A little background

Balcones Distillery began distilling in 2009 in Waco, TX and today produces quite a few different spirits. Today’s review is of Balcones Baby Blue Corn Whisky, which is made from roasted blue corn (I’m not sure where they get the name Baby Blue from though), and bottled at 92 Proof after being aged at least 6 months in oak. Balcones Baby Blue Corn Whisky has a retail price of around $40.

(Tasted neat from a Glencairn Glass)

Color

Straw

Nose

Tart unripe oranges, corn juice, cinnamon, and sultanas.

Palate

Tart fruit dominates with an underlying creamed corn sweetness.

Finish

Cinnamon and allspice swell up and cut into the building powdered sugar sweetness.

In conclusion

Legally, corn whiskey doesn’t need to be aged at all. It’s likely Balcones went with corn whisky as their first whisky so they could get it to market quicker and talk about being the first Texas distilled whisky to be released since Prohibition. That’s all fine and dandy, but I don’t really like how Balcones states that they keep it young to preserve the flavor of the blue corn. Then, they charge a premium for a very, very young whisky that doesn’t have much going for it other than an in your face youth flavor profile that not many whiskey drinkers actually enjoy.

NOTE: The sample used for this review was provided at no cost courtesy of Balcones. We thank them for the sample and for allowing us to review it with no strings attached.