That Boutique-y Whisky Company Balcones 2 Year Old Corn Spirit (500ml) - Batch 4

A two-year-old corn spirit from Texas' Balcones distillery, famous for their hugely flavoursome single malts, ryes and corn whiskeys. In this expression, the liquid is smoked and then matured in an ex-Pedro Ximenez (sweet) sherry cask. The outturn was 271 bottles at 50%.

For those who don't already know, Balcones was founded in Waco in the heart of Texas in 2008. Ever since, they've been at the forefront of the exploding craft distillation scene. It all started in an old welding shop under a bridge. After turning the workshop into a distillery, the first spirit ran in 2009. Making a true Texan style was always in their plans. They never wanted to imitate Scotch whisky. Brimstone is the name of their smoked blue corn whisky. They keep details of the process secret, but they achieve this by smoking the whisky itself rather than the grain.

In typical Boutique-y fashion, the label is truly something to behold! Depicting your every day metal concert, courtesy of The Brimstone Cowboys in the fiery depths of Hades, the band members look remarkably like the guys from the distillery... That’s Head Distiller Jared out front on the Flying Vee and Brand Ambassador Winston on the keyboards. The Hell 'n' Back Tour looks pretty good, if a bit scary.

Notes from the producers... Nose: Blackberries, blackcurrants, liquorice, treacle, and hints of dark chocolate and scorched wood. Palate: Sweet and fruity, with prunes, dates, figs, and raisins. Hints of coffee and tobacco, and as the wood spices build, a woody smokiness comes through.