Balcones Texas Single Malt the World Whisky of the Year in 2014

[gburger]

I just got this email. I just bought my second bottle of this and plan on bringing it to the sampler in April.

Although I may need to get approval from Paul before I bring any Texas whiskey. Just trying to give him a bad time.

[TABLE=width: 100]

[TR]

[TD][TABLE=width: 720, align: center]

[TR]

[TD][TABLE=width: 700, align: center]

[TR]

[TD]

[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]

[TABLE=width: 700, align: center]

[TR]

[TD]

[/TD]

[TD]January 27 Waco, TX — Pioneering craft whisky makers at Balcones Distilling have earned a new set of awards for their acclaimed whiskies. Last week, London's Wizards of Whisky named the distillery's celebrated Texas Single Malt the World Whisky of the Year in 2014, as well as the World Single Malt of the Year and the American Single Malt of the Year. Balcones Single Malt and Baby Blue also earned Gold medals, while True Blue and Brimstone were honored with Silver medals.

The Wizards of Whisky Awards World Whisky Awards are organized by Dominic Roskrow, a 22-year veteran of drinks journalism who has published six books and written or edited for many notable publications. This year's Wizards winners were proclaimed after three separate judging events that included as many as 12 judges each. Balcones Texas Single Malt was named World Single Malt of the Year ahead of other celebrated brands such as Kavalan and The English Whisky Company. In 2012 Balcones also received considerable commendation from Wizards of Whisky, being named US Craft Distiller of the Year and receiving two Gold medals and two Silver medals.

Chip Tate, President and Head Distiller of Balcones, commented on the distillery's new accolades: "In truth, we're a little taken aback. To have taken not only the Best American Single Malt, but World Single Malt of the Year and even World Whisky of the Year in the overall competition is almost too much to take in. We're very pleased."

To date, Balcones has received nearly 100 accolades from national and international competitions, judged by countless respected industry experts. Texas Single Malt, the most celebrated of Balcones' portfolio, has received over two-dozen awards since its release in 2011, including Best in Show –Brown Spirits at the 2011 New York World Wine & Spirits.

The new wins for Balcones come just as the distillery has completed upgrades in its existing facilities to triple production capacity. Chip Tate and his crew built two wash stills and two new spirit stills from scratch by welding, shaping and hammering sheet copper over three months. The growing distillery also plans to build an entirely new facility inside the 100-year-old Texas Fireproof Storage Building in downtown Waco by 2015, which will expand production several fold yet again.

[/TD]

[TD]

[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]

[/TD]

[TD]

[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD][TABLE=width: 700, align: center]

[TR]

[TD]

[/TD]

[TD]You are receiving this email from Balcones Distilling, Waco, TX; Please Drink Responsibly.

[/TD]

[TD]

[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]

[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

[TABLE=width: 100]

[TR]

[TD][TABLE=width: 595, align: center]

[TR]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD][/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=colspan: 2]

Balcones Distilling, LLC | 212 S. 17th Street | Waco | TX | 76701[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

[MyOldKyDram]

It's a decent enough product to be sure, but...

[squire]

London, that's in England, right? Next door to Scotland where they make malt whisky?

[squire]

Ah, google answered my question, Wizards of Whisky (WOW) is a new outfit created solely to give out awards and covers whisky from around the World . . . except Scotland.

[Quantum]

In other news, the Whiskey Sorcerers of America overwhelmingly voted Balcones True Blue as the #1 cask strength whiskey made from roasted blue corn. It is the only whiskey to take this award, as the WSA disbanded immediately after the vote, when my wife told me to stop calling myself that. The stray cat that made up the other half of the committee also ran off, after I sprayed it with a garden hose for sticking its nose in my glass.

[squire]

Cats are like that but dogs are worse.

[BigBoldBully]

As founder of the ever-inquisitive Whisky Tasting Foundation? (WTF?), I refuse to recognize any awards conjured by gerrymandered wizardry rather than in some less magical manner.

[BigBoldBully]

But if a wizard somewhere would go ahead and *poof* a bottle of Brimstone to my cellar for consideration, the more forgiving and enthusiastic Whiskey Tasting Foundation! (WTF!), of which I am also founder, might go along with some sort of award for that one.

[MyOldKyDram]

Me and my fellow AWARDS (American Whiskey Award Distribution Society) members are prepared to name Rumble CS American Whatever It Is Of Forever for a spare bottle or two.

[squire]

Along with an appropriate entry fee of course, you can't just give out awards.

[Oboe Cadobro]

As CEO and Founder Emeritus of the industry rating organization "Liberal User of Spirits for Health" (LUSH), let me state for the record that WTF? appears to be a sham organization....just sayin'...:cool:

[Restaurant man]

You guys are nuts. :kookoo:

[BigBoldBully]

As CEO and Founder Emeritus of the industry rating organization "Liberal User of Spirits for Health" (LUSH), let me state for the record that WTF? appears to be a sham organization....just sayin'...:cool:

[White Dog]

The award makes me think of the wise Col. Sherman T. Potter when he uttered the words "Horse hockey."

Edited January 27, 2014 by White Dog

[bin31z]

I'm sick of tired of all these F***ing awards. Double gold, silver, platinum, whiskey of the year, whiskey of the century, best whiskey in the galaxy, milky way best whiskey, celestial whiskey of the millennium, double rose gold national tasting institute whiskey of the year, editor's choice, editor's top ten pick, drunk advocate speyside whiskey of the year, smokey whiskey lover's peaty malt of the year, etc. Anything to sell a extra bottle and to differentiate themselves from other distillery and be able to charge more for their juice.

[squire]

The Wizard of Oz was correct when he said all you really need is the paper.

[fishnbowljoe]

Sheeeeesh folks! An award is what it is, whichever group is giving out the award. This whiskey was deemed an award winner. Agree or disagree, fine, but don't start lambasting a distillery or someone/something just because. If you haven't tried it, don't knock it. Just remember "Judge not, that ye be not judged."

[Creggor]

Ok Do we know who the Distributor for Balcone's would be in the sate of Florida?? I will make a few calls and see if it is even available in Florida.. I am curious enough to try and find some and give it a try..

[theglobalguy]

Ok Do we know who the Distributor for Balcone's would be in the sate of Florida?? I will make a few calls and see if it is even available in Florida.. I am curious enough to try and find some and give it a try..

[wadewood]

Sheeeeesh folks! An award is what it is, whichever group is giving out the award. This whiskey was deemed an award winner. Agree or disagree, fine, but don't start lambasting a distillery or someone/something just because. If you haven't tried it, don't knock it. Just remember "Judge not, that ye be not judged."

Edited January 28, 2014 by fishnbowljoe

[393foureyedfox]

Sheeeeesh folks! An award is what it is, whichever group is giving out the award.

[Balcones Winston]

Thanks for posting Gregg! We're pretty honored to receive these accolades. We knew last month we were the World Single Malt, but World Whisky of the Year was a surprise for us! Go Texas!

[Balcones Winston]

In other news, the Whiskey Sorcerers of America overwhelmingly voted Balcones True Blue as the #1 cask strength whiskey made from roasted blue corn. It is the only whiskey to take this award, as the WSA disbanded immediately after the vote, when my wife told me to stop calling myself that. The stray cat that made up the other half of the committee also ran off, after I sprayed it with a garden hose for sticking its nose in my glass.

lol... that was great

[Quantum]

When the distillery is using said award for promotion on their website and for PR purposes in press, then I think that opens to distillery up to criticism.

For the record, I am only making fun of the award, not the whiskeys. I do really like the early True Blue, and I am still working on the Single Malt. It might take most of the bottle for me to decided whether I like it or not.

[squire]

Me too, I have been commenting on an outfit whose sole purpose is to get paid for giving out awards and promoting the winning brands which is thinly disguised advertizing. That and excluding Scotch from a malt competition is an out loud laugh. That's like an island in the South Pacific declaring it's coconut tossing contest to be a World Competition.