Featured at World Whisky Day 2018: In less than 10 years since opening in 2009, Balcones has emerged rapidly on the whisky scene, named for the Balcones Fault that runs near Waco. Awarded the best American craft whisky distillery in 2016, the distillery sought to make a uniquely Texan expression of whisky in copper pot stills and has earned many industry awards. The Balcones Baby Blue is their flagship, derived from the blue corn native to the state. Balcones and founder Chip Tate parted ways in 2014 amid great contention, yet the creativity and commitment of the distillery appears undiminished as their offerings expand.
Wait, American whisky made from corn that isn’t called bourbon? Yes. Because of the Federal Regulations specifying exactly what can and cannot be called bourbon. One element that a great many even casual enthusiasts know is that bourbon must be aged in virgin American oak barrels. Balcones makes a point of choosing various barrel types to suit their whiskies. In some countries the Baby Blue would be a Single Grain Whisky as the spirit is entirely made at Balcones, but as that is not a regulatory term in the US, it is officially a corn whisky.
Distillery: Balcones
Region: Foreign
Age: NAS
Strength: 46%
Price: $39.99
Location: Waco, United States
Nose: Popcorn, butter
Palate: Smoke, corn, butter
Finish: Smoke, corn
Comments: Balcones has chosen to use the older spelling of whisky on their product and website, and so we have followed suite in this review.
Adam – Just delicious. I love that the Balcones Baby Blue serves as the introductory malt to the distillery’s line. I’ve had a few non-bourbon corn whiskies and the Baby Blue strikes that nice balance of oil and sweetness on the mouth with just a little brightness. The oil and the sweetness come across as cake batter to a lot of us here, and it’s hard to disagree. It definitely conveys a richness of experience. Some slight toast on the finish with a hint of smoke, a great transition from the main sweetness on the palate. This drink is memorable and unique, with a production supply and price point that should make it very attractive to both whisky enthusiasts and casual drinkers alike. While it doesn’t have some of the complexity some of the other offerings have, the Baby Blue is worth seeking out and enjoying as an every day sipper.
Jenny – I get cake batter. It’s very buttery.
Meghan – Smooth with a slightly bitter heat on the tongue. Sweeter corn flavor on the back palate. Closer to bourbon sweetness but nowhere near as sickly.
Blue bonnets in the wind. The smell of a Texan Christmas.
Michael – This takes me straight back to the fermentation room of a bourbon distillery I recently visited. In bourbon rooms, they let you taste the sour mash, and the Balcones Baby Blue reminds me of it. It tastes like fresh sour mash with a little smoke influence. The perception I really get on the nose is cake batter, freshly mixed. On the palate, I get a really oily version of that flavor but with a really nice texture that allows it to linger.
Peter – Absolutely delightful, very enjoyable.
Mary-Fred – Smells like a cake my mother made called “Welcome Cake.” It was cake mix, vanilla pudding, and alcohol. That is the smell of the Balcones Baby Blue. Overwhelming cake on the nose. So good. I remember [at first taste] how surprised we were on how good the corn whiskies were.
Caitlin – Reminded me of Texas in a very positive way. Blue bonnets in the wind. A May evening out on the porch, out in the hill country of Texas.
Ben – Almost too sweet on the nose. The Balcones Baby Blue has the smell of when people are making tamales. The smell of a Texan Christmas.
