Anyone Heard of this Texas Bourbon?

[mawnansmiff]

'Balcones Texas Pot Still Straight Bourbon' is certainly a ne one on me. I never knew bourbon was made in Texas but what do I know? Anyone here ever tried it?

The tasting notes are...

"A bold, flavour-forward Texan pot still bourbon from Balcones, matured in charred oak casks, creating aromas of honeycrisp apples, toasted oak, popcorn, savoury crackers and well-oiled leather that fill the nose. The palate offers notes of honey, vanilla cream, roasted pecans, sandalwood and leather that linger in the finish."

and...

"Big flavours have always been the cornerstone of our prized Texas Whiskies, and Texas Pot Still Bourbon is no exception. Made grain-to-glass using a traditional pot still distillation ensures a rich and viscous spirit that stands up to aging in new charred oak without losing its essence. Each dram is full of character and body, with an aromatic entry and soft finish, for an approachable yet memorable experience."


....and it looks like this....



Amazon has if for £43:45 for 70cl.

By all accounts they do a corn whiskey & a rye too, I'm just surprised I haven't come across them before.

Regards,

Jay.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Not an expert, but I thought to be a true bourbon, it had to be from Kentucky?

 

[musicman]

Not an expert, but I thought to be a true bourbon, it had to be from Kentucky?

That’s a common myth. It does have to be from the US though. And it has to contain at least 51 percent corn. There are other requirements as well:

Bourbon Requirements « Bourbon Buzz

bourbonbuzz.com

 

[scloyd]

Distilleries are poppin' up all over the place.

These three are within an hour of my house. There's still more in the area.

Landing | Rush Creek Distilling

[...]Read More...

rushcreekdistilling.com

https://copperfiddledistillery.com/

Whiskey Acres Distilling Co.

Whiskey Acres Distilling Company is an estate distillery located on a family farm in DeKalb. The craft distillery is known for award winning vodka, bourbon, rye and corn whiskey.

www.whiskeyacres.com

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

That’s a common myth. It does have to be from the US though. And it has to contain at least 51 percent corn. There are other requirements as well:

Bourbon Requirements « Bourbon Buzz

bourbonbuzz.com

Bourbon whiskey - Wikipedia

 

[kcghost]

More guys are creating booze from damn near anything than you can shake a stick at.

 

[Grangerous]

So many of these boutique brands. I’ll stick to WT 101

 

[SBC]

I have their brimstone. It's very good.

 

[daveinlax]

More guys are creating booze from damn near anything than you can shake a stick at.

I know many of these Indy brands are just bottling bulk whiskey from Bardstown, KY.

 

[troutface]

I know many of these Indy brands are just bottling bulk whiskey from Bardstown, KY.

Or from MGP in Indiana, but they know their stuff. It can be quite good if the client wants to pay.

 

[musicman]

Bourbon whiskey - Wikipedia

Yep. From your Wiki article:

"On May 4, 1964, the United States Congress recognized bourbon whiskey as a "distinctive product of the United States" by concurrent resolution. Bourbon may be produced anywhere in the United States where it is legal to distill spirits, but most brands are produced in Kentucky, where bourbon production has a strong historical association.[37] The filtering of iron-free water through the high concentrations of limestone that are unique to the area is often touted by bourbon distillers in Kentucky as a signature step in the bourbon-making process.[38]"

 

[mawnansmiff]

"I have their brimstone. It's very good."

I never saw that one on Amazon, glad to hear it's good

"I know many of these Indy brands are just bottling bulk whiskey from Bardstown, KY."

"Or from MGP in Indiana"

It does say somewhere in the blurb it is actually distilled in Texas. I'm thinking it may be a new maker, yet to make a mark.

Regards,

Jay.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Yep. From your Wiki article:

"On May 4, 1964, the United States Congress recognized bourbon whiskey as a "distinctive product of the United States" by concurrent resolution. Bourbon may be produced anywhere in the United States where it is legal to distill spirits, but most brands are produced in Kentucky, where bourbon production has a strong historical association.[37] The filtering of iron-free water through the high concentrations of limestone that are unique to the area is often touted by bourbon distillers in Kentucky as a signature step in the bourbon-making process.[38]"

I remember as a late teen working a Summer job being an inspector stopping in KY and smelling a strong alcohol odor. As I turned back toward the car, I saw a sign that read "Wild Turkey".

I still say, bourbon is from KY and the rest is whiskey. Being from Tennessee, my favorite is seven year old George Dickel. The history of that product being most interesting.

 

[SBC]

MGP sourced products can be pretty good, and I say that as someone who appreciates some top shelf stuff and knows the difference. For instance, Bulleit Rye tastes 2 or 3x its price.

Balcones isn't sourced elsewhere, though. They're the real deal, from the bottom up.

Their brimstone, which I posted a pic of above, is perhaps their most fascinating. Its mash bill is based on blue corn (not sure of the %), dried over Texas scrub oak smoke (a Texan answer to Scotland's tradition of drying malt over peat smoke).

 

[troutface]

"I have their brimstone. It's very good."

I never saw that one on Amazon, glad to hear it's good

"I know many of these Indy brands are just bottling bulk whiskey from Bardstown, KY."

"Or from MGP in Indiana"

It does say somewhere in the blurb it is actually distilled in Texas. I'm thinking it may be a new maker, yet to make a mark.

Regards,

Jay.

You have to read labels carefully. Some just say "bottled by", which means they didn't distill it. Can't trust anyone these days.

 

[troutface]

MGP sourced products can be pretty good, and I say that as someone who appreciates some top shelf stuff and knows the difference. For instance, Bulleit Rye tastes 2 or 3x its price.

Balcones isn't sourced elsewhere, though. They're the real deal, from the bottom up.

Their brimstone, which I posted a pic of above, is perhaps their most fascinating. Its mash bill is based on blue corn (not sure of the %), dried over Texas scrub oak smoke (a Texan answer to Scotland's tradition of drying malt over peat smoke).

I think Templeton Rye came from MGP, not sure if it still does. Some start-ups will use a contract distiller like MGP for a few years to earn money until their own product has aged and can be sold.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

I've had and enjoyed Balcones. It doesn't have the subtlety or complexity of some bourbons, but, it's solid.

 

[troutface]

Sorry Jay, didn't mean to derail your thread, but now you have me interested. I'll be in Texas in April and will make a point of buying some. I can get it locally, but have to jump through some hoops.

 

[EssJaySea]

This comes close to blasphemy (to my Irish ancestors) but as much as I love Irish whiskey our American forebears really nailed it with bourbon.

 

[anotherbob]

You have to read labels carefully. Some just say "bottled by", which means they didn't distill it. Can't trust anyone these days.

Read up on why Bottled in Bond was started. Comparable to the stuff people called whiskey back then....