Balcones Texas Rye Whisky

100% Rye | 100 Proof | 15+ Months | Small Batch | Not Chill Filtered

Forget the ‘E’ - this Rye Whisky is real “chocolaty.” I don’t know why Balcones uses the “whisky” spelling, or why they decided to make such a unique Rye, but It’s certainly unique.

I’ve never had any Whiskey from Texas, so I was looking forward to trying an offering from Balcones. They use copper pot stills and rely on the Texas climate to produce a very unique and tasty Rye in less than 2 years. The Balcones Rye uses a 100% rye mashbill including Elbon, crystal, chocolate, and roasted ryes. The Elbon rye is a hearty cereal rye common in Northwest Texas and Oklahoma for its benefits to soil and crop rotations. The crystal and chocolate ryes are commonly used in beers and provide distinct roasty and chocolate notes. This bottle is from batch RYE 10018-6, bottled on 10-3-18.

Up front, the nose is stroooong with chocolate and molasses. As you draw the nose in, it reveals roasted coffee notes and eventually sweet cola. I was taking my time with this pour, and after a few sips and some more time passed, the tail end of the nose gave way to some more typical rye/bourbon notes like baking spices and tobacco. On the palate, the chocolatiness is immediately preset again. It’s bittersweet chocolate, then some black coffee and leather. The finish lingers for a moment and leaves you with some dry cacao.

Overall this rye is unlike any other I’ve had. It’s chocolatey, roasty, and sweet. The experience almost pushes what I thought were the boundaries of a rye whiskey.

5 - Did I mention it’s chocolatey? It’s sippable and tasty, but it’s so unique that it’s not a go-to in my bottle rotation.

• Glassware - Glencairn

• Rested - 10 minutes

• Bottle opened - 8 weeks ago

• Setting - At the cozy home bar on a cold winter night

• Listening to - “Can I Kick It?” - A Tribe Called Quest