Once upon a time I dreamed of being a farmer. My wife and I actually moved to Waco to pursue that dream. We sold our house, packed up our children, and crammed our family into a small apartment on a 40 acre educational farm here in central Texas. I managed a small goat dairy, wrangled livestock, worked in our market garden, prepared farm-to-table dinners, and sold all of our products at the local farmers market. We loved our time on that farm but ultimately decided to pursue other dreams. I'm happier as a distiller even if I do miss the goats from time to time. Fortunately we're able to stay connected to that farm life. We go to the farmers market often to visit friends and market vendors we've known for years. Our kids play with friends and eagerly devour pupusas and cookies. So, of course I was excited for this bottle to come out! The Waco Downtown Farmers Market is not just a hub for Wacoans but the heart of a quickly growing and changing city.
But beyond this connection to a favorite local institution, I was excited for this release because it represents one direction in which Balcones has grown over the past few years. Balcones has long been known for making use of Golden Promise barley, an older variety once ubiquitous in Scotland. Now, we've also begun to release Single Malt made with Texas grown barley and plenty more is on the way. This release is entirely Texas barley and also features dessert wine casks from a local winery, Valley Mills. I'm usually hesitant to talk about terroir in whisky, at least in the sense of a flavor profile common to whiskies from a certain region. But, in this case, it's certainly true that Texas agriculture has made an impact on this Texas whisky. I also believe this is a truly excellent dram! I'm proud of this whisky and this city.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Almond flour, powdered sugar, peaches, white cherries, sweet mint tea, pecans and walnuts, apricot pastry, vanilla syrup, and red wine fruit notes.
Palate: Peach syrup, red wine, dark berries all laid out on a mahogany base. The mouthfeel is gooey and combines with acid, burnt sugar notes, and the red fruit to become a kind of liquid pineapple upside down cake. Cardamom, allspice, nutmeg, and oak come together for a long and surprisingly complex finish.
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