Balcones Texas Bock

I like Balcones. I like Shiner Bock. I drink plenty of both... With that out of the way, I was very excited by this collaboration. Balcones took the Shiner mashbill (minus the hops), fermented it with Shiner’s proprietary yeast, distilled it, and aged it in new oak for at least 2 years. It’s a straight malt whiskey. Aside from the roasted barley malt, I don’t know what else is in the mashbill. On the nose, there’s a deep, earthiness to this whiskey. It’s smells similar to their single malt Mirador with some extra heartiness like their Pot Still Bourbon. You definitely get that roasted barely note on the nose. I get some dark dried fruits like raisins and a bit of spice. Reminds me of toasted raisin bread. I love it. The taste has all-spice, some maple syrup sweetness, and more of that roasted barley. There’s some barrel char on the finish along with some heat. 30 minutes later... ok I’m still getting some maple syrup on the taste. How interesting... Overall: Although it’s the Shiner Bock mashbill, you can definitely tell that it’s a Balcones product. Give it a shot and grab yourself a bottle soon before it’s all gone.... Cheers!

I'm a huge fan of all things Balcones. They have their own shelf pretty high on my bar. That being said, I'm biased in their favor. The nose reminds me of Hudson's maple barrel with some banana nut bread just below the surface. The overall color is a very deep gold and matches the Shiner label perfectly. The mash bill is the same from the Shiner beer, but the malt kicks in just as strong as the Balcones peated products. The palette is lighter than expected with a finish more on the short end compared to, say the Brimstone or even True Blue 100. Needless to say, this is a very interesting product on its own and I can't wait to see if this beer mash collaboration keeps going. It's like Eden & Oak with more soul than spiral wood inserts.

This whiskey is clearly Balcones, and it is also clearly Shiner Bock - both of which I happen to love! The nose and palate up front is all Balcones, and then it's all Shiner Bock on the finish. Don't go into this one expecting a typical whiskey profile or you may be disappointed. But if you go into it expecting something beautifully unique and wonderful, then I think you'll be very happy with it!

I am not a fan of rating whiskies on a number scale. I judge them off “was it a good buy” and then “would I buy it again”. This one is worth buying once. It is hard to say if I get a resemblance of Shiner. Not a great Balcones example but if you like Balcones this is a fun one to have something different. I think this one deserves a higher rating...if I was into that sort of thing.

Balcones is one of my favorites. The color is beautifully dark amber. The nose is cherry, some charcoal, and licorice. Taste is joyful. It is for sure Balcones. The cherry is there along with some light coffee. It has some slight burn following that holds you for a while. I love Balcones and Texas.

Not a malt fan, but this is damn tasty! Lots of maple syrup on the nose and lots of barley on the palate. The finish is definitely got lingering tastes of Shiner Bock. Lots of parallels to Brimstone and even some subtle hints of True Blue. Overall, super delicious. Very impressed.