Whisky : Balcones 4 Year SMWS 140.3 “Nik nak woody whack”

Country/Region : United States/Texas

ABV : 59.1%

Cask : First Fill Ex-Bourbon

Nose : Antique wooden furniture and oaky spice— Ceylon cinnamon, brown sugar, dried ginger, and mint.  Sweet fruity notes of cherries, cola, leather, and a cinnamon-cherry soda.

Palate :  Medium bodied with bright spicy pepper, ginger, and cinnamon.  Sweet honey, ginger cola, brown sugar, and maple syrup provide a rich sweetness.  Lovely meaty notes surface between the sugar and give the impression of maple bacon or a honey glazed ham.

Finish : Medium length brown sugar and herbal spice.

Score : 6

Mental Image :  Cinnamon Cola in an old Saloon.

Something Similar : Bushmills 15 Year SMWS 51.10 (lighter body, more citrus, similar ginger/vanilla soda)

Something Similar : Balcones Brujería (similar cola and spice, more fruits, less meatiness)

Notes :  The first time I tried this I was not impressed.  The second time I tried this my wife stole most of the glass for herself.  The third time, I finally got to really sit and let it develop— and understand why my wife bogarted the glass.  This was wonderful— and the fact that my picky peat loving wife was really into it, is pretty surprising.  I am even starting to think she has a bit of a soft spot for Balcones without realizing it (she tries everything blind, whereas I ride in with all my preconceptions) as she also really enjoyed the Twin Liquors Selection #2 we tasted a few months earlier.

Personally, I thought the 140.1 I reviewed previously was a bit better and certainly more interesting— enough so that I wish I had gone through the trouble to grab a bottle.  I think this was a slightly mellower version of the Twin Liquors cask selection, though at almost twice the price, I'm not sure it was worth the upgrade.  Still, it was a great bottle and demonstrated the strength of the single cask inventory available at Balcones.  I cannot wait to try even more single casks from SMWS or other retail outlets.