Tasting notes·Balcones

Balcones Texas Rye

Balcones use several types of rye in the mash for their Texas Rye. These include Elbon rye from the north-west of Texas as well as crystal, chocolate and roasted rye.

The panel

Marcel
69
Sascha
69

Mean 69.0 · spread 0

Value for money 3/5

Distillery
Balcones
Type
Rye
Country
USA
Strength
50% ABV
Character
floral

Tasting

Nose

Rye opens properly, with lots of chocolate. There is also some salted caramel, malted grain and a tiny hint of smoke on the nose. The chocolate rye is particularly interesting here and makes the whisky seem like a rye beer.

Palate

Chilli chocolate - intensely flavoured and yet light. The Balcones Texas Rye Whisky whets the appetite for more with aromas of rye spice, German grey bread and something malt-like with oak spice and even more dark chocolate. Beautifully balanced, even if still a little youthful in places.

Finish

Chocolate and some leather remain in the medium-long finish.

Verdicts

Marcel

The Balcones Texas Rye brings plenty of fun with its chocolaty rye spice and breathes fresh life into the glass. Sure, its youth is still evident, but that’s exactly what gives it a lively, almost cheeky personality – definitely a rye that’s enjoyable and piques your curiosity for more.

Sascha

A well-structured rye with a balanced interplay between chocolaty notes and a spicy rye profile, though clearly marked by its youth. The blend of different rye varieties creates interesting aromas, but it’s still uncertain whether longer maturation might smooth out some of the edges.

What it is worth

No auction record for this distillery, so we cannot tell you what this bottle is worth. We would rather say that than guess.

Source

Tasting note and scores by WHISKY:EDITION — tasted by Marcel and Sascha, published 2024-03-27.