Balcones Texas Pot Still Bourbon
Official Bottling | 46% ABV
Score: 7/10
Very Good Indeed.
TL;DR
A rich and flavoursome bourbon experience that’s a step above the rest
Are we at risk of running out of good ex-bourbon casks?
I’d like to start things off today with a quick recap on what constitutes a bourbon; the laws around that spirit classification and the same review on scotch whisky, according to laws surrounding the creation of scotch whisky. So a brief overview of bourbon in three declarative statements:
Bourbon must be made in the United States
Bourbon must be made from at least 51% corn
Bourbon must be matured/aged in new, charred oak barrels
I’ll be coming back to talk about point three in a while, but for now let’s quickly call out the laws surrounding scotch whisky and what exactly that means.
A quick definition of scotch whisky is as follows (and can be found on the UK government website:
Minimum alcoholic strength by volume of 40%
Produced at a distillery in Scotland from water, cereals and yeast
Matured in an excise warehouse in Scotland in oak casks, for a period not less than three years
While there are key differences right away between the legal protection and definitions of both bourbon and scotch whisky, for the sake of today's review and ramblings, I think an important one to highlight as a future worry could be the area of those casks/barrels created initially by bourbon producers and then re-used again in Scotland for the maturation of their liquid.
How well the bourbon industry performs and flourishes can impact the scotch whisky industry in turn. The less bourbon casks available to the ever-growing list of distilleries in Scotland has an impact on the amount of 2nd/3rd/4th refill casks in circulation, the cost of those fresh bourbon casks being sold by bourbon distilleries and so on.
This has been a topic that popped into my mind recently as I enjoyed the Balcones bourbon, among other expressions from the Texas distillery I’m reviewing today. There are a lot of new distilleries popping up all over the British Isles within their respective countries and regions. The same boom is occurring in North America, with more than 2000 ‘craft’ distilleries now established in the US (more statistics on this number can be found on the Statista website. An insane number, albeit in a country with a population of over 331 million people.
From an environmental perspective, if these new distilleries even choose to craft their own bourbon, this isn’t a sustainable practice in the slightest in sourcing new American white oak (Quercus alba) for the creation of the new barrels needed for bourbon production and maturation.
I'm not sure if this is occurring right now but you could possibly consider the big distillery names in bourbon, such as Heaven Hill, Buffalo Trace and Brown Forman looking to protect their oak assets for the future creation of their product.
Similar behaviour perhaps to how Diageo is somewhat limiting peated barley produced and distributed from their Port Ellen maltings on Islay to distilleries in Scotland. You don’t have to look very far to read about the impact and struggles occurring today with the regeneration of new American White Oak, as highlighted succinctly here in on the Drinks Business webiste, which covers the topic in a bit more detail.
These new craft distilleries are feasibly opting to create a spirit in a differing category away from the somewhat restrictive requirements that are needed in the production of bourbon. Maybe through the creation of American whisky, or American single malt for example. The federal laws and legislation around this American whisky category state maturation has to be oak casks, no mention of new oak or charred anywhere. Which can give a lot more flexibility in the creation of any new whisky in the US while not having to be completely dependent on sourcing new American oak, which is charred for bourbon maturation.
To me it makes for an interesting and exciting variation on whisky itself, where we’re seeing more craft distillers releasing their own product with a twist. While Balcones is a fantastic example of the Texan humidity imparting huge influential flavours on their liquid, other brands such as Talnua, based in Colorado, have created their own single pot still American whiskey, influenced by single pot still Irish. Fascinating, and one example of the different variances we can look forward to coming from the US.
I’ve just scratched the surface here on this interesting topic and how closely this is all linked to the production and maturation of the whisky we love coming from Scotland. Time will tell what happens with the use and regeneration of American white oak, and its use in bourbon production, along with the amount of ex-bourbon casks available for producers around the world and not just in the US.
Is it possible we could see a change in terminology within the scotch whisky laws? Could we see a similar approach to what the laws are for Irish whiskey production, where distilleries are allowed to incorporate different/alternative wood types for cask creation? There are some fascinating wood types being used in Ireland today that could alter and change the scotch whisky landscape if these changes were ever brought in.
Review
Balcones Texas Pot Still Bourbon, 750ml bottle, aged 24 months, 46% ABV
£45 paid at auction (usually widely available at retail)
This Balcones is made up from four grains with roasted blue corn, wheat, rye and barley all contained in the mash bill. Although there are no disclosed percentage amounts for each grain, at least from what I've tried to find online.
Moving away from their high ABV expressions, this really approachable bourbon is made from a traditional copper pot still, a Forsyth pot still to be exact. Which, according to Balcones, are the tallest pot stills in the world, that also contain a helical lyne arm.
My batch is,’TPSB21-1’ with date ‘2.11.21’ which if we go with the crazy North American MM/DD/YY date format, places this expression release on Feb 11th. This was aged in oak for at least 24 months, which is tremendous. Given the complexity and flavours from this bourbon, that Texas climate really gets to work here in helping the interaction between distillate and wood.
Nose
Corn syrup, icing sugar, treacle and warm honey. A typical bourbon nose and a good first impression. Green apple Jolly Rancher confectionary, with cinnamon spice and strawberry jam. Sponge cake with a lot of fondant icing. Charred wood, liquorice and a sweet rice pudding with a dusting of nutmeg. Cherry cola and a hint of artificial strawberry foam too. A wonderful nose. It has a slight savoury note to it also. Wilted spinach and honey mustard sauce come to mind.
Palate
Fabulously rounded, soft and sweet. All things sweet and spiced. It’s got lovely elements of wood, a hint of prickly pepper and it rounds off nicely with a nutty element… reminding me of diced almonds.
Clotted cream with baked apples stewing in their own juices. It very juicy and sweet. Not over-sweet like some bourbons can be, but decadent and delicious. A light mouth coating that’s silky which leaves your mouth watering after sipping. A medium finish with a nice charred wood note coming out of the back end, and a sugared biscuit end. A quick little blast of orange jelly, chocolate and sponge cake too.
The Dregs
Once you get past the fundamental basic bourbon notes that you’d expect, this Balcones has a lot more to offer in terms of flavour and enjoyment. I’m a big fan of Balcones and pray that not much changes in terms of availability, price and flavour now that Diageo has taken over the reins.
This would be a bourbon I’d recommend due to the taste experience it offers compared to other bourbons available in the UK such as Wild Turkey, Eagle Rare and Four Roses. The Balcones Texas Single malt is truly exceptional too.
This Pot still bourbon is juicy, a little meaty and contains nice complexity that makes for a pleasurable pour, to either sit and pick apart, or have while watching a movie without having to pay too much attention. Another example of great whiskey and bourbon coming out of North America that makes me want to spend more time and money tasting these expressions as the whisky bug bites harder and harder every day.
Score: 7/10
Ogilvie’s Review
Balcones Texas Pot Still Bourbon, 750ml bottle, aged 24 months, Bottled 9/15/21, 46% ABV
USD$28 paid (£23)
My thanks to Hamish who graciously invited me to contribute to his review – I hope my two cents are helpful in some way.
I bought the bottle I am reviewing in early 2022. I am, admittedly, a Balcones fan-boy. Having had the Texas 1 Single Malt, their Lineage expression, and the Brimstone expression – and loving them all – I was curious when I found this pot still bourbon on the shelf for less than $30.00 USD. And, even though at that time I was just re-introducing myself to the world of bourbon, I had to get it. I mean…c’mon! It was Balcones.
As I have said in prior writings, I am a single malt guy first, but have (over the past few years) been enjoying the bourbon renaissance. From my pictures here one might be puzzled by the fact that I have not drained the bottle more, even though this has been in my cabinet for over a year. Though I am enjoying my time with bourbons, admittedly, this bottle has not received the same attention as the malt bottles in my whiskey cabinet. The lack of speed to empty the bottle is purely a function of what I usually reach for first (malts) – not necessarily the quality of the drink.
Score: 6/10
Good stuff.
TL;DR
Not my favourite, but unique and loved
Nose
Cherry compote mixed with green tea. The fruit is there with a strong herbal note. Nutmeg and cinnamon, and some stale graham crackers. The cherry notes switch to a bit of cherry cola, such as Dr. Pepper or Mr. Pibb. There is a hint of some artificial vanilla icing, and that herbal note continues.
Palate
The initial taste carries with it a bit of creamy, but muted, pecan pie. The pot still distillation brings a creamy texture and some weight. A molasses and oak note starts mid-palate and there is a taste of Corn Chex cereal. This has a foundation of traditional bourbon, but what comes next in the building of flavours is rather different and unexpected. A floral note is present . . . I am not sure how to characterise it more specifically. The herbal note from the nose is here, along with tart apples. A slight underlay of vanilla, not unlike flat cream soda. Unusual and quirky, but nice. Starting after the mid-palate but before the finish, however, a sort of sour funk/rye spice emerges and introduces itself to your taste buds. The rye part of the mash bill clearly wanted to make itself known. Once it does, that funky, spicy flavour ebbs into the herbal notes and a slight hint of bitter chocolate.
The Dregs
This is not a typical bourbon, and because of that, I find it interesting. The flavour combinations no doubt come from its four-grain mash bill of roasted blue corn, Texas wheat, Texas rye, and malted barley. The precise mashbill is not disclosed. All we know before sampling is that the roasted blue corn has to be at least 51% of the mash bill. What I believe I can discern after sampling is that: (1) the rye is not unsubstantial as it makes itself known toward the finish, and (2) the wheat and malted barley are also not unsubstantial as I attribute to them part of the herbal and creamy notes in my glass.
Is this my favourite bourbon? No. But just as we all are on a flavour chase in our whiskey journeys, this bottle delivers a unique flavour profile not normally associated with bourbon. Traditionally, bourbons usually are quite sweet. Of course, as compared to single malts, this is rather sweet. But, as compared to other bourbons – while it has sweet notes – overall it is not the sweet that I usually encounter within the genre. Traditionally, bourbons often have predictable flavour profiles (some are butterscotch heavy, some are cherry and vanilla, some are brown sugar). This Balcones, however, colours outside of the traditional lines. Here we have herbal notes, cereal notes, that sour/rye-induced kick… things here are out of the ordinary and are truly interesting.
Whether this uniqueness can be ascribed to the claimed tallest copper pot stills in the world, or the extended time Balcones utilises for its fermentation process, or the varied toast and char levels of their barrels (or a combination of some/all), this is a bourbon path that veers off of the standard, aged-old trail. It has a lower ABV than some other Balcones’ counterparts, but it is not thin. It is complex and a bit challenging, and I appreciate something that has charted its own course instead of following a similar, too often overused recipe profile.
This uniqueness might also be a function of the bottle in my hand versus other batches. I hear from some in the whiskey community that this expression has evolved a bit over time. My bottle is from September 2021, and I am interested in comparing it to more recent bottling batches. As I type this, I wonder what batch is in Hamish’s hands, what flavour profiles he has discovered, and how our two bottles may differ.
For now, (at the risk of beating the word “interesting” to a pulp), this bottle intrigues me, and I do come back to it when I am in the mood for something that beats its own path in an oddly attractive way. As said, it is not necessarily my go-to when I reach for a bourbon. I will not rush to replace this when finished, but I do appreciate its differences and am glad to have crossed paths with it.
Score: 6/10 OS
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. HF
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