Balcones Texas Pot Still Bourbon

A little background

Balcones Distillery began distilling in 2009 in Waco, TX and today produces quite a few different spirits, some of which Whiskey Consensus will be reviewing of the next couple of months.  Today’s review is of Balcones Texas Pot Still Bourbon, which is bottled at 92 Proof and a retail price of around $35.

(Tasted neat from a Glencairn.)

Color

Light Copper

Nose

Sweet buttered corn, craisins, and sour grapes.  There is a sharpness that isn’t ethanol, which I can deal with, that isn’t very pleasant. 

Palate

Thin viscosity with bitter fruit up front followed by youthful grain notes. 

Finish

Musty vanilla oak and char combine to create the most interesting and most pleasant part of the dram. 

In closing

Coming into this review I had heard almost universally negative things regarding Texas bourbon, so I was happy to find this whiskey to be enjoyable.  However, youthful notes do dominate the nose and palate, of which I am not a fan of. For a distillery who’s been in operation since 2009, I would not expect this. Yeah, yeah I know bourbon supposedly ages faster in the Texas heat, but the youth is still too apparent.  So, saying that if you are a fan of youthful bourbon or are a diehard Texan, I’d recommend at least giving this one a try.

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 their Texas Whiskey.