Whisky : Balcones Hechiceros Texas Single Malt

Country/Region : US/Texas

ABV : 61.5%

Cask : Ex-Port Cask Finish

Nose : Fruit, cream, and savory wood notes.  Strawberries, raspberries, crushed blueberries, pie crust and light orange zest.  Cream comes through like sherbet, yogurt, or sugar filled Go-gurt.  Savory notes of old drapes, wooden pews in an old church, museum dust, or even autumn compost pile.

Palate : Wood and port cask notes come on strong as incense, chocolate, and fig jam.  Sweet salted caramel and orange infused chocolate offer a lovely range of dessert notes.  Sweet cactus jelly, fruits, and a bit of zest build on the back palate.  

Finish :  Lingering sweet, salt, and spicy pepper.

Score : 6

Mental Image : Summertime Gothic Cloisters

Something Similar : Balmenach 8 Year (similar figs and malt, more tropical, less cream)

Something Similar : Aultmore 18 Year SMWS 73.110 (similar fig jam, more cola/candy notes)

Notes :  The other side of the Brujería, the Hechiceros was a Balcones special releases in celebration of its tenth anniversary.  While the Brujería dabbled in the dark arts of sherry cask finishing, the Hechiceros delved into the mysteries of port casks.  The end result was a dram with layer of rich dark flavors with hints of fruits and spice in the background.  The nose had a beautiful range of distinct notes, while the palate was a bit simpler.  Overall, I think I prefer the sherry influence on the Brujería— I think the cask profile complimented the natural qualities of the Balcones malt better than the port casks.

While I gave each of them a C+ as they are good, but not really my favorite flavor profiles— I did buy a bottle of the Brujería and I would be quite tempted to buy a bottle of this as well.  They make for an interesting side by side comparison— even better if there is a cask strength bottle of the standard single malt also handy.  Now that is a fun tasting lineup.