Balcones Brimstone - Texas Scrub Oak Blue Corn Whiskey

[bad_scientist]

Well I dunno about that... A night on the sauce won't make you an alcoholic, but the whiskey sure doesn't taste like chicken!

Man, I'm getting crazy hungry just reading this thread! Anyone else up for BBQ?

[OTwhisky]

SB can be a tad nitpicky at times, Chip. But welcome to the board!

[Bourbon Boiler]

Thanks for jumping in with the clarication, Chip. I was one put off by the initial statement, but it's not like I use the right words 100% of the time either. I think in general, the marketplace wants to support the "true" microdistiller, and I think you'll get a fair shake.

[MyOldKyDram]

I for one would love to try some. Sounds wholly unique.

[MacinJosh]

I'm a big fan of this stuff. It tastes like no whiskey I have ever had, packs a punch at 106pf, and demonstrates a wholly creative process absolutely unique to the American whiskey profile. It doesn't have to be something I would drink everyday for me to get excited about it. I tend to enjoy extreme profiles like malt peat monsters even if I don't drink them very often, and I think this stuff is somewhat of a novelty, but it's well-made and gimmick-free. And it serves up plenty of drama, which is another whiskey characteristic that I gravitate towards.

A 100% corn whiskey that tastes deeply of BBQ... seriously WTF?!

[OTwhisky]

Thanks for jumping in with the clarication, Chip. I was one put off by the initial statement, but it's not like I use the right words 100% of the time either. I think in general, the marketplace wants to support the "true" microdistiller, and I think you'll get a fair shake.

[jtexaslonestar]

I appreciate that and your candor. Out baby's been sick and not a lot of sleep. Thanks for understanding--Chip

FWIW, I love the True Blue Cask Strength. I chose it over the Brimstone just for my love of cask strength bottlings. But putting out world-class whiskies, and having a sick child at the moment, gold medal performance in my book. And no, being a Native Texan has no influence on my palate.:grin: Hope the little one gets well soon.

[SmoothAmbler]

Chip from Balcones here again. Sorry, I was a little testy earlier today. I know you all are all well intended and I appreciate your interest. Hopefully, it's better to get a reply from a grumpy head distiller than a fake brand rep:grin: Have a good one and look forward to your future comments.

Chip

You? Testy? Say it ain't so. You are always so calm and easy going.

By the way, I'm allowed to say that to Chip.

[timd]

I for one, very much enjoy Chip's personality - he's outspoken and passionate. While it may seem gruff at times, you won't find too many other folks with his position in the industry who are still passionate about trying new whisk(e)y and other drinks and finding ways to make his stuff even better.

Some of the finest new make I've had comes from Chip's still - the fact I can drink his mash & new make and actually enjoy it says something!

Glad to have you on the forum, Chip - and thanks for clarifying! (FWIW: Having had multiple off the shelf bottlings of Brimstone from the very beginning, I can honestly say that it's done nothing but improve from an already really great whisky!).

[Restaurant man]

Got a bottle on the way. Can't wait. FWIW I suspect that all passionate distillers have a "hot streak" and this board has a way of bringing it out from time to time :grin:

[MacinJosh]

The Whiskey Leprechaun delivered a Balcones Brimstone Barrel 1200 "Burned Barrel" sample the other day. It's a non-production sample and clocked in at 48%. I tasted this blind and wasn't told what it was until after the fact. My thoughts....

Color: Light amber.

Nose: An immediate blast of bacon bits. Smoked salmon and a whiff of burnt rubber. More bacon bits, like the artificial ones you put on salads. Yum!

Taste: Hickory smoked beef jerky with a hint of BBQ sauce. Crisp bacon followed by notes of A1 steak sauce. Oily and fat, bacon grease. Ãœber mouth coating. Transitions quickly from start to finish but damn it's bold!

Finish: Smoked wood chips. Grilled steak. A bit of char on the back end. Burnt oak.

Rating: This is a meat-lovers whiskey! Bacon, steak, grease, and fat....I can feel my arteries clogging already! What a unique pour. I'm scoring this one a 92.

[OTwhisky]

You? Testy? Say it ain't so. You are always so calm and easy going.

By the way, I'm allowed to say that to Chip.

It takes one a grumpy ole distillery to know another--one of your many positive attributes. : ) It's true

[OTwhisky]

Got a bottle on the way. Can't wait. FWIW I suspect that all passionate distillers have a "hot streak" and this board has a way of bringing it out from time to time

very true, we do. temperamental artists, I guess :grin:

[bad_scientist]

I just bought a bottle of True Blue, bottled 9/12/11. It tastes a lot like smoky tequila. I don't give a rat's ass how many awards it's won, it's a strong tequila flavor to me, and a huge waste of money in my house. Obviously, such a strong opinion may be an outlier. Thus, if you're in DC, just PM me and I'll pour you some so you can make your own decision. I'm disgusted by the price and how boring it is.

[silverfish]

As part of his Craft Whiskey Week, sku samples Brimstone and offers his thoughts.

I have an opened bottle and am trying hard to make it last until I and get my hands

on a couple more. The smoky flavors didn't do much for me this summer but I think

the upcoming colder months will have me reaching for the Brimstone with greater

frequency.

[timd]

I'm disgusted by the price and how boring it is.

Almost all craft offerings are in this price range - and most of them aren't very good.

Although your opinion on the whiskey is certainly valid (i.e. it doesn't taste good to you), I'd be hard pressed to agree on any level that its "boring." I've had quite a bit of Balcones over the years, and while I'm an admitted super fan of Chip's stuff (especially Rumble Cask Reserve & Brimstone), and nothing I've had qualifies as boring - or poor quality. Tastes may vary, but the measure of quality isn't as subjective - and he makes good stuff!

[GaryT]

I've only tasted the Brimstone, and agree that you couldn't call it "boring" - although it absolutely was not my cup of tea (or bourbon). The closest thing it reminded me of was Charred Oak in that "burnt wood" was the predominant character I walked away with. Might be exactly what some folks are looking for (hey - I love Laphroaig which some Scotch enthusiasts think is bathwater), just not me.

[Josh]

I had some at the gazebo, and I didn't think it was boring but I didn't really care for it either. I love their malt and Tru & Baby Blues, but the brimstone just wasn't gettin' it done for me. I would rank Corsair Triple Smoke and HW Campfire* over Brimstone.

*Yes I know Campfire is a vatting so it's not the same thing.

UPDATE: Just read the rest of the thread. Wow, I missed out on another good one. Anyway, I will keep an open mind and try some from a different bottle at the next opportunity.

Edited September 23, 2012 by Josh

[Bourbon Boiler]

Jesus, guys. The is CHIP TATE, HEAD DISTILLER AT BALCONES. Please don't beat up on new employees that ALMOST understood what I asked them to post on the internet. This issue is that some distributors don't front their cases well and so a bottle from 2010 will end up on the shelf, rather than more recent bottlings. Why does that matter? Let me clarify:

1) There are no BAD bottles of Balcones out there.

2) What my employee was TRYING to say is that I blind taste each new blend against previous batches to make sure it is better than the last. Again, THERE ARE NO BAD BOTTLES OF BALCONES, but each batch is better than the last.

3) Given these former points, later batches of Brimstone and all of our products may be even more pleasing to your palate than earlier one. As one of the few "craft" distilleries that actually bottles whisky the actually make (and please feel free to contact me if you'd like to know who's who), we hope that our quality improves daily. JUST TO AVOID ANY MISUNDERSTANDINGS, I do not mean to suggest that our quality has ever been anything but excellent.

And just for the record, Jim Murray just rated the "bad" brimstone in question very highly (95+) and awarded it a Liquid Gold award in his 2013 Whisky Bible. But since that is not out yet, you'll just have to take my word for that. I stand by every bottle we've ever put out and I hope you enjoy them all. If you don't, I won't apologize for that, but I would encourage to continue to try our products. Most of the worlds' most prestegious tasters including Paul Pacult, Andy Dias Blue and, as previously mentioned, Jim Murray consider our products worldclass. Hopefully, that means enough to some to try our products with an open mind. I will make a point to get people to sign their posts in the future, but do let it go. If you don't want to, email me directly at chiptate@balconesdistilling.com and we can talk it out mono y mono.

THIS IS CHIP TATE, PRESIDENT AND HEAD DISTILLER FOR BALCONES

Good Evening Chip. I did want to revisit this statement, but I wanted to wait because I didn't want my question to come off as abraisive or attacking, as I assure you my intent is only to understand. Above in point number two, I added italics and bold type to a statement you made. While I can appreciate that continous improvement is key to the manufacture of any product, how do you balance that with consistancy - particularly on a product that is very subjective and individually biased in grading quality.

If I were in your position, I would be concerned that someone would love my 2010 version, but after a few "improvements", might not like the 2013 edition nearly as much. Or they might like it equally as well, but notice that it is different and might not "chance it" on future releases. I think I would be concerned that the next batch is the same as the first, not "better" than the first.

I hope you find time to answer, and again I'm not trying to be critical, only to better understand your operations and the industry in general.

[MacinJosh]

I really dig the Brimstone and Greg (man I hope I remembered that right) was gracious enough to send me home with the bottle from the Gazebo.

Thanks again!!

[nivto]

Brimstone is definitely the one in the lineup that I'd recommend tasting. Buying a bottle blind could be risky but if you like it you probably won't find anything else like it anywhere else.

[p_elliott]

I really dig the Brimstone and Greg (man I hope I remembered that right) was gracious enough to send me home with the bottle from the Gazebo.

Thanks again!!

Greg

I'm glad you found a home for that because as much as I hate to say it, it was awful. Texas is batting 0 for 2.

[thezenone]

I recently had a glass of the Brimstone at a restaurant and really enjoyed it. Have a bottle of Baby Blue and enjoy it as well. I have been impressed with these two offerings and look forward to hopefully some wider distribution in CA.

[mopgcw]

haven't had the brimstone, but love the baby blue. on my second bottle of blue. will need to track down the brimstone.

George

[CaptainQ]

My review having first tried it a few days ago.[TABLE=class: tborder, width: 100%, align: center]

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[TD=class: alt1, bgcolor: #F5F5FF]Balcones Brimstone. Wow, I'm glad I waited until the end of the evening to sample this foul concoction. This beverage will contaminate your pallet in 5 seconds flat. It tasted like someone pressure washed an old smokehouse and concentrated the waste water and then added it to a green corn spirit. Very nasty. I took two small sips and threw the rest out.

:puke:

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