Trying The Balcones Single Barrel Program Tasting Experience

Wherever you find a bottle of Balcones, you can thank Alex Elrod and his dedicated team. He is the National Single Barrel & Brand Education Manager for the Waco, Texas distillery. The Balcones Single Barrel Program allows bars, retailers, and even individuals to covet a cask of phenomenal liquid made by Head Distiller, Jared Himstedt. While the selection had been Texas “1” Single Malt, Texas Rye, and True Blue Corn Whiskey, Balcones has expanded the program to include Texas High Plains Single Malt, Rumble Cask Reserve, and Texas Rum.

Before the pandemic, you would head directly to Balcones Distilling to sample and select your single barrel. As every industry around the globe pivots, Balcones maintains its Single Barrel Program remotely. A kit sent to prospective purchasers contains three hand-selected 100ml samples. Once delivered, Elrod and the Balcones team provide a tasting walkthrough.

When scheduling my tasting with Elrod, the team went above and beyond to ensure I was accommodated. I have never been more excited about a package than this one. The kit itself is a beautiful wooden box with the Balcones logo in gold on the lid. Unlocking it reveals the bottled samples, a Balcones Glencairn glass, and a Balcones collectors coin. Alex left it up to me if I wanted to taste through all eight samples including the newly expanded samples. How could I say no? I am a professional.

The kit has information cards about each sample. They include the wood species of each cask, which warehouse they come from, and which area of the rickhouse they are from. Each sample comes coded with a number followed by two to three letters; BC for Blue Corn, SM for Single Malt, RMB for Rumble, and RUM and RYE. The cask strength of each cask ranged from 110 to 124 proof. Alex led me through the tasting in a specific order, and I loved each one.

The three single malts of the Texas “1” were vastly different in taste. The two True Blue Corn samples were similar in taste yet different in proof. The Rumble, Rye, and Rum were the last three samples. Rumble is a unique spirit in the fact that it is twice distilled from fermented Texas wildflower honey, Mission figs, and turbinado sugar. The Texas Rye is like no rye I have ever tasted before probably because of the German chocolate malted rye they use. The molasses-based Texas Rum matures in ex-cognac barrels. The cognac leaves a nice imprint on the rum.

While each sample warrants a rating from 4 to 5, there is only one barrel to rule my world. Surprisingly, even to Alex who knows I love single malts, I did not choose a single malt. Out of the samples, I selected the Texas Rye at matured for 4 years, 5 months in Quercus Alba reigning in at 122 proof. The price of a cask varies, of course, based on the number of bottles produced. The Texas “1” Single Malt prices at $79.99 per 750ml bottle, and the True Blue Corn Whiskey, Texas Rye, Rumble, and Texas Rum each price at $59.99 per 750ml bottle.

The Balcones Single Barrel Program tasting was overall an awesome experience that I am grateful to have participated in. I wish I could have a bottle of the 14043 RYE because Balcones Head Distiller Jared Himstedt is right when he says, “Our fans are always looking for interesting and unexpected flavor experiences, and our Single Barrel program provides the opportunity for them to select truly one-of-a-kind spirits. By definition, there will never be another taste exactly like the casks that are selected.”