Balcones Rumble

Balcones was founded in 2008 in Waco, Texas. The beginning was bringing the different elements together until they could begin distilling in 2009. Two tenets of the distillery from the beginning has been to use ingredients that spoke to the heart of Texas and the other was to be boldly creative. Whether using Baby Blue corn or a remarkable single malt, they have looked to forge their own path of American whiskies. The Balcones Rumble is so creative as to be almost in another category of offerings altogether. It is, in fact, not a whiskey at all. So why are we reviewing it? Because when it was first poured out for us, we couldn’t tell it wasn’t a whiskey at first blush. So call it whiskey adjacent? Good enough for us to explore further. The Rumble is a Texas wildflower honey, turbinado sugar and fig spirit aged in small oak barrels for an undisclosed amount of time.

Distillery: Balcones
Region: Foreign
Age: NAS
Strength: 47%
Price: $49.99
Maturation: Small oak barrels
Location: Waco, TX
Nose: Honey, pine, cedar, brown sugar, vanilla, spice, fig, mint
Palate: Fig, floral, oak, honey
Finish: Sherry, mint, oak

Comments: This offering is not currently sold by Balcones but since it has often been released in batches, it may yet appear again. There is plenty out on store shelves as of print, however.

Adam – The Rumble is curious on the nose with some sweetness and essence of the woods in summer that I love, along with an underlay of spice and honey. Big mint the more it sits in the glass. So far so good. With all of these elements, however, there’s that light Spidey-sense tingle that not all is as it seems or that something is not what it should be. Because of course 4/5 of my nose finds things I like in whiskies but there’s that missing element. The palate is where I can tell immediately. This is really quite nice, drinking more like a complex rum than anything but not quite exactly like a rum either. The combination of flavors is lovely and satisfying, both on its own and as part of a cocktail. But there’s also this tang on the back of the palate and a feeling in the chest that lets me know this is decidedly not whiskey. And that’s okay, it doesn’t have to be, but it’s there all the same. I really enjoy this experiment and think it’s a great value for the price. Yet I’m not sure how often I would personally come back to this, given my personal preferences.

Kate – This really reminds me of a rum, like a rum tasting I did in Puerto Rico years ago. Initially on the nose was a latex/iodine. It almost has a buttery feel once it hits your tongue. Not a taste but the feel, and then it gets spicy. It smells like Balcones and smells like Balcones and I like those things. I took a sip with a lot of air and then got big florals. Holy potpourri.

Henry – An intriguing nose of cedar, brown sugar sweetness, vanilla, and spice. Sweet on the palate, with tannins making for a drying midpalate tempered by honey and spice and packing some serious heat. Dry finish with some serious woody tones reminds me of a cigar humidor. Lovely.

Ben – This is so much like whiskey without being whiskey. The second nose is definitely minty. Floats right on top. Like peppermint leaves on top, like brownies with ice cream with mint leaves on top. 

Bill – The fig here reminds me of a figgy mead that I have in stock – ironically Also from Texas. Regardless….I like this. I like the sugary, the fruity, plus some nice notes of vegetal happiness. This would be lovely in a cup of black tea or work really well as a sweetener. A lot of common notes with rums. The pirates are happy.

Evelyn – It’s savory, almost like absinthe or grappa. There’s a sour note on the nose. It’s more an after dinner drink to me.

Sam – Strong honey and grassy fig smell. The Nose is reminiscent of rum mixed with brandy, but also whiskey. It definitely has the signature Balcones smell, and its altogether very pleasant. Taste has a lot in common with aged Caribbean rums, but is also mildly sweet from the honey, savory and slightly fruity from the fig. It almost has a roasted flavor to it, like it was held to the fire just long enough to get a milliard reaction.