Balcones Single Barrel American Oak Cask Texas Single Malt Whisky (700ml)

Balcones single barrel selections showcase the nuances of their flagship whisky, the Single Malt. Contrasts from one barrel to the next highlight the way the wood and whisky respond to the Waco climate. Cask #18022 spent roughly three years in American oak. The aroma is initially laced with white pepper, pickled ginger and hints of resin before a sweeter, maltier aspect emerges including cloves, vanilla and a latent fruitiness (baked apples / guava?). No softy on flavour, delivering plenty of depth and kick: Rock candy, bittersweet chocolate and coffee bean notes enter before weighty spices cap off a vanilla-thick finish. There's a brief hint of green wood too, but it's smothered by rebounding sugars. A belter uncut, add water to fluff up the mouthfeel and 'sand off' any bitter edges. 53% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered. Distilled August 2017 and bottled in February 2020.

Other reviews... [Barrel #16582 tasted] Persimmon pudding, guava juice, baked apple, blueberry, and pineapple on the nose, as well as fresh clay, pencil shavings, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and salty ham. The palate is big and chewy, with Popsicle stick, dried chile, roasted nuts, black pepper, and juicy guava and pineapple. More tropical fruit rounds out the palate, mingling with pepper, nuts, and plenty of dry oak. 92 points
- whiskyadvocate.com, reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Winter 2019)