Balcones single malt whisky, distilled in Texas, and matured in a Tequila cask! Quite a radical idea. It’s the second bottling from this rogue distillery by That Boutique-y Whisky Company.
Balcones 3 yo (51,2%, That Boutique-y Whisky Co 2019, Batch #2, tequila cask, 212 btl.)
Nose: not as invasive as I thought. There’s leather and a hint of agave indeed, against a background of wood shavings, mint, aniseed, brown sugar and dark blackberries. Treacle and vanilla. After a while there’s a bright hint of red berries. Fairly balanced.
Mouth: grassy oak with plenty of mint, caramel sweetness and a weird mix of tequila, lime and pepper. Margarita anyone? Then toasted wood, sweet pears and glazed cherries. Sweet vanilla. A hint of chilli and more leather.
Finish: not that long, still dark sugary notes as well as bright citrus, mixed with oak char.
We have no references at all to assess this fiery thing, but I would say it’s surprisingly good and quite an intruiging mix. The typical heavily charred wood is actually lifted by the tequila and lime notes. Young but well made: a successful experiment. Still available from Master of Malt – with a very generous discount today.