Balcones Texas Single Malt Rum Cask Finished

I don't meet many drams I have a hard time drinking, but this one was rough. I really enjoy cask strength whiskey, but that means something different here in Texas.Most of the CS whiskies from Europe I have are around 53-56% ABV, but here in Texas, that what distilleries water their whiskey down to! I love the Balcones single malt, but the rum finish didn't stick the landing here. The dram came in too hot and burned off any of the flavor the rum may have imparted. After a few drops (or several...) of water, I got it to a point where it was more drinkable, but my palate had been trashed by then so I couldn't get any of the nuance at that point. A fun thing to try at the distillery but not a bottle I'd keep at home.

Ok for rum this is an insane price it’s like 2.5x what you should pay at around 70 bucks. I was able taste this at a bar during happy hour for 7 bucks. Now to start this rum is good oak sweet spice etc but not too sweet and better than most of the whiskey they make but it is no where near 5 star. I have had better French island rum in the Caribbean and it has some hints of port which I absolutely hated in rum. Again not for me might be good for you.

Online drammers club pour Mix of American, French, and Hungarian oak, finished in rum casks Nose: Vanilla, Caramel, Molasses, Citrus, Milk Chocolate, Green Apple, Mango, Pineapple, Passion Fruit Palate: Citrus, Pineapple, Mango, Passion Fruit, Guava, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Caramel, Banana Finish: Vanilla, Mango, Citrus, Passion Fruit, Pineapple

Light honey on the nose, plus light pecan and also some crescent roll. Going back, some rich sweet grape jam. I get some of that sugar cane right off the bat on the palate, along with obvious barley and some heat. The finish drops off fairly quick, but this guy is a stud. Well-balanced sweetness, which I wasn’t expecting from a rum finish.

Rum casks usually turn out too sugary for my liking, but this one seems to have received just enough of a finish to add a toasty caramalized note without oversweetening the spirit. Diluted to about 50%, it makes for a nice desert whisky and a decent alternative to a sherry cask.

Tried this at the distillery. Heavy caramelized sweetness. Definitely add some water to this one. It’s molasses, figs, and caramel. Thick is the best way I can describe. Take your time and keep adding water to get more of the fruitiness of the barley to come out.