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Balcones Baby Blue Corn Whisky (700ml)Waco, Texas, UNITED STATES$115. 00Bottle$1380.00 DozenABV: 46%The American micro distilling renaissance is well under way. But the inspiration behind much of the current revival is fuelled by more than sheer entreprenuerial spirit. It harks back to an appreciation for things made by hand.
"...alcohol today, like most of what Americans consume, typically emerges from gigantic, antiseptic, computer-controlled megafactories." comments William Gurstelle, writing for "Popular Mechanics" magazine.
"Limited-run, small-batch manufacturing, using carefully selected and often local ingredients, is gaining traction among consumers in search of authenticity and character. One manifestation of that trend is the craft distillery, a raw work space filled with alembics, coils, vats, and the smell of cereal and fermentation".
What's most impressive about this movement - aside from the frequently stunning quality - is the rapidity of growth. According to Bill Owens, founder of the American Distilling Institute, "Twenty years ago about 60 legal U.S. microdistilleries —those producing less than 65,000 gallons a year—existed; today there are 300-plus, with dozens more emerging each year"
Balcones are one of the distilleries that have come to epitomise the American craft distilling movement. A risky venture from the outset, given that Texas has a 20% evaporation rate, it was established in 2008 in a disused welding shop, with owner and head distiller, Chip Tate, hand crafting all of the equipment. The expanding range includes the world’s first Texan Whisky, made of 100% Blue Hopi corn and a unique whisky smoked using Texan Scrub wood. Since then, Balcones has continued to impress critics and whisky lovers everywhere being awarded multiple honours including being named Craft Whisky Distillery of the year by Whisky Magazine in 2012, while Jim Murray has already recognised them as "...unquestionably the masters of big whisky in the USA outside of Kentucky and Tennessee".
Having just celebrated their fourth anniversary, Chip Tate is pondering plans for expansion, so long as the quality is not compromised. "As we get bigger, a lot of people might say we’re not craft, but they’re wrong." says Tate.
There are various definitions of craft but to me, fundamentally, craft whisky should be very authentic, with a big bunch of hairy guys with wort drills inside copper pots, like us, watching every single aspect of production as they grow and develop, handwriting on every bottle and hand placing wax on the bottle. As a craft distiller you should be adding something new to the tradition. As far as size goes, I would have a hard time picturing a craft distillery at 10 million cases a year. At 100,000 maybe, but even one million sounds like a lot too. It’s hard figuring out how that would work. Right now we’re producing 6,000 cases a year and we’re running at capacity."One of the few 'blue corn' whiskeys in the world, Balcones' Baby Blue is the first Texas whisky on the market since prohibition. Made from atole, a roasted blue corn meal, this rich, nutty spirit has the freshness and verve of traditional corn whisky but with terrific complexity and texture.
Tasting note: [2013 batch] Bright gold colour. A superb, high pitch note of choc-caramel rings from the glass, followed by hints of honeycomb. Aeration turns the sweetness down a notch or two yielding boiled lolly, vanilla, butterscotch and suggestions of menthol that add freshness. A waterlike entry presents a delicious departure from the aroma with its sponge cake lightness and subtle brown sugar notes perfectly integrated. Sweet yet judiciously balanced. Concludes light, clean and fresh and with remarkable persistence as the sweet confectionary notes linger. 46% Alc./Vol.
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Balcones Brimstone Texas Scrub Oak Smoked Corn Whisky (700ml)Waco, Texas, UNITED STATESReduced from $135.00$99. 99Bottle$1199.88 DozenABV: 53%Texas campfire in a bottle!
Many years have passed since this American craft classic was last in the country: A 100% Hopi blue corn whiskey made from mash-to-bottle at the Balcones, but instead of using Scottish peat smoke, it's wood-smoked. Sun-baked Texas scrub oak is employed in a proprietory process resulting in a flavour bomb full of fresh, youthful corn and light fruit notes married with campfire phenols. Jim Murray described it as "Ultimate surfing for the peat head". Our tasting in 2013 found opening whiffs of rubber and vinyl but with substance to keep you sniffing as the industrial edge retreats. Give this several minutes at least to reveal the second stage that turns unripe corn-like, followed by evocations of damp camp fire, smoked meats and hints of maple syrup. Immediately reminiscent of class mezcal on delivery with its exotic combination of pepper, grilled corn, lanolin, vinyl, vanilla and impressive balance, the final stages turn dry, mezcal-like with the smokey corn and charcoal making a definitive return followed by a lingering roasted chestnut fade. Yes, it's a strange one, but we love this utterly unfettered craft distilling classic where Oaxaca meets Islay, with Kentucky somewhere in between. 53% Alc./Vol.
Other reviews... Distilled from roasted blue corn. The spirit itself, not the grain, is smoked over Texas scrub oak. Spicy Red Vines, herbal notes, and blackened corn aromas. An initial burst of fire on the palate transforms into juicy red fruit, sweet cinnamon apple, and hints of bramble and forest floor. An unusual and polarizing whiskey, Brimstone is aggressive at first, but in the end it’s a gentle giant. 88 points - whiskyadvocate.com, reviewed by: Adam Polonski (Fall 2018)
"The aroma is full of grilled peaches with a brown sugar, chipotle glaze. The palate continues with strong smoke, bacon and more spice. The long finish is salty and full of pipe smoke." 90 points - distiller.com
... implies something heavily smoky, the nose is surprisingly restrained, with modest smoke notes complementing notes of dried fruit and apple cider. It’s engagingly complex, but the palate is something quite different. An initial rush of sweetness quickly gives way to an utter smoke bomb — think a campfire full of smoldering cedar trees — with a pungent, ashy finish. A far different experience than a sultry Islay, Brimstone ends up brash and in your face, like a blast of cigar smoke blown in your direction. An extremely divisive whisky, your enjoyment of it is entirely dependent on your position in regards to licking ashtrays. (2017 review) - drinkhacker.com
"Ultimate surfing for the peat head" 93 points - Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2020
...Strange name, Brimstone, isn’t it another name for sulphur? This is blue maize whisky that’s been smoked afterwards, meaning that it’s the distillate that was smoked using oak, not the maize. It’s very young but was fully matured under Texas’ very hot and dry climate. Colour: reddish amber. Nose: it’s not quite whisky at first nosing, rather a kind of strong liqueur, very tarry, such as the famous Finnish tar liqueur (Tervasnapsi). There’s also a lot of roasted bacon and some very distinct notes of hot wood (just sawn using a very fast power saw). In short, BBQ! Also more and more smoked tea, yes, a full tanker of laspang souchong. I must say I enjoy this nose, not only because it’s so unlikely. With water: more exhaust gas (from a ’70 shovelhead, hum-hum). Mouth (neat): again, it’s very unlikely but it’s really fun and very pleasant if you like liquorice. Because it’s extremely liquoricy, you may eat three bags of liquorice allsorts and you wont even come close to this. Touches of Cynar or Fernet Branca. Thick mouth feel. With water: some notes of rum develop, molasses, reduced corn syrup… and always a lot of liquorice. Finish: long, spicier. Sweet curry, red Thai sauce, cloves, aniseed, wood smoke… Comments: it’s very experimental but it’s balanced, which is all that counts. I especially like the fact that it doesn’t seem that it’s the wood as such that does all the talking. Well done, this is really fun! 85 points - whiskyfun.com
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Balcones True Blue Tequila Cask Finish Cask Strength Texas Whisky (750ml) - Whiskey Hunt Australia SelectionTexas, UNITED STATES$174. 99Bottle$2099.88 DozenABV: 60.7%Almost as exotic as it is daringly brilliant, Balcones manage to pull off yet another sensational single barrel in a cross-border experiment that sees one of the biggest and best corn whiskeys on the planet finished in an x-Tequila cask for seventy-nine months. The result is a heady mix of dense, oily, sweet corn and juicy agave flavours that's akin to premium Reposado Tequila on steroids. It's also one of WHA's smallest offerings to date. 54 bottles were rescued from evaporation. We have a fraction of that to share with the growing number of Balcones fans in Australia. More production details below. 60.7% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered. Tasted from a 50ml sample.
Notes from the importers... Balcones has been racking up the awards since 2014 when they were named U.S. Craft Whiskey Distiller of the Year. The Balcones single barrel program really showcases the unique products they offer and the nuances that come from the Texas climate and local ingredients. Generally, whiskies are aged for many years or even decades. However, the unique climate of Texas changes that paradigm completely. Everyone knows it's hot in Texas, but that's only half the story. Rapid temperature swings are a part of the region's weather characteristics, and these quick shifts force barrels to "breath" at a much faster rate than in traditional whiskey-making regions. This not only causes oak flavours to mingle with the liquid inside but also accelerates the complex processes that transform raw spirit into a fully-matured product. Its one of several ways Balcones embraces a unique terroir. This private release is a single grain mashbill made from 100% Texan Grown Heirloom Blue Corn – 4 times more expensive than yellow dent corn typically used in US Whiskey production but gives the whiskey a much richer, deeper flavour with a wonderfully oily mouth feel. Aged for 2 years in a KY Bourbon Barrel then finished in a Tequila Cask in the 3rd level of the 1950s constructed distillery building in Downtown Waco (separate to their 3 x Rick Houses affectionately known as the “Aviation Warehouse”). This cask was on the 3rd rack and directly under a pane glass window, where it had direct sunlight hitting it for 6 years! That additional aging and rickhouse location means some very thirsty angels left us with only 54 bottles of this incredible whiskey!
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Balcones True Blue 100 Proof Corn Whisky (750ml)Waco, Texas, UNITED STATES$150. 00Bottle$1800.00 DozenABV: 50%The American micro distilling renaissance is well under way. But the inspiration behind much of the current revival is fuelled by more than sheer entreprenuerial spirit. It harks back to an appreciation for things made by hand.
"...alcohol today, like most of what Americans consume, typically emerges from gigantic, antiseptic, computer-controlled megafactories." comments William Gurstelle, writing for "Popular Mechanics" magazine.
"Limited-run, small-batch manufacturing, using carefully selected and often local ingredients, is gaining traction among consumers in search of authenticity and character. One manifestation of that trend is the craft distillery, a raw work space filled with alembics, coils, vats, and the smell of cereal and fermentation".
What's most impressive about this movement - aside from the frequently stunning quality - is the rapidity of growth. According to Bill Owens, founder of the American Distilling Institute, "Twenty years ago about 60 legal U.S. microdistilleries —those producing less than 65,000 gallons a year—existed; today there are 300-plus, with dozens more emerging each year"
Balcones are one of the distilleries that have come to epitomise the American craft distilling movement. A risky venture from the outset, given that Texas has a 20% evaporation rate, it was established in 2008 in a disused welding shop, with owner and head distiller, Chip Tate, hand crafting all of the equipment. The expanding range includes the world’s first Texan Whisky, made of 100% Blue Hopi corn and a unique whisky smoked using Texan Scrub wood. Since then, Balcones has continued to impress critics and whisky lovers everywhere being awarded multiple honours including being named Craft Whisky Distillery of the year by Whisky Magazine in 2012, while Jim Murray has already recognised them as "...unquestionably the masters of big whisky in the USA outside of Kentucky and Tennessee".
Having just celebrated their fourth anniversary, Chip Tate is pondering plans for expansion, so long as the quality is not compromised. "As we get bigger, a lot of people might say we’re not craft, but they’re wrong." says Tate.
There are various definitions of craft but to me, fundamentally, craft whisky should be very authentic, with a big bunch of hairy guys with wort drills inside copper pots, like us, watching every single aspect of production as they grow and develop, handwriting on every bottle and hand placing wax on the bottle. As a craft distiller you should be adding something new to the tradition. As far as size goes, I would have a hard time picturing a craft distillery at 10 million cases a year. At 100,000 maybe, but even one million sounds like a lot too. It’s hard figuring out how that would work. Right now we’re producing 6,000 cases a year and we’re running at capacity."Balcones True Blue 100 is made from the same select barrels of blue corn whisky that go in to Balcones' True Blue Cask Strength, only in this case, diluted down to 100 proof (50% Alc./Vol.) More approachable than full cask-strength whisky, True Blue 100 retains the depth and complexity of over-proof spirits with the softer edges, supple textures and fuller fruitiness that slight dilution can bring. Reportedly, Bourbon drinkers in particular are gravitating to this powerful dram.
Tasting note: Deep brassy gold. Smells delectably butterscotch like, with lifted caramel and brown sugar notes too. Sweet, yet with fairy floss lightness. The palate offers stunning balance with no suggestion of excessive alcohol. Medium dry. Superb vanilla and honeycomb flavours and a delicate warmth are followed by shortbread and vanilla on the finish. Ends drier. The butterscotch aftertaste shows strong staying power. 50% Alc./Vol.
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Balcones True Blue Cask Strength Corn Whisky (700ml)Waco, Texas, UNITED STATES$140. 00Bottle$1680.00 DozenABV: 58.2%The American micro distilling renaissance is well under way. But the inspiration behind much of the current revival is fuelled by more than sheer entreprenuerial spirit. It harks back to an appreciation for things made by hand."...alcohol today, like most of what Americans consume, typically emerges from gigantic, antiseptic, computer-controlled megafactories." comments William Gurstelle, writing for "Popular Mechanics" magazine.
"Limited-run, small-batch manufacturing, using carefully selected and often local ingredients, is gaining traction among consumers in search of authenticity and character. One manifestation of that trend is the craft distillery, a raw work space filled with alembics, coils, vats, and the smell of cereal and fermentation".
What's most impressive about this movement - aside from the frequently stunning quality - is the rapidity of growth. According to Bill Owens, founder of the American Distilling Institute, "Twenty years ago about 60 legal U.S. microdistilleries —those producing less than 65,000 gallons a year—existed; today there are 300-plus, with dozens more emerging each year"
Balcones are one of the distilleries that have come to epitomise the American craft distilling movement. A risky venture from the outset, given that Texas has a 20% evaporation rate, it was established in 2008 in a disused welding shop, with owner and head distiller, Chip Tate, hand crafting all of the equipment. The expanding range includes the world’s first Texan Whisky, made of 100% Blue Hopi corn and a unique whisky smoked using Texan Scrub wood. Since then, Balcones has continued to impress critics and whisky lovers everywhere being awarded multiple honours including being named Craft Whisky Distillery of the year by Whisky Magazine in 2012, while Jim Murray has already recognised them as "...unquestionably the masters of big whisky in the USA outside of Kentucky and Tennessee".
Having just celebrated their fourth anniversary, Chip Tate is pondering plans for expansion, so long as the quality is not compromised. "As we get bigger, a lot of people might say we’re not craft, but they’re wrong." says Tate.
There are various definitions of craft but to me, fundamentally, craft whisky should be very authentic, with a big bunch of hairy guys with wort drills inside copper pots, like us, watching every single aspect of production as they grow and develop, handwriting on every bottle and hand placing wax on the bottle. As a craft distiller you should be adding something new to the tradition. As far as size goes, I would have a hard time picturing a craft distillery at 10 million cases a year. At 100,000 maybe, but even one million sounds like a lot too. It’s hard figuring out how that would work. Right now we’re producing 6,000 cases a year and we’re running at capacity."Balcones' Cask Strength release has been described as "Cornographic" by Jim Murray.
Tasting notes: [2013 release] Presents a bright polished copper colour in the glass and yields perfumed scents of honeycomb, creme caramel and butterscotch, countered by hints of sweet spice. Concentrated yet with a sense of lightness and remarkable poise, the palate is medium dry, delicately bitter and features warming spices, vanillin oak and subdued brown sugar notes at the finish. Ends sweet, gently tingly and light. 58% Alc./Vol. Note: ABV may vary depending on the batch.
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Bearded Lady Small Batch Charred Moonshine (500ml)Indiana, UNITED STATES$39. 99Bottle$479.88 DozenABV: 40%In popular culture, moonshine is usually presented as being extremely strong and in North America it's commonly associated with the Southern United States and Appalachia. Many readers will remember in the 1980's television show (and 2005 movie) "The Dukes of Hazzard", moonshine was a central element of the plot.
The name Moonshine Whiskey (a.k.a. white lightning, Corn likker, white dog, poitan, mooney, moon, creek water or hooch) is often assumed to be derived from the fact that moonshine producers and smugglers would often work at night (i.e. under the light of the moon) to avoid arrest for producing illegal liquor. Nowadays, it's becoming the common term for unaged whiskey. It's typically distilled from a varied mix of corn and sugar and aged in Mason jars and jugs rather than oak barrels.
Bearded label produce this version from a 99% corn / 1% Barley mash and 'rest' it in barrels that have previously held their Bourbon. Tasting note: [Sampled from a near empty jar] Clear, pale gold. Bourbon pick up is evident - moderate, though somewhat flat and pedestrian aromas include gobstopper, vanilla wafer and hints of caramel. Old popcorn in later passes. Light to medium bodied, delicately spicy...vanilla, corn chip and gobstopper. Short and simple. Kind of like a lighter styled Bourbon. 40% Alc./Vol.![Bowsaw Small Batch 4 Year Old Kentucky Corn Whiskey (700ml)]()
- Nick's Import
Bowsaw Small Batch 4 Year Old Kentucky Corn Whiskey (700ml)Kentucky, UNITED STATES$89. 99Bottle$1079.88 DozenABV: 43%It's unusual to find Corn whiskeys in Australia. In fact, up until about a decade ago, Heaven Hill were the sole remaining producer of the style in the USA. The forerunner and kissing cousin to Bourbon, American Straight Corn Whiskey is defined as having a recipe or mash bill with a minimum of 81% corn, the rest being malted barley and rye. Bowsaw's expression is part of their 'limited edition' range, so it's not intended as an ongoing release. Distilled and matured in Owensboro and Louisville, Kentucky and made from 91% Corn, 5% barley and 4% rye, expect a rich corn character and a sweet robust flavour, complemented by hints of rye spice and mellow barley. Like Bowsaw's Bourbon, this also comes beautifully presented in an 'old style' bottle with embossed glass letters decorated by hand ensuring every one is unique - in fact, they look so good you might just buy this for the bottle alone! 43% Alc./Vol.
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Mellow Corn Straight Corn Bourbon Whiskey (700ml)Kentucky, UNITED STATES$74. 99Bottle$899.88 DozenABV: 50%The forerunner and kissing cousin to Bourbon, American Straight Corn Whiskey is defined as having a recipe or mash bill with a minimum of 81% corn, the rest being malted barley and rye. Today, Heaven Hill Distillery is the sole remaining national producer of this uniquely American Whiskey style, bottling such classic names as Georgia Moon, Mellow Corn, Dixie Dew and J.W. Corn. As world-renowned whiskey writer Jim Murray wrote, "If you are a true student of whiskey, your education is a long way from being complete until you have mastered this particularly charming form". 50% Alc./Vol.![Reservoir Distillery 100 Proof Bourbon Whiskey (700ml)]()
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Reservoir Distillery 100 Proof Bourbon Whiskey (700ml)Virginia, UNITED STATES$160. 00Bottle$1920.00 DozenABV: 50%Made from a 100% corn mash bill, Reservoir describe this as "...the most traditional of our house expressions, boasting a beautiful midpoint balance of sweetness that lies somewhere between the soft signature of the Wheat and the sharp spice of the Rye."
Other reviews... They have excelled... A Reservoir that is so damned good. 94.5 points - Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2022
... Aromas hint at a bitterly astringent, almost burnt sugar smell, like green walnut hulls. While the body is full and rich, it’s simply too hot and young to make for pleasant drinking. The finish is long and spicy, but needs more time to mellow. 79 points - whiskyadvocate.com, reviewed by: Jeffery Lindenmuth 2017
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That Boutique-y Whisky Company Balcones 2 Year Old Corn Spirit (500ml) - Batch 4Waco, Texas, UNITED STATES$160. 00Bottle$1920.00 DozenABV: 50%A two-year-old corn spirit from Texas' Balcones distillery, famous for their hugely flavoursome single malts, ryes and corn whiskeys. In this expression, the liquid is smoked and then matured in an ex-Pedro Ximenez (sweet) sherry cask. The outturn was 271 bottles at 50%.
For those who don't already know, Balcones was founded in Waco in the heart of Texas in 2008. Ever since, they've been at the forefront of the exploding craft distillation scene. It all started in an old welding shop under a bridge. After turning the workshop into a distillery, the first spirit ran in 2009. Making a true Texan style was always in their plans. They never wanted to imitate Scotch whisky. Brimstone is the name of their smoked blue corn whisky. They keep details of the process secret, but they achieve this by smoking the whisky itself rather than the grain.
In typical Boutique-y fashion, the label is truly something to behold! Depicting your every day metal concert, courtesy of The Brimstone Cowboys in the fiery depths of Hades, the band members look remarkably like the guys from the distillery... That’s Head Distiller Jared out front on the Flying Vee and Brand Ambassador Winston on the keyboards. The Hell 'n' Back Tour looks pretty good, if a bit scary.
Notes from the producers... Nose: Blackberries, blackcurrants, liquorice, treacle, and hints of dark chocolate and scorched wood. Palate: Sweet and fruity, with prunes, dates, figs, and raisins. Hints of coffee and tobacco, and as the wood spices build, a woody smokiness comes through.
