcones Peated variation (okay, technically it is). It's something quite different. It almost isn't fair to compare this to the Peated because it's so different. But the reality is this is a bit of a niche whisky that has to appeal to someone who loves, well, grapefruit, mostly. It reminds me a bit of the classic, super hopped, West Coast IPAs - it's an acquired taste. But people who have acquired that taste are probably still reading. Give it a go, if it's still around. I would add two smaller points: unless this bottle crazy specifically appeals to you, it's not worth the markup over the regular Peated, which is an amazing beast, but different. Second, I tried this multiple ways, but found straight in a Glencairn to be best. Normally, above 55% I prefer ice and/or a more open glass, but this was best straight in a narrow glass despite the proof. Worth experimenting though. ____________ Please come join an unofficial Distiller community on Discord: https://discord.gg/VSmCvzAQfH. We chat spirits (and other things) in real time while being a great resource to each other for recommendations, finding deals, and generally enjoying the journey together. (If the link is expired, please post a comment and I will provide a new one.)

The nose starts with a mix of light smokes of peat and mesquite, sweet florals and charred meats with a squeeze of lemon on top then bacon wrapped dates, black tea leaves, and chocolate pecan pie followed by dehydrated figs, caramelized peaches and sautéed apples that transitions to a barbecue spice rub, Cowboy boots and polished mahogany with high ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting slightly bitter before quickly fading to a mix of moderate smokes of peat and mesquite, sweet florals, grapefruit juice and charred meats with a squeeze of lemon on top then bacon wrapped dates, black tea leaves, and chocolate pecan pie followed by dehydrated figs, caramelized peaches and sautéed apples that transitions to a barbecue spice rub, Cowboy boots and ashy oak with medium ethanol burn. The finish is long with chocolate covered bacon, fresh figs, bit-o-honey candy, toasted marshmallow, apple pie, ruby red grapefruit and espresso that lingers for minutes. This is another fantastic example of the creative minds from Balcones. From the first nosing of it, you realize you're in for a treat with a mix of smoke, meats, sweets, citrus and oak that leans on the sour side, but still a blast to smell. The taste stumbles at first with a bitter note that quickly fades to the same flavors found on the nose with a higher smoke and sour citrus that finishes long and pulls you back in for another sip. Side by side with regular Balcones Peated, the Sauternes cask seems to have lightened the flavors and also added some sour fruits and a light bitter spice to the mix. The regular peated for me is far richer and better balanced, but this is also no slouch and is just slightly below the regular peated. At $100, I think this is a must buy that will make any fan of Balcones happy. Thanks so much @soonershrink for the generous sample of this one. I'm going to need to go buy a bottle now to explore this one further.

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.

Another generous sample from sooner. This is wonderful American single malt. Balcones has totally got their shit together and are churning out high quality single malts that can compete against anything in their price range. This is kind of a combo malt. The Peated SM is out of this world and the sauternes finished Pilgrimage is amazing as well. This is a marriage of the 2 ...or is it. The Peated takes charge and sits above the sweetness of the sauternes but does not cancel it out. We are left with a delicious merging of the flavors. Sure if you want the succulent fruit bomb Pilgrimage gets the nod and the standard Peated beats them both for complexity and overall wow factor....but this still delivers in spades.......90/100.... If you see any of the 3 buy them, buy them all they are that good

Springbank 12 CS vibes. Extremely good and extremely surprising. I’d almost consider this a Springbank replacement

Spicy, sweet, dried raisin, abunadh meets glendronach. A nice treat, but wouldn’t want a bottle at home