About Balcones Texas "1" Single Malt Whisky
Handcrafted in small batches, Balcones Texas Single Malt Whisky is made from 100% malted Golden Promise barley. Golden Promise is an early-maturing spring barley that has a depth of flavor ideal for single malts. While it was popular in Scotland for many years, it gave way to cheaper barely that was higher in yield but lower in quality.
After mashing the malted barley, they slowly ferment it at cool temperatures for seven days. Their fermentation process, which takes nearly twice as long as most other distilleries and is done at much lower temperatures, ultimately produces a richer, smoother whisky. After distillation, they age the whisky using a unique barreling process. "The main difference between Balcones and other single malts," they explain, "is the barreling. The cooperage we use and the care we put into blending and reblending the casks defines a lot of what makes our malt what it is. All of the barrels used are bespoke casks made from fully yard-aged oak with custom toast and char profiles."
While most single malts age in a single, large cask of a certain variety their entire lives (for Scotch, this is typically a used bourbon cask), they blend and rebarrel each cuvée of Balcones Texas Single Malt through several barrels of different sizes and oak profiles in order to create uniquely round and complex flavors. While a batch of Balcones Single Malt may begin aging in toasted American oak barrels, it may also age in French oak and European oak barrels before being bottled by hand.
"We go out of our way to prevent excessive wood extraction," they say. "With both small and large barrels, you risk a very strong wood profile in the Texas heat. By rotating the whisky, different characteristics emerge from each type of wood, depending on the size of the barrel, and how long the whisky rests inside."
For Balcones Distilling, creating the perfect Texas Single Malt Whisky is a labor of love. After the whisky has reached its peak of maturity, it is slowly proofed by hand. Each batch of Balcones Single Malt is then bottled and labeled with the type of wood in which the whisky was finished.
Balcones Texas Single Malt Whisky will appeal to Scotch and bourbon drinkers alike. With notes of warm toffee, dark sugar and caramel, it has a flavor profile similar to Scotch. In addition, the barreling process adds notes of honey and vanilla, which would appeal to any bourbon drinker.
Balcones Texas Single Malt Whisky is Texas made, Texas proud.
Pick up a bottle today!
About Balcones
Situated in Texas where the extreme and rapid temperature swings make the barrels "breathe" much faster, Balcones Distilling started as a passion project in an old Texas weldin shop in 2009. Today, this is one of the most unique, grain to glass craft distilleries out there. Using only the best of ingredients from blue corn grown in New Mexico to the first malted barley grown in Texas and handmade Scottish Forsyths copper-pot stills, Balcones pays special attention to the barrels. They consider oak to be an ingredient in whisky as well and their barrels are all customized. Balcones whisky is aged in several barrel types for a more complex flavor profile. Besides Balcones whisky which is adored for its bold and intense flavors, they also make rum.
About American Whiskey
There are two main representatives of the American whiskey family, bourbon, and rye, but some other spirits don't fall into those two strictly regulated categories.
There's equally strictly regulated American single malt, made from 100% malted barley, Tennessee whiskey, essentially bourbon filtered through maple charcoal and aged in new charred oak barrels.
And then there's moonshine, a high proof (150- 170 proof) distilled spirit mainly made out of corn which gained popularity during the prohibition.
Check out our impressive selection of American single malts, or find your new favorite in our rich whisk(e)y selection, and get familiarized with what the world has to offer.
Woodford Reserve Kentucky Derby® 150 Limited Edition Bourbon Whiskey (1L)
