Balcones whiskies

History

The distillery started up in 2008 in an old workshop under a bridge in Waco, with stills built by hand by its founders. Its first whisky, Baby Blue, made from a traditional variety of blue corn, opened the door to a range that soon won awards inside and outside the United States. As it grew, the distillery moved to a much larger building in the city centre. Today it is one of the benchmarks of American craft whisky and one of the driving forces behind Texas single malt.

House style

Balcones’ whiskies are intense, full-bodied and very boldly flavoured. Baby Blue has toasted corn, butter, nuts and fruit; the Texas malt, ripe fruit, toasted cereal, honey and spice. The hot climate makes the whisky draw a lot from the cask in a short time. The house bottles at high strengths, unafraid of power. That’s why they’re worth tasting slowly and, if needed, with a few drops of water. They are whiskies with plenty of personality, which leave no one indifferent and show how far American craft whisky can go when it steps outside the rules of bourbon.

Where to start

Start with Baby Blue, the whisky that made the distillery famous, to discover the flavour of blue corn. If you like malts, try Texas Single Malt next, more intense and complex. Both are whiskies very different from Kentucky’s and a good way to see the diversity of American whiskey.

• Balcones Baby BlueOther American · 46% ABV
• Balcones Texas Single MaltSingle malt · 53% ABV