Balcones True Blue Cask Strength (Total Wine & More select)

I didn't realize it until I brought the bottle home, but it turned out to be a Total Wine store pick. They did a great job! This bottle comes from barrel #21757. It's 109.6 proof, and while the label lacks an age statement, the Total Wine sticker indicates 42 months, which is 3.5 years. The mash bill is 100% roasted Texas blue corn. It appears dark copper in the glass. NOSE: This is the most complex nose I've encountered since I started drinking whisky in September 2021. I detected brown sugar, cinnamon, coffee cake, roasted sweet corn, mesquite smoke, very ripe peaches, plums, kiwis?, pomegranates?, some type of citrus juice, pineapple juice, creamed corn, a hickory fire, and freshly baked cornbread. I returned to the nose repeatedly, and for 15 to 20 minutes, new notes continued to emerge. MOUTHFEEL: Usually, a single word suffices, and when it doesn't, two do the trick. However, this mouthfeel is silky, creamy, buttery, and smooth. TASTE: Brown sugar, cinnamon, black pepper, butter, honey, red chile, spiced honey, and oak. FINISH: Long, starting with oak, then transitioning into mesquite smoke, and finally fading slowly with red pepper. SUMMARY: This is a glorious whisky and an excellent example of the Balcones craftsmanship. It's worth every penny I paid, and more. This spirit drinks like a highly complex and perfectly aged bourbon. RATING: Mighty fine!, the highest rating on my personal scale.

I will update this as I consume the bottle. Smells like wild turkey 101. The initial 2 pours are intense. The second pour reveals a bit more flavor. Oily, smooth mouthfeel. Sweetness at the start, followed by corn. It's good. I appreciate the proof. It offers flexibility to add water to achieve your desired proof. Would be suitable for mixing. Follow-up: Diluting this with a 4:1 ratio of bourbon to water allows for much more sweetness and oak. A smooth drink. Rich.