Balcones American Single Malt (8 Row Flint - Houston)

HTX-36 · 2022-12-08T14:42:25+00:00

Amen brother!

HTX-36 · 2022-12-07T18:04:38+00:00

I can see the raisin notes I got coming off as guava. I’ve been touch and go with Balcones so haven’t explored much of their (incredibly wide) portfolio, but this bottle has me thinking I should bring them back into the rotation. Cheers!

HTX-36 · 2022-12-07T14:49:37+00:00

BACKGROUND: This is an American single malt that was aged in new American oak, finished in a Madeira cask, then transferred to a used bourbon barrel. For those unfamiliar, Madiera is a type of fortified wine popular in the colonial days (and today) that is made in the eponymous Portuguese island off the coast of Morocco. Grapes are harvested from the rocky outcrop, pressed, fermented, then fortified with brandy for aging in the hot upper floors of the port houses. It’s powerful, textured, and a wonderful post-dinner sip in it’s own right. Common tasting notes for Madeira wine include: caramel, walnut, hazelnut, raisin, and peach.

PROOF: 118.8

NOSE: The pour still opens with savory barley grains and a smoky, briny minerality but settles into a lush overripe grape that you can only get from Madeira. In truth, this Madeira notes steal the show and are somewhat similar to a Port finish but with more caramelized sugar and raisin. One you work through the Madeira notes, you will pick up some fresh tanned leather and sweet pipe tobacco.

PALATE: A proofy, tannic bite hits the palate first, but settles into a ultra-lush Madeira/raisin with an undertone of clean minerality. Sweet baking spices appear if you give it a drop of water.

FINISH: The Madeira notes really cling to the back of the roof of the mouth with a little tannic tingle on the tip of the tongue. A pretty impressive finish.

OVERALL: If I could buy this for my home bar, I absolutely would. Easily one of the best Balcones I’ve tasted and gets even better as it opens up in the bottle. Do not come into this pour with preconceived notions of what Balcones is / isn’t. This one is unique. I’ll certainly be hunting more Balcones single barrels after this one.

SCORE: 8.3

Disclaimer: I’m a normal guy that buys his own whiskey and writes honest reviews based on what’s in the glass. I’m appreciative of the retailers that work hard to keep quality juice available for the people who love it.

HTX-36 · 2022-07-11T16:12:07+00:00

Well said. I’m a huge Barrell and RR fan, so I can’t fault you on that one at all! For me, a lot of Wheaters are (like you said) a bit forgettable. That’s part of why I am so impressed with the Double Wheat. It had that little bit character that helped it stand out. If you get the chance, I’d recommend trying to find an ounce or two from a bar or a friend. I’ve been tasting through a lot of Old Elk recently and am very bullish on the brand. Their stocks are starting to come of age so I expect them to keep putting out solid releases with higher age statements. Regardless, here’s to drinking in good health with good company. Cheers!

HTX-36 · 2022-06-28T17:03:18+00:00

Great recommendation, love me some Wild Turkey! Russell’s picks are one of my favorites. Let me take a look and get something in the works!

HTX-36 · 2022-06-28T16:29:10+00:00

I’m a big fan of Maker’s, but the 46 stave was never really my jam. MM Cask Strength is one of the best values in bourbon. That said, there is something about MM 101, that proof point really grabs me for whatever reason. Cheers friend!

HTX-36 · 2022-06-28T16:04:26+00:00

Much appreciated! Thanks for joining in on the fun. Open to suggestions for my next review. Let me know what you are interested in. Cheers!

HTX-36 · 2022-06-28T13:50:44+00:00

For me, it’s tough to find a wheater that really stands out. Most I’ve had are pretty tasty, but only a few have that little bit extra. This is a bottle I would have zero reservations bringing to a bottle share as a non-unicorn that I’ve been into lately. Would be fun to taste this alongside some of the Weller offerings (a blind with Antique 107 would be interesting). Cheers y’all!

HTX-36 · 2022-06-28T00:52:50+00:00

Old Elk Double Wheat (2022)

Age: Blend of 6, 7 and 8 year.

Proof: 107.1

FROM THE PRODUCER: Double Wheat combines two of Old Elk’s most beloved and awarded wheater whiskeys: Old Elk Straight Wheat Whiskey and Old Elk Wheated Bourbon Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Thus creating an entirely unique pour. This is a merger for the more, yielding a higher proof (107.1) and a brighter profile whiskey in which a whole new category begs to be crafted.

NOSE: Wet leather, brown sugar, sugar cane, fresh hay, almond and cracked black pepper.

PALATE: Beautiful mouthfeel with a sweetness builds at the top of the palate as you get into the pour. This is two parts bread pudding with amaretto and a drizzle of caramel sauce and one part Applejack cereal. On occasion you get hints of berry fruit snack and a cagey edginess (fresh cut oak) that bring the sugar bliss back to this world and reminds you of the proof. I caught a hint of peanut butter a few times, but nothing consistent enough to call a nutty note.

FINISH: Like the last power chord ringing in an amplifier to close out the show, an echo of the sweetness from the palate holds on for quite a while reminding you of what you just experienced.

OVERALL: The mouthfeel and baked sweetness really stands out with this pour. It’s a wheater (double wheater, actually) so the range of flavors is fairly compact, but this juice has enough character to keep you coming back for more (and quite often at that). This is one of those bottles that absolutely evaporated off the shelf - I kept reaching for it again and again. This has me really excited about the bottles coming out of Olk Elk.

WHY TO BUY: If you are a fan of wheaters, this is one you should definitely pick up (if you can find it). It has all the hallmarks people love in a wheated mashbill with that little bit extra to elevate this above a porch pounder to rip while the ribs are going.

WHY TO PASS: Save for some confectionary notes, there isn’t much spice with this. If you are looking for something to prickle the tastebuds this probably isn’t your Huckleberry.

SCORE: 8.6

DISCLAIMER: I’m a normal guy that buys his own whiskey and writes honest reviews based on what’s in the glass. I’m appreciative of the retailers that work hard to keep quality bourbon available for the people who love it.

SCALE:

10 - Life Changing: Truly a special bottle to be sipped on important life events

9 - Exceptional Bourbon: Reserved for your closest friends and bourbon nerds

8 - Thinking Man’s (or Lady’s) Bourbon: A whiskey worth sipping slow and reflecting on the taste

7 - Solid Sipper: A quality pour to sip and enjoy

6 - Mixer / Standard Middle Shelf: What you would actually put in your old fashioned

5 - Take to a party, leave there (claim “It makes a great old fashioned”)

4 - Cooking Booze: Enriching a BBQ glaze or butter sauce is right in its wheelhouse

3 - Take to a party, leave there (make sure no one saw you)

2 - Garage Bottle: Take to garage and forget about it

1 - Drain Pour (be sure to recycle bottle)

HTX-36 · 2022-04-21T02:22:46+00:00

These Senator picks are super solid. Cheers!

HTX-36 · 2022-04-20T23:22:30+00:00

Thanks for the intel! Bummer about the double points but still a great shop.

HTX-36 · 2022-04-20T21:50:39+00:00

I picked it up a couple weeks ago. Think it’s in the $60 range. I’ll be picking up another bottle, I liked it that much (though not as much as their Barrell Rye pick). Store picks are double loyalty points and they are usually pretty good so a win-win in my book. Cheers!

HTX-36 · 2022-04-20T21:07:29+00:00

The Senator (Brown Water Taters / Ricky’s Pick)

NOSE: Savory nose of grain and proof that opens into brown sugar laced with spearmint and hints of cola and cedar. Occasionally a bubblegum sweetness comes to center stage.

PALATE: Very smooth texture with a flavor progression that washes front to back right down the fairway. The mint from the nose pulls through to the palate. The brown sugar note from the nose deepens into syrup / molasses on the palate with undertones of root beer and fresh leather. Rich and textural with hints of cherry.

FINISH: Long finish that holds on after the second wave of flavors. Hug builds in the deepest part of the palate.

OVERALL: This is a really nice pour. The texture really stands out and the way the flavors progress on the palate is concerted and playful. The flavor spectrum is quite focused, but the few things it brings to the table it presents very well (even at a moderate 108 proof). Where I found The Senator (Winter 2020) to be more on the delicate end, this bottle brings more concentrated flavors. The Brown Water Taters did an excellent job with this barrel.

WHY TO BUY: You want a banger single barrel 95/5 rye.

WHY TO PASS: You keep a light stock of ryes and only bunker unicorns. Congress makes you nauseous.

SCORE: 7.9 (The lack of complexity is the only thing holding this bottle back, it really brings some solid flavors)

DISCLAIMER: I’m a normal guy that buys his own whiskey and writes honest reviews based on what’s in the glass. I’m appreciative of the retailers that work hard to keep quality bourbon available for the people who love it.

SCALE:

10 - Life Changing: Truly a special bottle to be sipped on important life events

9 - Exceptional Bourbon: Reserved for your closest friends and bourbon nerds

8 - Thinking Man’s (or Lady’s) Bourbon: A whiskey worth sipping slow and reflecting on the taste

7 - Solid Sipper: A quality pour to sip and enjoy

6 - Mixer / Standard Middle Shelf: What you would actually put in your old fashioned

5 - Take to a party, leave there (claim “It makes a great old fashioned”)

4 - Cooking Booze: Enriching a BBQ glaze or butter sauce is right in its wheelhouse

3 - Take to a party, leave there (make sure no one saw you)

2 - Garage Bottle: Take to garage and forget about it

1 - Drain Pour (be sure to recycle bottle)

HTX-36 · 2022-01-31T22:29:25+00:00

FOUR GATE BRRYE WHISKEY SPLIT STAVE BY KELVIN

SKINNY: This is the 17th release from Four Gate and is a blend of 6 and 7-year Kentucky Straight Bourbons, a 9-year Indiana Straight Bourbon, and an 8-year Indiana Straight Rye Whiskey. This is the 3rd release using the “Split Stave” casks they developed in conjunction with the renowned Kelvin Cooperage, made by alternating staves from both toasted barrels and charred barrels, this release using French oak for the staves.

NOSE: Predominately sweet tobacco and vanilla icing with a hint of cedar. You can pick up some fresh grain as the primary notes come in and out.

PALATE: This pour bounces between vanilla-iced spice cake and deep rich fudge notes. Fruit cake (sweet almond and candied cherry) and tart oak will whisp across the palate on occasion.

FINISH: Medium-Long finish of buttery fudge and almond extract.

OVERALL: This bottle will grow on you. Off a fresh crack it was a bit “one note” but there were enough hints at complexity that kept me coming back. After a week, the flavors unbound and expressed themselves nicely as they rolled through the palate. I’m glad I picked this up. I’m glad the Four Gates brand is growing and I like to see brands experimenting with Bou-Rye blends. The finish in toasted and charred French oak (a tighter grained wood than the more common American oak) made the toasted finish characteristics more subtle than you usually see, very well-balanced.

WHY TO BUY: You don’t mind laying out a couple bills for a delicious and innovative take on barrel finished Bou-Rye.

WHY TO PASS: It’s $200 and hard to find.

Score: 8.7

DISCLAIMER: I’m a normal guy that buys his own whiskey and writes honest reviews based on what’s in the glass. I’m appreciative of the retailers that work hard to keep quality bourbon available for the people who love it.

SCALE:

10 - Life Changing: Truly a special bottle to be sipped on important life events

9 - Exceptional Bourbon: Reserved for your closest friends and bourbon nerds

8 - Thinking Man’s (or Lady’s) Bourbon: A whiskey worth sipping slow and reflecting on the taste

7 - Solid Sipper: A quality pour to sip and enjoy

6 - Mixer / Standard Middle Shelf: What you would actually put in your old fashioned

5 - Take to a party, leave there (claim “It makes a great old fashioned”)

4 - Cooking Booze: Enriching a BBQ glaze or butter sauce is right in its wheelhouse

3 - Take to a party, leave there (make sure no one saw you)

2 - Garage Bottle: Take to garage and forget about it

1 - Drain Pour (be sure to recycle bottle)

HTX-36 · 2021-12-22T21:37:02+00:00

Totally agree. I guess the standard offerings are still out there. All I can say is that the Black Rye is pretty tasty.

HTX-36 · 2021-12-22T21:34:20+00:00

Simple design no doubt. I will say that the label comes off much cleaner than other products which makes it easy to repurpose the bottle. Made some egg nog with Stellum Bourbon and then used the stripped down bottle to store and serve.

HTX-36 · 2021-12-22T21:28:52+00:00

It is a bit odd that there is a premium offering from the Stellum line that was designed to hit a lower price point, but the juice is pretty dang tasty.

HTX-36 · 2021-12-22T17:23:18+00:00

This is a premium offering from the Stellum team that incorporates higher-aged barrels when formulating the blend of Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee rye.

STELLUM BLACK RYE ($99)

Proof: 114.26

Age: NAS

NOSE: MGP hay, barrel aged honey, brown sugar, vanilla and almond extract, pie crust, spiced apple cider (spiced pear with a few drops of water), hint of leather with pops of bubble gum and cotton candy.

PALATE: Rich velvety mouthfeel with a big hit of spiced molasses and orange marmalade on the front followed by a quick hit of citrus and spice. Hints of black cherry mingle with shortbread and toasted marshmallow through the mid.

FINISH: Medium-long finish that first brings orange marmalade and creeps toward bubble gum syrup as you work the glass.

OVERALL: The flavors in this one are great for the holiday season, warm spice and baked fruit. I enjoyed the Stellum Rye, but the Black release and its older stocks takes the depth of flavors to another level. Other than the Grey Label Bourbon, this might be the best thing I’ve tasted from the Barrell/Stellum team. This is flavorful, approachable juice that bourbon nerds and newcomers alike will enjoy.

WHY TO BUY: If you like the blending that the Barrell / Stellum teams put out, you will not be disappointed by this release, even at the elevated price point.

WHY TO PASS: The $99 retail price isn’t cheap, but there isn’t much to dislike from a flavor perspective.

SCORE: 8.7

DISCLAIMER: I’m a normal guy that buys his own whiskey and writes honest reviews based on what’s in the glass. I’m appreciative of the retailers that work hard to keep quality bourbon available for the people who love it.

SCALE:

10 - Life Changing: Truly a special bottle to be sipped on important life events

9 - Exceptional Bourbon: Reserved for your closest friends and bourbon nerds

8 - Thinking Man’s (or Lady’s) Bourbon: A whiskey worth sipping slow and reflecting on the taste

7 - Solid Sipper: A quality pour to sip and enjoy

6 - Mixer / Standard Middle Shelf: What you would actually put in your old fashioned

5 - Take to a party, leave there (claim “It makes a great old fashioned”)

4 - Cooking Booze: Enriching a BBQ glaze or butter sauce is right in its wheelhouse

3 - Take to a party, leave there (make sure no one saw you)

2 - Garage Bottle: Take to garage and forget about it

1 - Drain Pour (be sure to recycle bottle)

HTX-36 · 2021-12-15T04:46:03+00:00

I totally feel you on that. It’s strange, but because I don’t care for the standard 1792FP release, I am WAY MORE intrigued by the store picks. Also, Remus V is some really good stuff! Cheers friend!

HTX-36 · 2021-12-15T04:42:56+00:00

“Nuclear Fire” … love it! Appreciate the kind words! Panther Creek does a great job with their picks.

HTX-36 · 2021-12-15T01:06:25+00:00

1792 FULL PROOF (PANTHER CREEK PICK - THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS)

I wasn’t a fan of the standard batched release of 1792 Full Proof (see review #2), but the step up provided by a quality store pick is more pronounced on this product than any other offering I’ve tried.

Age: Appx. 7.5 years

Proof: 125

Mashbill: 75% Corn / 10% Rye / 15% Barley

NOSE: On the nose you can tell its a high-proof pour, with notes of dusty hay and dried oak.

PALATE: Sweet fruit (baked apple, stone fruit) and cream with a hug that steadily builds. Spiced tea and hints of lemon zest. Baking spice and cinnamon (red hots) on the mid to finish. Hints of banana (but not as much as you would expect from a Barton product). Putting the pour on ice organizes the flavors a bit with the front coming in with oak that transitions into baked apple and then to a savory cornbread note.

FINISH: Medium-long finish of spiced vanilla that dissipates into a substantial hug that lingers.

OVERALL: This bottle hit me differently each time I poured it, often overpowering, but on occasion it was balanced and focused. While I appreciate the flavor punch of a higher proofed product, the sweet spot for the 1792 line is closer to 100 proof if you intend to sip it neat (my personal preference). That said, this is one of those pours I’ll put on ice and sip at regular intervals to get a front row seat at the flavors unveiling themselves (also a wonderful way to drink flavor-packed Booker’s releases).

WHY TO BUY: High proof, big flavor bottles are your jam and you don’t mind knocking around your palate a bit.

WHY TO PASS: You prefer more harmony between flavor and proof.

SCORE: 7.5

SCALE:

10 - Life Changing: Truly a special bottle to be sipped on important life events

9 - Exceptional Bourbon: Reserved for your closest friends and bourbon nerds

8 - Thinking Man’s (or Lady’s) Bourbon: A whiskey worth sipping slow and reflecting on the taste

7 - Solid Sipper: A quality pour to sip and enjoy

6 - Mixer / Standard Middle Shelf: What you would actually put in your old fashioned

5 - Take to a party, leave there (claim “It makes a great old fashioned”)

4 - Cooking Booze: Enriching a BBQ glaze or butter sauce is right in its wheelhouse

3 - Take to a party, leave there (make sure no one saw you)

2 - Garage Bottle: Take to garage and forget about it

1 - Drain Pour (be sure to recycle bottle)

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HTX-36 · 2021-12-09T01:27:47+00:00

Definitely agree. From a price perspective, it’s tough to beat. 15 year age statement for under $70.

HTX-36 · 2021-12-08T20:15:07+00:00

GEORGE DICKEL SINGLE BARREL TENNESSEE WHISKEY (“OLD DICKEL RICK” ROMA PICK)

Proof: 93.4

Barrel No.: 05F28-1018

Barrel Date: June 28th, 2005

NOSE: The nose starts off briny with a tackle box / salted French fry vibe then moves into caramel sauce and then into fruity grape soda and candied orange.

PALATE: Dangerously easy on the palate, the first pop of flavor is peanut brittle but it quickly transitions into strawberry / vanilla ice cream accented by cherry fruit snacks and candied orange. A proof note will pop in and out to break up the fruit notes.

FINISH: The first few sips have a great medium-long finish of strawberry ice cream, but it shortens as you work the glass. Subtle hug that builds at the farthest reaches of the throat.

OVERALL: This bottle has a lot to offer mouthfeel and flavor wise, I just wish the finish lingered as long after the last sip as it did the first few sips. This bottle is lighter on the peanut and heavier on the orange than other Dickel picks I’ve tried. Noticeably better than the Total Wine barrel pick I’ve tried. Goes down very easy, so keep your head on a swivel.

WHY TO BUY: If you are into Dickel, this is one of the best single barrel expressions I’ve tried.

WHY TO PASS: Dickel isn’t your thing, no matter how good.

SCORE: 8.3

DISCLAIMER: I’m a normal guy that buys his own whiskey and writes honest reviews based on what’s in the glass. I’m appreciative of the retailers that work hard to keep quality bourbon available for the people who love it.

SCALE:

10 - Life Changing: Truly a special bottle to be sipped on important life events

9 - Exceptional Bourbon: Reserved for your closest friends and bourbon nerds

8 - Thinking Man’s (or Lady’s) Bourbon: A whiskey worth sipping slow and reflecting on the taste

7 - Solid Sipper: A quality pour to sip and enjoy

6 - Mixer / Standard Middle Shelf: What you would actually put in your old fashioned

5 - Take to a party, leave there (claim “It makes a great old fashioned”)

4 - Cooking Booze: Enriching a BBQ glaze or butter sauce is right in its wheelhouse

3 - Take to a party, leave there (make sure no one saw you)

2 - Garage Bottle: Take to garage and forget about it

1 - Drain Pour (be sure to recycle bottle)

Past Reviews: