Balcones High Plains Single Malt Single Barrel (2020)

This bottle, a Spec's pick from Barrel No. 19576 bottled on 08-28-2020, aged for 30 months and bottled at 63.9% ABV (127.8 proof), has been open for 2.5 years. The nose is hot and spicy, with notes of black pepper, dill, ground cinnamon, burnt malt, strong oak, and very strong ethanol. The palate is overwhelmingly oily and coats the mouth, with intense spice, oak extract, burnt honey malt, and burnt marshmallow. The finish is long, oily, and heavy with oak and spice, having light honey and strong ethanol. I'm finished with Balcones. Every cask strength whiskey I've tried from them follows a similar pattern. The initial pour is great, but it quickly deteriorates. They all begin to taste like flavored oak extract. I'm unsure why this happens, but it's consistent across bottles I've shared with a friend over the past five years, regardless of whether it was corn whiskey, bourbon, rye, or unpeated and peated single malt. I never enjoy them after the first few weeks. If you're interested in Texas whiskey, I recommend trying Ironroot or Still Austin. They capture the spirit of Texas's rapid aging but preserve the familiar whiskey flavors from the Midwest. I shared this bottle with a friend who will buy.

Nose: Toasted caramel, toffee, and subtle fruit esters. Palate: Rich baking spices with an initial intense burn. Flavors of honey and apple are present. Finish: Dry and robust. A tingle remains on the lips as the leather-like burn fades.

Nose: caramelized sugar, raw honey, winter spices, lemon peel Palate: matches the nose initially, then builds into pepper and oak Overall: very rich and thick, dense, spice builds

Robust, benefits from dilution. A nose of caramel and sweetness. It's peppery and sweet, but the alcohol is too much.