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What "Other American Whisky" are you drinking?


ChainWhip

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There was a tv show called Storage Wars Texas.  People would buy storage units being auctioned off.  When they found unusual items, people with specialized knowledge were sought.

Anyway, one episode the two heavy guys end up with a small still.  They go to Balcones and show it to Chip Tate.  Chip appraises the small still, then shows what he is doing, with lots of samples.

Edited by PaulO
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On 12/29/2022 at 7:15 PM, jvd99 said:

Found a Balcone's Texas Single Malt Binny's store pick buried in the bunker from 2019. Didn't know I had it. It's been awhile since I hade any of this. Last bottle was probably when Chip Tate was running things. I still have a couple old Chip Tate era bottles of the Texas Single Malt with the hand written ABVs which were released by batch as they were trying to dial in the permanent ABV, thus there were a series of releases with varying ABVs, some with decimal points, all hand written. They finally settled in at 53% and its been machine printed ABVs ever since.  I liked Chip Tate's story so I'm hanging onto my new-era dusties. I googled Chip Tate and he's apparently built himself some new stills/distillery in Waco, TX, operating as Tate & Co. Distillery but hasn't released any whisky. 

 

Anyways, the Balcone's bottle is good as usual. This is a very good product regardless of whether its a Tate era bottle or one produced by the corporate raiders that took over.

 

That was a crazy story.  I always thought they stole his company from him.  Good to hear he is back in the game.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/28/business/how-dreams-and-money-didnt-mix-at-a-texas-distillery.html

Edited by mbroo5880i
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  • 2 weeks later...

Belmont Farm, Culpeper, Virginia, Kopper Kettle BONDED Virginia Whiskey.  Chuck and Jeanette Miller opened Belmont Farm Distillery in 1988 on their farm.  NOted most for their "Virginia Lightning" unaged whiskey early on (AKA white dog, mis-named moonshine, etc.), they aged some stuff.  IIRC, they had some connection with iconoclast Rick Wasmund of Copper Fox Distillery, Sperryville, Virginia, but this is a separate operation from RIck's. (ASIDE - his American whiskey "guaranteed less than 90 days old" was one of my first purchases of craft spirit and helped to convince me to leave beer and try brown spirit).

 

NOTE from the photo (standard brown beer bottle included for comparison purposes) how light it is.  Mostly barley and then some corn and wheat, it is lighter than I was expecting.  NOSE - sweet notes dominate with some supporting acetone-like nose wrinkling.  The acetone actually helps push the sweetness forward.  FIRST SIP - good, viscous mouthfeel; nice and thick and chewy.  The barley notes dominate, but that nice slippery corn reminds me of eating custard.  The lack of peat reminds me that this is NOT a scotch, even a lowland, and the absence of that grassy note present in Irish also tells me this is something else..

 

Wife gave me this last year.  JUST opened it.  If this is what non-bourbon/American whiskey tastes like, SIGN ME UP, SARGE!  I'm good for two more years!

 

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  • 6 months later...

Old Potrero. This stuff ist delicious, I have to say. Spicy but well rounded. 

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  • 2 months later...

Tried the JD Single Malt with Obree. I do not normally care much for single malts. This one was very good. I need to try it again to see if it remains consistent for me. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

Been drinking Balcones Lineage Texas Single Malt - a combo of local Texas barley and Golden Promise, aged 3 years, 46%, $39 - very good.

 

I like all the Balcones single malts I've had over the past 10 years. The Lineage is a good entry price point b/c the regular Texas 1 Single Malt (100% Golden Promise/4 years/53%) is like $69. The taste profiles are similar enough that I'd probably buy the Lineage more often.

 

Anyways, I've read lots of online chatter about Balcones and there are very divisive opinions out there, which I can understand because some of their products dont sit well with some people. I personally drain-poured the Blue Corn bottle after a couple sips. Not my bag. The single malt expressions seem to fare better in the online chatter, and I think scotch drinkers like it better than just bourbon drinkers.

 

Also something I didn't realize until recently is Diageo bought Balcones from the corporate raiders that screwed over Chip Tate back in the day. We'll see where the brand goes from here. I'm sure hoping for some type of age stated regular release or something aged in the 5-10 year category. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

While grocery shopping, I found THIS! Several came home with me.  My liver will never be the same!  Season's Greet9ings to you all!

 

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