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Balcones '1' Texas Single Malt

Balcones Single Malt Batch 12-2

2 390

@VictorReview by @Victor

24th Dec 2016

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  • Nose
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  • Taste
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  • Finish
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  • Balance
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  • Overall
    90

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Distribution of ratings for this: brand user

Balcones Distillery in Waco, Texas released this no age statement 'single' malt whiskey. Batch SM 12-2 was bottled 13 February 2012. A variety of American and European oaks are used in the maturation process. I thank @numen for the reviewed sample

Nose: strong intensity barley-cereal flavours, with a hint of floral perfume and well-integrated vanilla. Nuts and spice are noticeable. Excellent sweet/dry balance. Very harmonious nose. Score: 22.5/25 points

Taste: big piquante flavours, with all of the nose flavours expressing with an edge and style. Delicious. Score: 23/25

Finish: stays long and very strong, ending on very slightly sour cereal. Score; 21.5/25

Balance: excellent in the nose; very good on delivery; good on the finish. Score: 22.5/25

Water added: 1) brings out an enjoyable nuttiness and deepens the wood pitches, and 2) lowers the pitches in the mouth. This Balcones Single Malt Batch 12-2 is quite interesting with water added

Total Sequential Score: 89.5 points

Strength: very strong flavours in all phases. Score 23.5/25

Quality: everything is delicious except for that little bit of sour at the very end. Score: 23/25

Variety: about as much variety as is possible in a simple barley-malt whiskey without peat/smoke/brine/wine. Score: 22/25

Harmony: same as the Balance description above. Score: 22.5/25

Total Non-Sequential Score: 91 points

Comment: for an unadorned barley-malt whiskey Balcones squeezes out just about as much flavour as you can get. Strong malt flavours accompany strong wood flavours. Both are delicious. Highly recommended

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3 comments

@talexander
talexander commented

Great review! I just reviewed some of batch 16-3. Not bad but not amazing - and your notes seem very different from mine, so perhaps there is quite a bit of batch variation?

7 years ago 0

@Victor
Victor commented

@talexander, I do think that there is some batch variation in the Balcones # 1 Single Malt, but I have also noticed since Day 1 when we first met 5 years ago that you and I tend to use very different descriptors for almost every whisk(e)y. Not a bad thing, of course, just a very different perceptive and interpretive sense.

Another thing with Balcones Malt, I bet that you will notice significant evolutions in the flavour profile after it has been open quite awhile. In the case of the reviews I did, the bottles had been very long opened. I would not now be able to define how one or both of them tasted when first opened, but I do remember thinking that the experience had changed quite a bit. In all cases I did still enjoy the product.

7 years ago 0

@talexander
talexander commented

Interesting - yes, my bottle was freshly opened for the review. I'll go back to it in a couple of months and see what it's like - thanks!

7 years ago 0

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