Founded in 2008, with operations commencing in 2009, Balcones Distilling claims the mantle of first Texas whiskey on the market since prohibition. Located in Waco, TX, their operation began with the refurbishing of an old industrial space. (Side note, something about this type of arrangement “feels” right for whiskey production.) They’ve since expanded within Waco, re-purposing another old storage building and Balcones is now easily found nationally. Today, we look at their single malt expression with the Balcones Texas Single Malt review. (Whiskey Rising also reviewed Balcones Baby Blue Corn Whisky, Texas Bourbon, and Texas Rye.)

Texas Single Malt consists of a 100% malted barley mash bill. Balcones pot-distills this ‘whisky’ to a proof of 106 (53% ABV), and reports to never chill filter. My bottle, from batch SM19-1 March 5, 2019, states an aging period of 26 months in oak. A longer aging period than other Balcones, let’s see how it worked out for them.

Bottle and Appearance

In the bottle Texas Single Malt exudes a hazy, cinnamon stick coloring. In the glass, it retains this hue and demonstrates a strong but subdued thickness on the walls. After a swirl, droplets slowly form and creep down the side of the glass. The bottle itself retains the standard monochromatic scheme found across all Balcones year round standard offerings. While not necessarily exciting, it delivers familiarity after buying several different Balcones offerings.

Nose

Texas Single Malt enters the nose with a warming effect that nearly feels moist. It opens with a soft sweetness in the form honeydew and grows in intensity eventually reaching full blown molasses. From there, it pivots unsurprisingly to baked goods and emanates the essence of oatmeal cookies for sale at a school fundraiser. Before ending, distant notes of saltwater banana flavored toffee wafts in as though a gentle breeze pushes it through the window on a cloudless night. The whisky feels gentle and innocent, if not somewhat bashful, as it flows through a pleasant progression of flavors – a little bit like playing hide and go seek with a toddler.

Palate

The tender effect of the nose falls away fairly immediately as Texas Single Malt enters the mouth with a pronounced astringency. The flavors initially align with the nose as a sea salt caramel opens up. This brief flirtation quickly devolves to the pure savory side as Worcestershire sauce comes through. A grapefruit bitterness cuts through the otherwise blunted condiment next. Though perhaps welcome, it nonetheless seems slightly out of place. The malt does show up throughout as does an alcohol burn strong enough to register. The erratic nature of this whisky prevents it from being called smooth. Nevertheless, with a little massaging it will unlock enough depth to remain interesting.

Finish

On its way out, a malty caramel residue from the palate gains some speed as it blooms into milk chocolate in this setting. It exhibits an otherwise absent spicy factor in the finish with hints of nutmeg and clove resonating. The odd man of the total experience, grapefruit, actually persists throughout to the end as it brings the curtain down. Despite a lingering and mildly annoying alcohol burn, it delivers an effective finish.

Drinkability

Texas Single Malt is fine neat, but is recommended on the rocks. The melting ice tamps down the heat, and mutes the various extremes found especially in the palate. Additionally, it unlocks what could be described as a vanilla and coffee explosion resulting in a drink that resembles a flavored iced latte. Drink this whisky while working on the next great American novel or pontificating on some random, esoteric subject. The erratic yet shallow complexity allows for a collegiate coffeehouse feel.

Food Pairing

Serve Texas Single Malt with a turkey sandwich on wheat bread with Havarti cheese and cranberry sauce. Throw in some kettle chips to really round out the experience.

Facial Hair Rating

Texas Single Malt receives the Fu Manchu Facial Hair Rating. There is a classy eloquence to it that, in some cases, may border on obnoxious hipsterdom. Depending on the setting it either conveys a serene wisdom or the literal exact opposite.

Overall

To conclude the Balcones Texas Single Malt review – yearning for peace in a world of war. Texas Single Malt does some very nice things and gets off to a great start with the nose. The flavors that come through do so softly yet with enough presence to allow for an easy experience. This abruptly shifts on the palate as some odd turns appear and an erratic nature evolves. The finish lands somewhere in between and squarely in neutral territory. Despite some of the random noise throughout, it otherwise delivers a solid American Single Malt experience. Just be prepared to work with it a little to unlock the full expression. Also, try to enjoy surprises and roll with the punches on this one.

Final Grade: B-

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