American By Nino Marchetti / June 4, 2019 The rise of single barrel programs at craft distilleries, as we highlighted through a list of examples from across the country recently, continues to be one of the more interesting trends emerging from new whiskey producers. One of these is Texas-based Balcones Distilling, which recently announced it was expanding its single barrel selection program to more states.The Balcones Texas Single Malt Private Selection Program, according to those behind it, is set to drop into 13 new states starting this month. These include California, Florida, Colorado, New York, New Jersey, Michigan, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Illinois, with more states expected to follow in the coming years. The distillery has also tapped their brand ambassador Winston Edwards to be in charge of this program.Balcones brand ambassador Winston Edwards and some of the distillery’s barrels (image via Balcones Distilling)How the single barrel program works at Balcones, in a nutshell, is that customers and retailers are invited to hand-pick their own single cask of Balcones’ Texas Single Malt, with an option to have it bottled at the original 106-proof or undiluted at full-cask strength. Single barrels of this American single malt will be available in casks constructed of American oak, French oak or European oak, allowing for a wide variety of unique flavor profiles.“Balcones ‘1’ Texas Single Malt has always been my most cherished of the Balcones portfolio, and this unique opportunity allows me to share that admiration directly with our most valued supporters,” said Edwards in a prepared statement. “Texas Single Malt Single Barrel is how our distillers most often enjoy our whisky – uncut and from a lone cask.”Specific costs of what a barrel might typically run were not mentioned. Lead time of deliverables will vary by market.
