Review #: 338
Description: Single Cask Nation Balcones 4 Year “Double Cask” Single Malt
Spirit: American Single Malt
Background: A bit of a mouthful, but the Single Cask guys decided on two casks for this release. A single malt distilled by Balcones in Texas with one cask being aged in New American Oak, and the other in refill American Oak before blending and bottling. 4 years old and 60.9%ABV, let’s see how this texas malt tastes.
Distillery – Balcones
Bottler – Single Cask Nation
Brand – Single Cask Nation
Selection – N/A
ABV – 60.9%
Age – 4 Years
Nose – Cinnamon cherry, dark caramel, milk chocolate, bran flakes, oak, vanilla wafer. Every once in a while a faint cigarette smoke smell comes in that takes away from an otherwise nice nose., cheese danish
Taste – Really dry with oak and leather, imitation vanilla. For 60%, it’s incredibly thin and very hard to pull any other flavors out. It’s not sweet but it’s not savory or anything
Finish – Uh oh. Bitter, dry oak, cigarette ash, metallic, burnt toast, wet cardboard. While it surprisingly doesn’t burn despite the proof, it leaves a plasticky feeling and tackiness that sticks around
Score: 3
Would I buy a bottle? No
Thoughts: This seems to really have fallen victim to the Texas climate. Despite only 4 years, the oak has really overwhelmed it. I wonder if the refill cask might have been better on its own. The nose was actually quite pleasant, but then the taste just didn’t have anything behind it and the finish was not enjoyable. I am impressed at how it was able to taste so thin and not have much burn for being 60%, but this is an easy pass for me.