2017 Dumangin Balcones Batch 023 Single Cask 6 Year Old Single Malt American Whisky (700ml)

The Dumangin whiskies follow in the footsteps of French pioneers like Michel Couvreur - only there's another layer of expertise bought to the table. While Gilles Dumangin clearly has a 'magic touch' when it comes to selecting and maturing world class singles and grains, he isn't just a buyer and bottler. He's an acclaimed winemaker applying his know-how. Whiskies arrive in Champagne to complete their maturation in 228 litre barriques in the cellars at Chigny-les-Roses. The Ratafia finishing gives them a distinctive signature: a subtle yet delicious, creamy, fruity twist unique to Champagne.

Balcones was discovered by Gilles during one of his sales trips. Waco, the town hosting the distillery is subject to an extreme climate. During Gilles’ August visit, the outside temperature was 48°C. As a result, the ageing of whiskies is dramatically sped up compared to cooler climes (five years here is like twelve or fifteen in Scotland). Finished for 21 months in a Ratafia Champenois barrel, batch 023 is a limited run of 265 bottles. 46.7% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered.

Notes from the bottlers... Full mouthfeel with sweet tea, burnt marshmallow, cinnamon candies and marmalade with a very long finish with oak and pepper notes, followed by cardamom and roasted sweet corn.